The most popular prickly pear cactus and how to care for it

An inhabitant of the deserts with edible fruits - the prickly pear cactus - has taken root in indoor flower beds due to its exotic appearance and unpretentiousness. It can be called a versatile plant that looks equally impressive in a single pot, in a florarium or in a rocky garden. This flower will perfectly fit into any interior. It will be appropriate in the living room and study, in the hallway and corridor, in a small apartment and a huge office.

Varieties

Representatives of the genus Opuntia (Opuntia), which is part of the Cactus family, are numerous and varied. Their number reaches 300. The basis for identifying all these species was the size and shape of the plants, the density of spines on them, the length and type of bristles. They are united into one genus by the presence of flat fleshy shoots, outwardly resembling an elongated oval. Among prickly pear trees there are early shedding "foliage" trees, but more often these cacti are creeping or erect bush.

Wildlife culture is typical of South American (predominantly Mexican) steppe landscapes. Many of them gradually spread around the world, adapting to the climatic conditions of the Mediterranean, India, the Caucasus, Crimea, Australia. Nature has created prickly pears for deserts and semi-deserts, but they can also be seen in savannas and in forests between pines and junipers. Some plant species are able to withstand cold temperatures down to -10 °.

In their natural environment, large buds appear on cacti all spring and all summer, and then - sweet juicy berries, known as "Indian figs". When ripe, their hard shell becomes burgundy. At home, prickly pear almost does not bloom. In order for a cactus to become covered with buds, it needs to arrange a climate change by bringing the pot out to fresh air for the summer. The ability to lay flower buds in prickly pears appears late - at 10-12 years.

Uncultivated species of cactus can be real giants, reaching 4-6 meters in height. At home, prickly pear is more compact. It stretches in height by a maximum of 60 cm. This process will take more than a dozen years: the growth rate of the culture is slow.

The following types of prickly pear are most common.

• White-haired. The stems of the cactus are divided into small (10-20 cm long) segments. Their surface is densely covered with bristles. Numerous hairs (glochidia) have a yellow tint. The flowers are large (up to 8 cm in diameter), their stigmas are green, and the petals are golden. It belongs to the woody species of prickly pear.
• Home. The plant is distinguished by an unusual color of the segments: they are blue-green or reddish. Brownish areoles slightly depressed and pubescent. There are few thorns. The petals can be painted in a wide range of shades from mauve to scarlet.
• Mighty. The cactus grows to a height of 40-50 cm. Its shoots have many round segments with a gray bloom on the surface and white spines. The flowers of the plant are red-yellow. Areoles are rare.
• Gosselin. In young cacti, thin segments are reddish; with age, they turn gray-green. This species fell in love with flower growers because of the long, but soft spines, located mainly in the upper part of the shoot. The petals are yellow.
• Compressed. Possesses creeping shoots, consisting of bright green rounded-pointed segments. They are practically naked, but there may be thorns at the ends of the shoots. Double flowers are bright yellow with a reddish center and a lot of golden stamens.
• Fine-haired. The stem is divided into many dark green segments. They are small and rounded.White areoles are densely covered with short golden glochidia. The flower column is light, the petals of this prickly pear are golden yellow.
• Breaking. It got its name from the easily falling off segments. They are round and small (only 2-3 cm long). Areoles are located 8-12 mm apart. They are densely pubescent with white villi and have yellowish glochidia. From each areola, 4 long (up to 3 cm) spines grow crosswise. The flower stigmas are green, the petals of the cactus are painted in an expressionless pale yellow hue.

Lighting and temperature

Often it is impossible to rearrange the pot of prickly pear, she does not like it. In order not to expose the plant to stress, it is better to immediately choose a permanent place for it. This cactus needs a lot of light. Due to its tropical origin, the need for sunlight does not disappear even in winter. The most comfortable prickly pear will be on the south and southeast side of the house. But at first, the flower here will have to be protected from the midday heat. He is gradually taught to the bright sun.

If no other options are available, the cactus pot can be positioned on a windowsill facing east or west. Lack of lighting slows down the development of prickly pear and weakens it. It also affects the decorativeness of the plant, causing blanching and stretching of its stems and preventing flowering. On the northern windows, the cactus will be strong and healthy only with artificial supplementary lighting, and it will have to provide such conditions all year round.

Advice

If the prickly pear has gathered buds, you cannot change the position of the pot and even slightly turn it, otherwise it may throw them off.

In the summer, you do not need to take care of maintaining the temperature regime - the heat will not harm the plant. Opuntia responds well to the influx of fresh air. If you can't take it out into the garden or onto the balcony, the room is regularly ventilated. Such care will help strengthen the flower's immunity and stimulate its growth.

Opuntia need a dry and cool (at a temperature of about 6-8 ° C) wintering. In the warmth, the cactus shoots are deformed, giving the plant a sickly appearance. In addition, the absence of a dormant period will prevent the plant from blooming. The air temperature in the room is reduced gradually, they begin to do this in the fall.

Watering and feeding

While the prickly pear is actively growing (from April to October), it is watered moderately. The soil lump should dry out between procedures. In moist soil, cactus roots quickly rot. For watering prickly pears use soft warm water. It is better to acidify it a little (add 2-3 drops of lemon juice or the same amount of grains of citric acid). The metabolic processes in the tissues of cacti slow down during the day, so evening watering is preferable for them (after 17 hours). In extreme heat, less water is spent on the plant.

It is recommended to moisten the soil at home through a pallet. In this case, you can be sure that a dense crust does not form on the surface of the substrate, which does not allow air to reach the roots of the flower, slowing down its growth. Watering at the root is also dangerous because drops of water inevitably fall on prickly pear shoots. They clog the pores, making breathing difficult. As a result, the prickly pear stem becomes covered with cork growths. For the same reason, the plant cannot be sprayed.

If the cactus is in a cool place in winter, it does not need care in the form of watering. But this rule does not apply to young plants. The need for moisture during this period can be judged by the state of the prickly pear. If the shoots have lost their turgor or their relief has become aggravated, a little water is gently introduced into the soil. At temperatures below 10 ° C, the roots of the plant are unable to absorb it. In such conditions, watering will be detrimental to the flower. Before the procedure, the room temperature is gradually raised to at least 12 ° C. For the first time after leaving the dormant period, the cactus is moistened carefully and with a small volume of water.

The beginning of the growing season is a reason to include regular feeding in the care of prickly pears. They are held every month.You can use special fertilizers designed for flowering cacti, or any complex mineral formulations that contain a minimum of nitrogen. An excess of this element causes root rot in prickly pears. The last feeding is carried out in September.

Replacing the pot

The slow growth of prickly pear makes it easier for the grower to care for it. A transplant to an adult plant is rarely required - once every 3-4 years. It is hard for prickly pear to bear it. The pot is changed in the spring before the cactus comes out of hibernation. The prickly pear that has picked up buds cannot be transplanted. The roots of the plant are shallow, so it does not need a deep pot, it is better to choose a wide container for it.

Opuntia prefers loose, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic reaction and a supply of nutrients. The easiest option is to plant it in a ready-made cactus mix. Many growers prefer to compose the soil for the plant on their own. To do this, take 4 components:

• leafy ground;
• sod land;
• clay;
• sand.

The ideal ratio of components is 2: 1: 1: 0.5. Having mixed the substrate well, add a little baking powder to it. It can be expanded clay, crushed charcoal, broken brick.

Advice

It is not necessary to add humus to the soil for prickly pear. It makes the plant vulnerable to fungal diseases.

Transplant prickly pear, waiting for the complete drying of the soil coma. It is carried out by transferring the plant from an old pot to a new one. A prerequisite is that the soil in both containers must be dry. The transplanted prickly pear is kept in a dark place for 2-3 weeks. This will help the plant to deal with stress faster. The first watering is carried out not earlier than after 5-7 days.

Reproduction

Opuntia is grown in 2 ways:

• from seeds;
• from cuttings.

Generative reproduction of a cactus is carried out in early spring. The shell of prickly pear seeds is dense. To make it easier for the sprouts to break through it, scarification is carried out. You can damage the shell with a file, a nail file, sandpaper. The treated prickly pear seeds are immersed in a pale solution of potassium permanganate for 10 minutes. The liquid should be warm.

A drainage layer is laid at the bottom of the planting container and filled with a substrate of three components:

• leafy land;
• sand;
• crushed charcoal.

Covering the crops with glass or foil, the container is exposed to light. The seeds of prickly pear germinate in the warmth (at a temperature not lower than 20 ° C). Caring for them at this stage is to regularly ventilate, remove condensation and moisten the soil from the spray bottle (as needed). When the seedlings grow up and get stronger, they are seated in separate pots. Young prickly pears need good lighting, but direct sunlight is destructive for them. They begin to adapt them to the conditions in which adult plants are kept at 2 years of age.

The best time for grafting is from spring to early summer. Having separated several segments from the stem of an adult prickly pear, they are placed vertically and forgotten for 3-4 days. When the cuttings have dried up and the wound is covered with a thick film, you can start planting. After immersing the cut site in moist sterile sand (3 cm), the container is placed under the film. Care cuttings and prickly pear seedlings need the same, but the container will have to be heated from below. With the appearance of roots and new buds, young plants are transplanted into individual pots.

Pests of prickly pear

The most effective prevention of pests and diseases of prickly pears is proper plant care. On its shoots at home can settle:

• spider mites;
• mealybugs (hairy lice or aphids);
• scabbards;
• whitefly.

Some insects (scale insects and scale insects) are visible to the naked eye. Others (spider mites) will appear on the surface of prickly pear shoots of small dots and a thin web. Feeding on cell sap, pests weaken the cactus, cause its deformation and slow down growth. Many of them also carry dangerous diseases.As a result of the life of the mealybug, the prickly pear becomes covered with sticky secretions.

A microclimate favorable for these pests is created by high temperature and dry (for spider mites) or humid (for worms) air. With a few insects on prickly pears, you can fight with folk methods:

• garlic or tobacco infusion;
• green soap solution.

Large pests (worms and scale insects) are removed mechanically (with a cotton swab dipped in a solution of laundry soap). In advanced cases, you will have to resort to chemicals. Spray the plant with insecticides, following the manufacturer's instructions and preventing the drug from getting into the soil. If necessary, the processing is repeated.

It is more difficult to reveal that the root nematode reproduces on prickly pears. To do this, you will have to carefully examine the underground part of the plant. Having found bulges on the roots, they are cut to healthy tissue and kept in hot (45-50 ° C) water for 10 minutes. It is impossible to wet the root neck of the prickly pear at the same time. When the shoots are a little dry, the wounds are sprinkled with charcoal. After that, the cactus is planted in fresh soil, having previously disinfected it (calcined or steamed).

Illness and other difficulties

The causes of prickly pear diseases at home lie in gross violations of its agricultural technology. Lack of light, regular waterlogging, excess nitrogen in the soil create comfortable conditions for the development and reproduction of pathogens of late blight, anthracnose and various rot - fungi. It is easy to recognize trouble: soft moist areas of different color appear on the plant. Such a cactus must be treated urgently - delay threatens the flower with death.

The diseased tissue is removed with a sharp knife. Then, sprinkling a fresh wound with sulfur, the prickly pear is sprayed with a fungicide solution. Bordeaux liquid, copper sulfate, Gamair, Oksikhom, Fundazol have proven themselves well. With anthracnose, ticks often settle on prickly pears, so professionals recommend treating the cactus again, but with an insecticide.

When the roots decay, they act in a similar way. After removing the diseased areas of the shoots and sprinkling fresh cuts with ash or crushed coal, the prickly pear is transplanted into a fresh and completely dry substrate. Watering is resumed only after 3 weeks.

If insects and signs of disease are not found, but the decorativeness of the cactus decreases, it is necessary to check whether its requirements for keeping conditions are met.

Possible difficulties with prickly pear and their reasons

Problem	Cause
Pulling the stem	Failure to comply with the temperature regime in winter
	Bad light
Slow growth	Insufficient watering in summer
	Lack of nutrients
	Wet wintering
Cork stains on the stems	Escape injury
	Hypothermia
	Lack of moisture in summer
Lightening of the upper shoots, weak thorns	Lack of light
Loss of turgor, shedding of stem segments	Sudden changes in temperature
	Prolonged drought
Shrinking the tips of the shoots	Excess moisture in the soil combined with low temperature and lack of light

Growing prickly pears is a simple and fun activity with unpredictable results. New shoots often appear in unexpected places, giving the cactus a bizarre shape. At home, prickly pear is bred because of its decorative effect, but in the homeland of the plant, its other properties are much more valuable. The rich chemical composition of its shoots, which contain sugar, starch, protein and vitamins, makes them a useful treat for livestock. Desserts, preserves and jams are made from aromatic prickly pear berries, and molasses, syrups and alcoholic drinks are made from their juice. They can be dried, and unripe fruits are used as a seasoning for meat dishes.

Opuntia is also used for medicinal purposes: for cardiovascular pathologies, diabetes, obesity, respiratory and digestive diseases, nervous disorders, diarrhea, measles, cystitis, rheumatism.It helps to strengthen the immune system and normalize metabolism, relieves hangover symptoms, removes toxins and toxins. The substances included in the plant enhance regeneration and effectively fight inflammation. The oil from its fruits and seeds is used in cosmetology and aromatherapy. Although at home, prickly pear can only perform a decorative function, this is not a reason to abandon its cultivation. Caring for this cute representative of cactus is not burdensome, and its unusual appearance will pleasantly diversify the landscape on the windowsill.