All that’s necessary to propagate prickly pear cactus is a donor plant. The prickly pear cactus (Opuntia) is beautiful and incredibly easy to propagate from a cutting.
When I first moved to Arizona, one of the first plants I purchased was a prickly pear. (Fig 1) I was unaware that a prickly pear cactus produced fruit at the time. More on the fruit a little later.
I recall that I paid about $25 for the prickly pear at Lowes. The cactus had a few large pads and was about a foot tall.
I did not know much about the prickly pear cactus then, so I assumed it was a slow-growing plant. The prickly pear cactus grows at an astonishingly fast rate. It can easily exceed 10-12 feet in only a few years, with lots of direct sun and hot temperatures.
The prickly pear grows in every direction, not just up! New pads constantly sprout out of existing larger pads starting in the spring and throughout the summer months. (Fig 2) Herein lies the problem, or if you want to propagate a prickly pear cactus, a bonus.
Because of the speed at which the cactus grows, it cannot always support its growth. As the size of the cactus increases, weaker pads will spit or even break off. When they break, as they fall from the main plant, they break off other pads in their path before hitting the ground.
In my case, as the remnants of a rare Pacific hurricane passed through Arizona, the strong winds broke off several larger sections of the prickly pear cactus. Feeling disappointed, I decided to try growing the pads separated from the main plant.
Prickly pear cacti, also known as opuntia, are iconic plants of the American Southwest With their distinctive paddle-shaped stems and colorful flowers, they make excellent additions to arid gardens While you can buy prickly pear cacti at nurseries, propagating your own from an existing plant is extremely simple. With just a few basic supplies and steps, you’ll be on your way to growing an endless bounty of prickly pear cacti to liven up your yard.
Why Propagate Your Prickly Pear Cactus?
Propagating prickly pear cacti has many advantages For one, it’s an easy, inexpensive way to get new plants Buying cacti from a nursery can get pricey, especially for mature specimens. Propagating your own allows you to expand your collection without spending much money.
It’s also a great way to share prickly pear cacti with friends and family. The paddle cuttings you root make wonderful gifts for fellow gardening enthusiasts.
Propagating also preserves special cultivars. If you have a particularly unique or rare variety of prickly pear, propagation can help conserve it. The new plants will be genetically identical clones.
Finally, multiplying your cacti allows you to create stunning Southwest-style gardens. The more plants you grow, the more design options you’ll have.
How to Propagate Prickly Pear Cactus
Propagating prickly pear cactus is straightforward. There are two main methods: seeds or cuttings. Cuttings are faster and more reliable, so we recommend propagating cacti from cuttings. Here’s a step-by-step overview of how to do it.
Supplies Needed
- Sturdy gloves
- Sharp, clean knife or scissors
- Cutting of prickly pear cactus
- Container with drainage holes
- Cactus soil mix
- Spray bottle
Step 1: Take a Cutting
Use thick gloves to protect your hands when taking a cutting. Select a ripe, firm prickly pear pad to use. Carefully twist or cut it off at the joint using a sharp, clean knife or scissors. Make sure to get the whole pad.
Step 2: Allow to Callous
Place the cutting on a dry surface and allow the cut end to callous over for 5-7 days. This seals the wound and prevents rotting.
Step 3: Prepare the Soil
Fill a container with cactus soil mix, leaving room for the cutting. Cactus mix is fast-draining and replicating the sandy soil of the desert.
Step 4: Plant the Cutting
Make a hole in the soil and insert the calloused end of the prickly pear pad. Bury 1/3 of the pad in the soil. If it won’t stand upright, lay it horizontally with the cut end centered.
Step 5: Water Lightly
Give the soil a light misting so it’s just moist. Avoid getting the pad itself wet.
Step 6: Provide Warmth and Light
Place cutting in a warm spot (70°F+) with indirect light. A greenhouse is ideal, but a sunny windowsill also works.
Step 7: Wait for Roots and Growth
Check for rooting after a few weeks. Once rooted, gradually acclimate to direct sunlight to spur growth. Mist soil when dry.
In a few months, your cutting will take off and form a whole new prickly pear cactus clone!
Tips for Growing Prickly Pear Cactus Cuttings
Follow these tips to ensure your new prickly pear clippings thrive:
- Be patient – rooting takes time, sometimes up to 8 weeks
- Don’t overwater – these are desert plants so less is more
- Give them warm temperatures
- Situate in full sun
- Repot in cactus mix once established
- Wait 1-2 years for blooms
With the proper care, your cuttings will flourish into mature, blooming prickly pear cacti.
Propagating Prickly Pear Cactus from Seeds
While prickly pear propagation from cuttings is faster, you can also grow cacti from seeds. Here’s an overview:
How to Harvest Seeds
- Allow prickly pear fruits to fully ripen on the plant.
- Collect seeds from the fleshy interior.
- Clean seeds and let dry for 1-2 weeks.
How to Germinate Seeds
- Perform scarification by nicking or scratching seed coats.
- Stratify seeds by exposing to cold treatment.
- Sow seeds in warm, moist cactus mix.
- Provide bottom heat.
Germination may take weeks or months due to tough seed coats. Be patient!
Growing prickly pears from seeds is slower but a fun experiment for the patient gardener.
Enjoy Your Bounty of Prickly Pear Cacti
As you can see, propagating prickly pear cactus at home is easy and rewarding. With minimal time and effort, you’ll have prickly pear pads galore!
Propagation allows you to expand your cactus collection and craft stunning succulent gardens. Share the bounty with fellow gardeners or create a living fence.
Just be sure to wear gloves when handling the prickly pears—those glochids can be nasty! Avoid contact between skin and cactus.
We hope these tips inspire you to try prickly pear propagation. Let us know how your cutting and seed growing goes!
Care and Maintenance—Propagated Prickly Pear Cactus
Prickly pear cactus, like most cacti, require very little care. If you are planting your propagated cactus outdoors, choose a location that receives full sun throughout the day. The more sun the cactus gets, the faster it will grow.
If you don’t have an area in your yard that receives full sunlight, the propagated prickly pear will do just fine. However, it won’t grow as quickly. If the pads on the cactus begin to grow in a long, thin shape, this is a sign it needs more sun. Insufficient sunlight will cause the cactus to “reach” toward the sun, distorting the shape of the pad in an attempt to get more sunlight.
Water the cactus about once a week. A few ounces of water should be plenty. An easy way to tell if you are under-watering is to look for wrinkles on the pads. Prominent wrinkles mean the cactus is dry. Wrinkles or drooping can also indicate that the cactus is reacting to high temperatures and direct sunlight.
If you are using an irrigation system, it’s okay if the soil around the base of the cactus dries out for a few days.
It’s virtually impossible to kill a prickly pear, even if you occasionally forget to water it. However, overwatering can cause the cactus to rot.
If you suspect the cactus is beginning to rot, remove the entire plant from the ground and cut off the rotten portion of the pad. Place it back in the soil and reduce the water it receives.
You may need to prune the cactus to prevent it from toppling or getting too large as it grows. Grab a hacksaw or a knife and remove the unwanted pads. You can then start the whole process of propagation over again or give the pads to a neighbor.
Propagate Prickly Pear Cactus (In a Pot or the Ground)
After the hurricane dissipated, I propagated a few pieces of the prickly pear cactus in a different area of my yard. Three years later, I had a new prickly pear larger than the original.
The prickly pear, as well as most cacti, are incredibly resilient. The process is simple, even if you have no experience with propagating cacti. It’s the same process used to propagate a bunny ear cactus. All that’s required is some cactus soil and a little water. If you live in the desert and want to propagate a prickly pear cactus in your yard, skip the cactus soil. The soil in your yard will suffice.
If you’re from an area where cacti are uncommon, dig a hole and replace the soil with cactus soil.
If you plan to grow your cactus in a pot, purchase a bag of cactus soil. Please don’t buy potting soil meant for house plants. Potting soil will retain water, causing the cactus to rot. Most cacti are incredibly susceptible to rot. Overwatering or using soil that holds too much water will deprive the root system of oxygen, and the plant will rot.
You don’t need a large pot, at least in the beginning. The prickly pear has a small root system and will grow fine in a smaller pot. Just keep in mind if you live in an area that receives regular rainfall, it may be best to keep the cactus under a porch (during periods of heavy rain) to prevent the soil from getting saturated.
I like to use a hacksaw to take a cutting from a prickly pear. Since the cactus is mostly water, a hacksaw blade easily cuts through the pad. A sharp knife will work if you don’t own a hacksaw. Cut the pad diagonally rather than straight across. A diagonal cut will give you more surface area to cover with dirt and provide a stable base. (Fig 3)
You can remove a single or multiple pads connected to a larger pad. Prickly Pear cacti are tough plants. Don’t worry about hurting the donor cactus. Within a couple of weeks, the cactus will heal itself. Eventually, it will grow new pads where you removed the pad. (Fig 4)
Place the tip of the pad in some soil, burying just enough of the pad to keep it from falling over. If you have a few plant stakes, you can place them on each side of the pad. Tie a string around the pad and secure it to the stakes.
It’s not a pretty solution, but in a few weeks, the cactus will have enough root growth to support itself. You can then remove the stakes. (Fig 5)
Opuntia for FREE! – How to plant & propagate Prickly Pear Cactus
FAQ
Can you grow prickly pear cactus from a cutting?
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1. Select a healthy, mature plant:Choose a prickly pear cactus that is in good health and has been established for a while.
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2. Take the cutting:Carefully detach a healthy pad or section of the stem from the mother plant. Use gloves to avoid the spines.
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3. Allow the cutting to dry and callous:Lay the cutting on a dry surface in a warm, bright spot (not direct sunlight) for a few weeks. This allows the cut edges to form a protective callus, which helps prevent rot.
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4. Plant the cutting:Fill a pot with well-draining cactus soil. Insert the base of the cutting into the soil, ensuring it’s upright or horizontally laid if desired.
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5. Water sparingly:Initially, avoid watering the cutting until signs of rooting are visible. Once roots develop, water moderately, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings.
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6. Provide adequate light and warmth:Place the potted cutting in a warm, bright location, but avoid direct sunlight, especially when it’s newly planted.
Can you root a prickly pear cactus in water?
Can you propagate prickly pear cactus in water? Yes! Only submerge the bottom of the cutting after it’s already scabbed over. Once the roots have grown in and you start to see vegetative growth, plant the cactus immediately in well-draining soil so it can absorb nutrients.
Can you put cactus cuttings straight into soil?
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1. Prepare the cutting:After making the cut, allow it to dry out for a few days in a shaded, dry spot. This will encourage a callus to form over the cut end.
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2. Prepare the soil:Use well-draining cactus soil or a mix of potting soil with perlite or sand to ensure good drainage.
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3. Plant the cutting:Place the cutting in the prepared soil, either directly or slightly buried, with the callus facing down.
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4. Provide light and warmth:Place the potted cutting in a bright, warm location, away from direct sunlight, especially when it’s first planted.
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5. Water sparingly:Avoid watering until the cutting shows signs of root development, which may take several weeks or months.
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6. Monitor and adjust:Keep an eye on the cutting for any signs of rot or other issues and adjust watering and sunlight as needed.
Can you cut off a piece of cactus and plant it?
- Select a healthy section of the cactus with no signs of disease or damage.
- For tall cacti, you might cut the top section to encourage more offsets to grow from the base.
- For cacti with pads, you can remove a whole pad by cutting where it joins the main stem.
How do you propagate a prickly pear cactus?
Here’s an overview of the steps… To propagate a prickly pear cactus from a cutting, break a pad off a plant; wear thick gardening gloves to avoid the sharp barbs. Allow the pad’s cut end to callus over for a few days; this can help prevent the cutting from taking in too much water, which can lead to rot.
Can prickly pear cactus grow from seeds?
Prickly pear cactus typically grows from pads, which can be cut and replanted to create new plants. The pads should be allowed to dry for a few days before planting to prevent rotting. Additionally, prickly pear cactus can also be propagated from seeds, although this method can be more challenging and time-consuming.
Can prickly pear cacti grow from cuttings?
With the proper care, your cuttings will flourish into mature, blooming prickly pear cacti. While prickly pear propagation from cuttings is faster, you can also grow cacti from seeds. Here’s an overview: Allow prickly pear fruits to fully ripen on the plant. Collect seeds from the fleshy interior. Clean seeds and let dry for 1-2 weeks.
How to propagate prickly pear?
Apart from sunlight, the type of soil you use is one of the most significant factors in successful prickly pear propagation. A well-draining potting mix – often sold as “cactus mix” or “succulent mix” – is essential. These mixes typically contain coarse sand, perlite, or pumice to increase drainage.
How do you cut a prickly pear cactus?
Take a cutting from a healthy, disease-free Prickly Pear Cactus. Harvest cuttings only when nighttime temperatures are a constant 60 °F (16 °C) or warmer. Choose a pad or oval segment without blemishes or scars. Grasp the top of the pad gently in one hand. Using a knife, cut the pad off the parent plant at the natural seam at its bottom. 2.
Are prickly pear cactus good for beginners?
Known for being a resilient plant, it is an excellent choice for both experienced gardeners and beginners. Propagating a Prickly Pear Cactus is relatively straightforward, but there are a few things you should know before you get started, including the methods, how to take the cuttings and how to care for your new plant babies.