The Opuntia ficus indica, perhaps better known as the prickly pear or prickly pear, originally comes from Mexico. This desert plant is not only very decorative but also easy to care for and quite robust. In addition, the fruits of the Opuntia are edible.
How to propagate a prickly pear cactus?
Prickly pear cactus can be propagated by sowing or cuttings. Collect and clean the seeds from ripe prickly pears, then place them in moist potting soil and allow them to germinate at 20-25 °C. Cut cuttings from a he althy cactus, dry them and place them 2 cm deep in potting soil.
But even if you don't want to use prickly pear cactus as a food plant, you will surely find a reason to propagate these plants. In general, this is relatively easy to do by sowing or with the help of cuttings or cactus segments.
Sowing prickly pear cacti
You can take the seeds for planned sowing from your own prickly pears. To do this, take the pulp of a ripe prickly pear. Thoroughly clean the seeds of adhering pulp so that they do not start to mold and place the seeds in moist potting soil. If necessary, sprinkle a little soil over it.
Now the seeds need a consistent temperature of 20°C to 25°C and consistent humidity so that they germinate. Air the seeds (€3.00 on Amazon) daily to avoid rot and spray the seeds with water that is as lime-free as possible. At the latest when the first cotyledons appear, the plants need a lot of light.
Pulling prickly pear cacti from cuttings
Use he althy and strong segments of your prickly pear cactus as cuttings. You can cut these off with a sharp knife or break them off carefully. Allow the broken or cut surface to dry a little before placing your cutting in moist potting soil.
But don't stick it too deep into the soil, a maximum of about two centimeters, otherwise your cutting could rot or mold. Place the pot with your new cactus in a bright and warm place with at least 20°C. It will soon form strong roots there.
The most important things in brief:
- Propagation by sowing or cuttings
- Clean seeds from your own prickly pears thoroughly
- Do not/hardly cover seeds with soil
- Keep sowing evenly moist
- Germination temperature between 20 °C and 25 °C
- Young plants need a lot of light
- Cut cuttings carefully
- Allow cut surfaces to dry slightly
- Stick cuttings max. 2 cm deep in potting soil
Tip
If you only want to grow one or two prickly pear cacti, we recommend cutting cuttings. This is how you get attractive young plants quickly and easily.
