prickly pear propagation...lay them down or stand them up?

[comike]

I would like to see what people in the Forum say on many subjects. I did a lot of reading here first and have not seen this subject...

Which works *better when planting a pad from a prickly pear...laying the pad down or standing it up?

*better or faster -or any other advantage.

thanks, Mike

[daiv]

Mike,
I'm sure Bill (ihc6480 that is -we're getting so many Bills and Mikes!) would be a better source on this.

Anyway, Opuntia are very prolific growers and you can flip them like a coin onto the soil and they will grow profusely from whichever position they land in. They can root from anywhere and produce new pads out of any areole.

Planting them upright will typically give you the most natural appearance. Conversely, laying the pad down might yield more new pads.

Daiv

[templegatejohn]

Hi Mike,

Most sources will advocate trying to root the pad in an upright position, simply because if the pad is laid flat for any length of time it will start to curl upwards and end up shaped like a banana.

I do not know of any advantage that can be gained with either method. A chap I know puts them upright in a clear plastic pot without any sand, grit or compost, leaves them completely bare until he can see the roots starting to form before he plants them into potting compost.

John

[comike]

Hello John,
Kind of why I asked, I just started 2 pears: one is a huge, fat Plains Prickly Pear pad & the other is a little 'Bunny ears' microdasys pad. (Both are standing up in the same pot)

Now what your friend does...bare...in clear plastic?
I thought the darkness, and having soil up against the pad was a 'trigger' for roots to sprout!

Apparently it must have more to do with the settling of fluid in the pad?

Daiv, call me Mike Co for Colorado. My only other propagation experiment(one laying down, one standing up) agreed with what you said. In an equal setting & treatment, they both put out 2 new pads.
The new pads were thick & 3 sided on the horizontal,
thin and longer on the vertical.

Depending on each new reply I'll run & switch the pads! Thanks guys, Mike Co

[templegatejohn]

Hi Mike,

Cannot disagree with what you said about darkness inducing root growth, this is what the books normally recommend, but the method works for this guy. He feels that it is better than keep pulling the pad out of the compost to see if roots have started. Also he believes in not watering the pad until he sees some sign of root growth, hence the constant checking for small roots starting.

Hope this is of some help.

John

[comike]

Yes of course John -its both useful and interesting.

The sand these ones of mine are in eliminate his concern. Its a cinch to pick them up out of dry sand to check on roots.

Yes I've been told no water or direct sunlight until roots appear, not much even then. Correct?

take care, Mike Co

side question...is Leeds, England a humid climate?
(I've driven on the wrong side of the road, wrong side of the car w/ a manual trans. rental car in London, Edinburgh, & Kings Barns Scotland!)

[Buck Hemenway]

Mike Co

My mentor, Haevey Welton of Mexican Hat Cactus (more than 40 years as a for-profit grower) is 100% behind the dark place, no soil, look for the roots system. He also advocates planting the pads on their edges. More places for the plant to root from.

Cacti will root more readily from their areoles than from the old stump. I find that either works, as well as flat, but John's observation about them looking more like the plant that they are supposed to be is correct.

Opuntias will grow with or without your help. Its up to you to help them look like YOU want them to look.

Buck

[Buck Hemenway]

Sorry Harvey, that's Harvey Welton.

[daiv]

Opuntias will grow with or without your help. Its up to you to help them look like YOU want them to look.

This is a good point. I was just thinking this when I started reading it. I don't know of any Opuntia species that need too much special care.

I've got at least 4 species of "overflow" Opuntia that I planted over the fence on the association property. These things are in the most miserable clay soil you've ever seen. Some get watered by spinklers every night, others only get water in winter when it rains. Some of them I partially buried, others I more or less tossed over the fence. Some are partially shaded, others are in full sun.

They are ALL thriving!

[templegatejohn]

Hi Mike Co,

Yes I would say Leeds is quite a humid place, lots of mists and fog in the autumn and winter. That is why my plants need to be completely dry in winter with additional heat in the greenhouse.

It is not the cold that kills the plants, but the cold and dampness combined.

John

[comike]

""My mentor, Haevey Welton of Mexican Hat Cactus (more than 40 years as a for-profit grower) is 100% behind the dark place, no soil, look for the roots system.""

Buck are you saying he keeps them in the dark? Not just out of the sun -but in the dark?

(Templegate)John -we're on a high altitude/low humidity desert here. The cactus cant absorb much moisture out of the air. So how we treat cacti would be very different from Leeds.
--Mike Co

[Buck Hemenway]

Mike,

Harvey suggests putting the cut stem into an empty pot and leaving it in a shady spot. Very dark in the bottom of the pot, but not necessarily so for the rest of the plant. You never want unrooted plants in full sun.

John will say the same, but you're splitting hairs on the humidity angle. Cacti do not like a humid environment, period. If you live in Leeds, then you fight wet and cold most of the year.

Particularly for your endemic plants, you should mimic mother nature. Otherwise it depends entirely on where you winter the less hardy plants. In the root cellar, no water. In the house, some water but less than in the summer growing season. You will need to feel your way based on your own conditions.

The sure way to kill succulents is with too much water. Let them tell you when they need more. Dry plants will not rot. When they start to look like they need a pick me up (not yellowing or turning black) but shriveling or puckering, then give them some water. Establish a routine based on the needs as you see them. Even the assortment of plants in your personal collection will require different water needs than your neighbor. Remember, the interior of your house is much more dry than outside, and a lot warmer.

[templegatejohn]

Yep,

Can only agree with everything Buck says. Individual treatment for each plant is the ideal, The problem that lots of people face is that their collection grows and eventually becomes too large to be able to do this. I certainly try to to give my plants individual treatment as much as possible, but many people just resort to the hosepipe in the greenhouse and with this method each plant gets the same amount of water at the same time, whether they need it or not. Plants eventually become marked, or the waxy grey coating that some plants have on the epidermis is washed off.

I suppose it all boils down to how much time you can devote to your plants. I do not show any of my plants, but still like to keep them looking as good as I can.

John

[ihc6480]

Well I'm late as usual and it has been covered very well but I prefer standing my cuttings upright for general appearance.
As stated they will grow regardless of how ya plant them but I've found they will grow better in the ground than they do in pots

Bill
(ihc6480)

[templegatejohn]

Hey Bill,

Better late than never. I'm always waiting for you to come in on the Opuntia posts, after all I think you are now the Forums No. 1 on the man eaters.

Nice to hear from you,
John

PS Where are the other musketeers Bob and kari.