Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Growing prickly pears from seed
• Method 2 of 3: Propagate prickly pears
• Method 3 of 3: Take care of prickly pears
• Warnings

The prickly pear, also called the Indian fig, is a cactus native to South America, Central America, and some parts of North America. Although the plant prefers desert climates, the prickly pear will grow in a variety of soils with varying moisture levels and temperatures. The stems and fruit are edible, but the cactus is also grown as an ornamental plant for its beautiful flowers that can turn orange, yellow or white. To grow a prickly pear you can buy an already established plant, germinate seeds from the fruit, or propagate a new plant from an existing plant.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Growing prickly pears from seed

1. Get seeds. You can do this by purchasing them from a nursery or garden center or you can get them from the prickly pear fruits. Prickly pear fruit is a red, egg-shaped fruit that grows at the top of the prickly pear. To get the seeds out of the fruit you must:
   • Put on gloves to protect your hands from the spines. Cut off the ends of the fruit. Straighten the fruit on one end.
   • Make a thin, vertical cut on one side of the meat and gently put a finger under it. Remove the pulp by peeling the fruit like an orange.
   • Use your fingers to open the flesh and look for the seeds scattered all over the fruit.
2. Grab a flower pot. Take a small flower pot with a hole in the bottom. Cover the bottom with a layer of pebbles, as this ensures better drainage.
   • Fill the pot half with soil and the other half with sand, rough stone or loam. This mixture will drain better than soil with a high clay content, and will resemble the natural desert soil preferred by a cactus.
   • You can also buy a pre-mixed pot mix for cacti or succulents.
   • If you don't have flower pots, you can always use a plastic cup. Make several holes in the bottom so that the water can drain.
   • To grow multiple prickly pears you will need to prepare multiple pots in this way.
3. Plant the seeds. Place one or two seeds on top of the soil. Gently push the seeds into the soil and cover with a very thin layer of soil.
   • Add a small amount of water. The soil should be moist, but not wet.
4. Place the pots in a warm but shady place. Cactus seeds do not need full sun like already established plants. Place the pots in a shady spot surrounded by full sun to create a warm climate.
   • As the seeds grow, you will need to keep the soil moist until they germinate. Water when the soil feels dry.
   • Seed prickly pears take longer to grow than propagated plants and the resulting cacti can take three to four years to produce flowers and fruit. However, growing from seed is important to ensure genetic diversity.

Method 2 of 3: Propagate prickly pears

1. Find an established prickly pear to propagate. Another way to grow prickly pears is to take a cutting from an established plant. Ask friends or neighbors if you can take a cutting from one of their plants if you don't already have prickly pears yourself.
   • To propagate prickly pears from existing plants, use cuttings from the stems of the plants.
   • The stems are the flat, green, fleshy parts that make up most of the plant.
2. Cut off a stem. Choose a healthy stem that is medium or above average in size and about one to three years old. It is best to look for a stem that is not damaged, has no spots and is not deformed.
   • To take a cutting, grab the top of the stem with one hand (in a glove) and cut the stem above the node where it attaches to the rest of the plant.
   • Do not cut the stem just below the node, as this can lead to infection that will cause the plant to rot.
3. Let the stem form a hard part. Before planting, allow the cactus time to form a hard area where the cutting was cut to prevent infection and rot. Place the stem on a bed of soil or sandy soil and let it rest for one to two weeks until the incision has healed.
   • Leave the stem in a shady place while you wait for the hard part to form.
4. Prepare a flower pot. Fill the bottom of a medium flower pot with stones for drainage. Fill the rest of the pot with sandy or loamy soil, as this will also benefit drainage.
   • The ideal soil will be a mixture of half soil and half sand or pumice.
5. Plant the stem when the incision has healed. Make a 2.5-5 cm hole in the soil with your finger. Place the stem straight in the flower pot with the cut end in the soil. Bury the end. However, do not bury the tip deeper than 5 cm or it may rot.
   • If the stem has trouble staying upright, you can put some stones around it to support it.
6. Water the plant. Water only when the soil looks dry, about once or twice a week.
7. Place the stem in the sun. Unlike prickly pear seeds, stems need more full sun. However, stems can burn in full sun, so it's important to protect the stem from full sun between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM, when the sun is most powerful.
   • To avoid constantly moving the prickly pear, position the plant so that the wide sides of the stem face east and west, so that the thinner side of the stem faces the sun when it is most vigorous.
   • This will protect the plants from burning so you don't have to put them out of the sun every afternoon.
   • Once the roots of the cutting have established, the plant is ready to be exposed to full sun.

Method 3 of 3: Take care of prickly pears

1. Choose a permanent location for the cactus. You can keep growing the prickly pears in a pot or you can transplant the cactus in the garden. To transplant the cactus, choose a spot outside that gets a lot of full sun.
   • Even if you keep the prickly pear in a pot, it should be placed somewhere where it gets full sun.
   • If you live in a climate with colder winters and temperatures that sometimes dip below -10 ° C, keep the prickly pear in a pot so that you can put it indoors when it gets cold.
2. Transplant the cactus. The best time to transplant a prickly pear is in late spring, when the risk of frost and heavy rainfall has passed.
   • Dig a hole about the size of the pot containing the cactus. Place the pot as close to the hole as possible. Carefully turn the pot upside down and catch the plant in one hand (with a glove).
   • Place the roots in the hole and cover with soil. Push the soil with your hands and saturate it with water.
   • During the first week, you should water every three to four days. After that, you can water the cactus every three to four weeks. After the first year, the cactus will no longer need any additional water other than the rain it receives.
3. Harvest stems and fruits once the plant is established. Allow the prickly pear to establish itself for several months before harvesting stems or fruits. Wait for the plant to produce a second or third stem before harvesting stems and wait for at least eight blossoms to appear on a stem before harvesting the fruit produced.
   • Cut stems in the late morning or early afternoon with a sharp knife. The acidity is lowest at these times. Remove the stems just above the node.
   • Harvest fruits by turning the fruit around and gently pulling it off the stem. You know the fruits are ripe when the glochids or spines fall off the light or dark colored bumps on the fruit.
   • Make sure to wear gloves to protect your hands from the spines when harvesting prickly pears.
4. Cover the soil with mulch in winter. Even if you live in a warm climate, to avoid damage from the cold, cover the soil around the prickly pear with mulch in the fall.
   • If you live in a cold climate and you keep the cactus in a pot, bring the prickly pear inside in the fall to prevent it from freezing.

Warnings

• Wear gloves when handling the cactus because prickly pears are very prickly. Gloves for roses are recommended, but any thick and protective glove will do. You can also use pliers when you have to work with prickly pears.
• Prickly pear is considered a weed or an invasive species in some areas where the plant is not native. It is illegal to plant prickly pears in places where the plant is considered invasive, such as in certain parts of Australia.