Opuntia??

[ticothetort2]

Snagged this out of a neighbors yard and couldn't get a pic of the whole plant, but it looks exactly like this just many different sizes stacked on top of each other. No flowers blooming when I grabbed this. I think it's opuntia but just wanted to make sure. Thanks...

 

[Marty333]

yeah I think that is opuntia

 

[t_mclellan]

It is Opuntia.

 

[DeanS]

Start feeding...

 

[Tom]

Yeah its opuntia. Its infested with those little cactus parasite insects. I hate those things. The indians used to make dye and ink out of them. Wipe them with a gloved finger and watch how purple-ish they are.

They don't hurt the torts. Just wipe them off and rinse it. THat would be a good size for transplanting, but try to get the smaller, lighter new pads for your baby.

That reminds me... I've got to go put a bunch of those in the ground today...

 

[ticothetort2]

Thanks everyone! That's exactly what I did with it...in the ground you go to make me some more! That's what I love about SoCal, just take a walk around the block and see what you can find!! Here's a couple more...

Ice Plant

RED APPLE
APTENIA CORDIFOLIA...Maybe??

Sorry it's night so the pics aren't the best quality, I'll take more tomorrow.

 

[jagsrule100]

I got a question... does lowes or home depot sell the opuntia? i would like to get some tomorrow and start feeding Buster this.

Thank you

 

[Laura]

I have rarely seen it there.. start looking around in yards where you live. I see it everywhere..
I snagged a few pads and cut them in half, let them dry and planted them in the road median..
I now have two nice plants to harvest from....
Those thorn can be singed off easily over a hot burner on the stove.

 

[jagsrule100]

Ok, i wish they did cause it would be easier to do lol. I have seen one cactus that looks just like it so i'll get a pad tomorrow and probably post it to make sure it is Opuntia.

Also, how long are the pads good for when you cut them off?

 

[ticothetort2]

I don't recall ever seeing it at Home Depot or Lowes before. I have seen it at nursery's, but if you can find it growing somewhere it's pretty easy to just snag a little to transplant. I will definitely be going back to my neighbors for more until mine gets some good growth on it. I just stuck it in some porous planting mixture, am I suppose to let it sit out for awhile before trying to root it??

 

[Tom]

Here's what I've been told to do with them and it works for me. After you cut the pad off the main plant leave it somewhere dry for a couple of weeks so the fresh cut portion can scar over really well. Now I've waited as little as 10 days or as much as 4 months and it works just fine either way. Then dig a little hole and put one third to one half of the pad, scar side down into regular dry dirt. I build a little basin around them when I fill it back in. Don't water it for at least one month. Just leave it alone whether it sprouts new pads or does nothing. For most people water about once a week over the summer and once a month, if it doesn't rain, over the winter. I have to water mine 2 or 3 times a week during the summers here, but that's not normal. If you have rabbits or squirrels around make a ring of chicken wire and stake it in place over the cactus. I only go about 18" high with the chicken wire, so that the new pads sticking off to the sides will be above it.