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Hi, Fred,

The juncture of the new paddle coming off of the older paddle looks like it's touching the soil--am I correct? In my mind, it seems like it should be to encourage the best chance of roots. Not sure why, but instincts are suggesting that it should.

--bret

My reasoning behind planting it with the new paddle touching the soil came from a box store opuntia I bought last summer that isn't cold hardy.
While it's different variety,they grow and reproduce in the same way. If this one was touching soil instead of a board I'm pretty sure it would be putting down roots.

Interesting development. The part that looked rotten that was on the bottom that I put in the direct sun and rain has inflated. The areoles also seem to be "growing" for a lack of better description. I also think it has rooted because pulling up on it I feel a lot of resistance. I have sunburned adult cactus in that very spot on 100 degree days. It's only pushing highs of 90 right now. I kind of had a feeling sun might help,but thought where it is might be over kill. I have been keeping the rest of it in the shade for the most part,and I don't believe there is a whole lot happening. So it's all going in the sun and rain!

Nature's incredible, in spite of us.

Looks like we have success.
I'm afraid the one in the ground the infection might be spreading. But it's so hydrated it looks like it's ready to pop. It will be interesting to see what happens with it.
The piece with the new paddle is no longer wrinkled. And I think the new paddle has doubled in size.
I also have another I got off of ebay last summer not pictured that I just figured there was no way. But it is greening up and the wrinkles are disappearing. These things really are pretty amazing.

Great effort, Fred!

They have rooted and taken hold. A seller on ebay I bought some pads from last summer says you can't kill these It isn't in this picture. But as long as they have warm bright sunlight I believe it. One of those dried up Ebay pads that looked like beef jerky took root and put up a new pad. I think I got it about this time last year. I'm pretty sure where that one failed was trying to root it in the shade,and it never rooted before winter. Dried up and brittle I put it in full sun with damp gravel,it went almost a year without roots and it took off. I grabbed the dead looking part in the pot to throw it out,but it had roots ( I think something has been eating it). So I covered it back up and watered it. It is baking in full sun.

Hi Fred,

The new pad in photo #2 definitely isn't etiolated, but it looks abnormally elongated. Compare it to the new pad in photo #1 where you have the Opuntia growing in rocky soil. For your potted Opuntia I'll suggest that you lean the cactus mix out more by adding pumice, granite gravel, or Turface.

It could very well be etiolated. The pot gets put under shelter when rain/storms are possible. Which lately possibility has been a LOT,but actually hasn't happened. Around here 30% chance of thunderstorms could spell hail, heavy rain and wind,while away at work. It often isn't predictable.
I am just happy to have them rooted. Last spring I had ZERO cold hardy Opuntia rooted. Now I have 8. 6 are Opuntia humifusa that make the yellow flower like in this picture. The other 2 I got from cold hardy cactus in Colorado,and are quite different than humifusa.
This spot in the yard I could never get grass to grow,so it will be my cold hardy cactus site. I just dug in a little sand and gravel for a start. It seems to be working. The "stuff" growing between the 2 pots is dragon Blood Sedum. I have the rock to outline a pretty good section,but I havn't made up my mind exactly on the substrate to fill it in. But this fall I will dig up the ones in the ground and overwinter all of these in milder temps than outside. Build the "garden" and hopefully plant them all next spring,with some seedlings I have been growing.
And if they take off next summer i will leave some in the ground permanently,until I have more than I know what to do with. That is the plan anyway,but we all know plans are subject to change.

Awesome, Fred. Can't wait to see more of the plan as you develop it. Nicely done with finding the right growing cues for those sad pads from a few months ago.

Bret

As I said in my last post. I started to throw away the part in the pot that looked really rotten and beyond hope. And pulling up on it I realized it had roots so I stopped and tried to put it back like it was. Low and behold,where it looked like there was nothing but dead cactus it's putting up a pad.
These certainly soak up sunshine. as I think i said earlier. I got some of these off off ebay last summer. They never rooted then probably because I figured the sun would cook and dry then out in no time,and was babying them in the shade. One of those that didn't root put up a pad this year in the sun.
But here in this picture is a pad growing out of the rotten part that i started this thread about. Amazing!

So cool.