Taking the pricks out of prickly cactus.

[Ray--Opo]

Hey everyone, just came up with a way to get rid of the pricks on the cactus. Just to let you know. I have only one hand so it was a challenge for me. Also I am sure that this isn't ground breaking but I bought a 4 sided stand up food grater and drag the pad across it. With the right pressure you can get rid of bumps. Works for me being one handed!

 

[wellington]

You can also burn them off over your stove burner if it's gas. Works fairly well.

 

[Ray--Opo]

You can also burn them off over your stove burner if it's gas. Works fairly well.

Thanks, I have electric. But good knowledge for me to remember.

 

[vladimir]

@Ray--Opo thanks for sharing!

 

[Len B]

Another way is to put a wire through the pad and hang it outside and use a small propane or butane torch to burn the spines off.

 

[Yvonne G]

I buy cheap plastic scouring pads from the dollar store and scrub them off then toss the pad.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

yeah, there are still glochids in all these methods. Like shark teeth, they come out after a good removal effort. Nitrile or latex gloves are also good, when you peel them off most (not all) of the glochids peel off with them.

Spines yeah, well get spineless in the first place.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Once your cactus is established and growing quickly, you should have the option of just picking the newest, small pads with wobbly, soft spines.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Thanks for all the ideas. My cactus need to grow a little more. I pick from it now and then but if I started full time it would be gone.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Thanks for all the ideas. My cactus need to grow a little more. I pick from it now and then but if I started full time it would be gone.

I've got two in two pots the size of small trees.
No more than 24 months ago, they were each one single pad stuck in some dirt.

 

[Iochroma]

I'm a torch believer

 

[SULCY]

I use the spineless type and do nothing.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I use the spineless type and do nothing.

Are your "spineless" truly spineless?
I have some and although they have far fewer spines, they aren't actually spine free.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Are your "spineless" truly spineless?
I have some and although they have far fewer spines, they aren't actually spine free.

Spineless does not seem to mean glochid free, so say opuntia growers on the opuntia growers facebook page, which leads to websites and commercial growers as well as tortoise food people like ourselves.

 

[katieandiggy]

I've got two in two pots the size of small trees.
No more than 24 months ago, they were each one single pad stuck in some dirt.

I’m so jealous. I can’t even grow 1 pad here. The only cactus that seem to be available here are ones that are covered in glochids I think they are known as cinnamon cactus.

 

[SULCY]

Go to your Latin supermarket they sell them for eating. Mine do have very few if any glochids on them, I handle them with my bare hands and only once had one in my skin. I planted a few pots with them and they grow like crazy,

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Go to your Latin supermarket they sell them for eating. Mine do have very few if any glochids on them, I handle them with my bare hands and only once had one in my skin. I planted a few pots with them and they grow like crazy,

I indeed bought mine at a Hispanic grocery store.

 

[Len B]

I’m so jealous. I can’t even grow 1 pad here. The only cactus that seem to be available here are ones that are covered in glochids I think they are known as cinnamon cactus.

Check out CatiGuide.com. (i believe that's the name), I used to belong to a cactus forum and there were members from your part of the world that raised all types of cactus and would share with other people. Good Luck.

 

[Blakem]

I just scrape them with a pocket knife, rinse, scrape, until I don’t see the little ones!

 

[tortoiseplanet]

I just scrape them with a pocket knife, rinse, scrape, until I don’t see the little ones!

Use a toothbrush and running water. You’ll thank me..