Cactus pads

[RonHays]

Do cactus pads have any nutritional value? I want to order some from someone but would like to know if it's a healthy food or if it's just mainly water based. Thanks

 

[wellington]

I don't know the nutrient value, never looked it up. However according to all the recommendations on here to feed it, I would feed it and I do. Even have 11 pads growing for my own supply.

 

[reticguy76]

cactus and cactus pear are very very nutritious and the health benefits are very wide ranged

 

[RonHays]

cactus and cactus pear are very very nutritious and the health benefits are very wide ranged

Thank you for answering my question. Now on to search on this forum for someone that sells it. Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

a very good source of calcium.

 

[RonHays]

Where can I get seeds to grow them? I know that they will survive here in Mississippi. There's some people up the road from me that have a lot in their backyard. I was going to get some from them but I dont know if the kind they have are tortoise friendly or not.

 

[Yvonne G]

Send me your address in a PM and I'll send you a few pads to start.

 

[Tom]

It is very high in fiber, moisture and calcium. Great as part of a varied diet.

I've never grown it from seed. Most people simply stick a pad in the ground and it takes off from there. In Mississippi, you might have trouble getting it started due to the soil being to wet all the time. For the first month or so, the pads need no water and will do best in a dry location. Once they are started and establish roots, the water is okay to a degree. You might have to start them in dry pots with some cactus soil mix, and then move them outside after a few months.

 

[RonHays]

Thanks Tom. I'll try that.

 

[DeanS]

...Just to take it one step further...the calciumhosphorous ratio is ideal for torts...and eliminates the need to supplement with any overpriced store bought calcium...provided they are offered cactus (at least) every other day. And the fiber content makes it the PERFECT food for them.

 

[RonHays]

Excellent. Thanks Dean

 

[Dizisdalife]

Where can I get seeds to grow them? I know that they will survive here in Mississippi. There's some people up the road from me that have a lot in their backyard. I was going to get some from them but I dont know if the kind they have are tortoise friendly or not.

Ron, I have an aunt (and some cousins) that live in the Laurel area (Jones County) and she has opuntia cactus growing in what used to be her pasture. You should have no trouble growing whatever cactus you decide on. Like Tom said, just stick the pads in dirt and let them root. I started mine in pots with a cactus soil mix. It took about a month to root and start to show new growth.

 

[pugsandkids]

I stuck a pad in "cactus soil" two years ago and it hasn't done a damn thing! But whenever I'm in a store that sells them I grab a few

 

[DeanS]

It should be noted that cactus seeds can take years to mature to a plant! Take a good-sized pad...not new growth...the thicker the better...bury it about half way in the soil and forget about it!

 

[Dizisdalife]

I stuck a pad in "cactus soil" two years ago and it hasn't done a damn thing! But whenever I'm in a store that sells them I grab a few

I have certainly had some that did the same thing. They were from local sources so I believed they would do well. The ones that have done the best for me came from one of the tortoise supply companies. I just decided to plant four of the ones that came in the mail and they all grew.

 

[RonHays]

Ron, I have an aunt (and some cousins) that live in the Laurel area (Jones County) and she has opuntia cactus growing in what used to be her pasture. You should have no trouble growing whatever cactus you decide on. Like Tom said, just stick the pads in dirt and let them root. I started mine in pots with a cactus soil mix. It took about a month to root and start to show new growth.

Oh ok. Yeah I know where that's at. Do they have tortoises also?

 

[Tom]

I stuck a pad in "cactus soil" two years ago and it hasn't done a damn thing! But whenever I'm in a store that sells them I grab a few

I have around 30 opuntia that I started from a single pad. Some of them just explode with new growth right off the bat, while others just sit there and hardly do anything year afer year. Sometimes they are side by side in the same dirt, and sometimes they are cuttings off of the same original plant. I don't know why some go and some don't, but it's probably not anything you did. Just try a few more pads.

 

[Dizisdalife]

Ron, I have an aunt (and some cousins) that live in the Laurel area (Jones County) and she has opuntia cactus growing in what used to be her pasture. You should have no trouble growing whatever cactus you decide on. Like Tom said, just stick the pads in dirt and let them root. I started mine in pots with a cactus soil mix. It took about a month to root and start to show new growth.

Oh ok. Yeah I know where that's at. Do they have tortoises also?

No. No tortoises. I did look up the nutriments found in opuntia (nopal) cactus and they are too numerous to list here. This site can give you a pretty good idea.

http://genuineaid.com/2010/12/24/nopal-cactus-nutrients-health-benefits/

 

[Redstrike]

I like this site for nutritional breakdowns of many foods:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/3029/2

you can change the serving size with the small drop-down menu at the top of the page.