Nopal cactus pads

[Tortus]

If this seller doesn't pan out I'll go with that next. He said it will be at least 2 pounds so we'll see.

 

[Tortus]

Well I ordered from both Amazon and the guy on eBay just to see how they'd look. The Amazon one arrived today and this is what it looks like:

Like someone else said it's just one big pad and it weighs over 24 ounces. So that's half a pound more than advertised. It's firm and the spines have been removed.

So what's the best way to store it? I've heard in a brown paper bag on the counter, and I've heard to refrigerate it. Also, would this pad be good for planting? It's cut at a pretty sharp angle.

Another question. If I decide to use this one instead of plant it, what's the best way to start cutting so it stays fresh? From the bottom up I assume?

 

[Tortus]

Ah, so no one knows. I'll just chop the sucker up and put it in the fridge.

 

[kurmaraja12]

I cut thin strips off of mine and kept the rest in the refrigerator

 

[Moozillion]

I bought a single spineless cactus pad already started with plenty of roots so I could grow my own. This one cost me $14.95 from Carolina Pet Supply. It came with very clear instructions and after not quite 2 weeks it's already sprouting 2 little flower buds! I'm very pleased.

 

[Tortus]

I bought a single spineless cactus pad already started with plenty of roots so I could grow my own. This one cost me $14.95 from Carolina Pet Supply. It came with very clear instructions and after not quite 2 weeks it's already sprouting 2 little flower buds! I'm very pleased.

That's cool. Did you plant it outside or indoors?

The eBay cactus arrived yesterday. 34 ounces, 8 pads total. They have a little scarring here and there but it's just superficial. They're smaller and thinner than the Amazon cactus, also dethorned. These look freshly plucked from the mother plant and would probably root well, so I'll think I'll try the biggest one.

 

[kurmaraja12]

Just bought about 7lbs last week from a local fruit market for less than 10 dollars.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

We've got a small produce market in town that sells the pads for $1.54 a pound. They also have huge aloe leaves at $2.50 a pound.

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We've got a small produce market in town that sells the pads for $1.54 a pound. They also have huge aloe leaves at $2.50 a pound.

And it's good they sell aloe, my wife isn't happy when I eyeball the one she has growing.

 

[DeanS]

I have purchased these on eBay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-CACTUS-PA...672?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa2e19520

I was very happy with them for my tortoise babies because they are thin and tender. My intent was to propogate them. They grew very well for me, but the rabbits like them so well that they almost ate them all. So, if you want to plant these make sure they aren't accessible to rabbits and such.

She's the best...and these have NO spines!

 

[Moozillion]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this thread. I planted mine in a pot outside, but I live in south Louisiana where we have a 50:50 chance of being comfortable outside in shorts and tee shirts on Christmas Day!

 

[noved32]

I just bought some from the Amazon seller. They sent me one big cactus pad. It was also 6 dollars for shipping, so the total was more like 11. It's nice cactus and I only really bought it just to see if it was economical, which it really isn't.

Depending on where you live, sometimes nicer or gourmet fruit and vegetable markets have cactus pads and fruit really cheap. A place where I lived in Lansing, Michigan would sell a medium sized pad for 23 cents! I would also try a Mexican market our food store. While these cacti pads may not be truly organic, they are for cooking and therefore human consumption, and that's good enough for me.

So I would call around you area and check markets. It might even be cheaper than the internet if you drove an hour to pick some up in a larger city.

Is the place your talking about in Lansing called Horrocks? I love that place!!! I'm just down the road from you in Flint, Mi. What kind of tort do you have? It's always nice to find people that are near you..on thing that min tort (a Russian) loves from Horrocks is the prickly pear fruit!

 

[kurmaraja12]

Is the place your talking about in Lansing called Horrocks? I love that place!!! I'm just down the road from you in Flint, Mi. What kind of tort do you have? It's always nice to find people that are near you..on thing that min tort (a Russian) loves from Horrocks is the prickly pear fruit!

Yep! That's the place, I got the fruit too I have a two year oldish sulcata.

 

[Tortus]

I planted a few of the pads I got from eBay since they began to shrivel and warp. They're now growing this on top:

What exactly is this? Is it going to be a flower or a fruit or a new pad?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Those look like little pads starting to grow! As for fruit or flowers, first you would have a flower, then you would have a fruit. I'm not sure if cactus have male and female flowers. If they do, the female flowers would be from where the fruit comes.

 

[Tim/Robin]

We have a monthly subscription to www.rivenrock.com. We get it shipped fresh every month! The tortoises and Uros love it.