16 April 2008
Larger-growing Opuntias and water
Posted by Stuart under: Cacti .
Unfortunately I can’t remember the source, but I recently read a comment in which the author ruminated on the idea that we may not give some Opuntia species enough water. Recent articles in the BCSS journal, and discussion on the forum, regarding the general underwatering of Fraileas, have got me thinking about this again.
I’ve certainly found with some larger growing Opuntioid species (true Opuntias, Cylindropuntias and the like) that they can take ages to wake up properly after the winter if not given a really good soaking from the outset. Because they shrivel so much if kept dry over the winter, they seem to need a lot of water to rehydrate themselves.
Others I have found reluctant to grow in my conditions - and here’s the link with the Fraileas - unless kept fairly constantly moist in the growing season; in particular I have a plant of O. quimilo, now in a 10" pot, that did absolutely nothing for a couple of years after I bought it, until in something approaching desperation I kept the thing soaking wet until some new growth deigned to put in an appearance. Of course the trade-off is that when it grows it does so very enthusiastically, and this winter I cut it back for the first time to just a few pads to start the process all over again. My O. decumbens is equally stubborn unless watered pretty relentlessly during the growing season.
I haven’t tried giving my Consolea falcata (also in a 10" pot and a couple of feet high) such generous treatment, but will do so this year to see how much height it can put on in a season.
If anything goes awry I can soon reroot the stem(s).
One Comment so far...
Mike P Says:
7 May 2008 at 8:52 pm.
If you look at the forum entries regarding my engelmannii which is going to flower this year for the first time it bears this out. It has long since rooted itself out of the bottom of its pot and into the gravel / soil below. It did not shrivel at all during the winter having access to as much water as it wanted. Greenhouse is heated to just exclude frost and its pads touch the roof so it is obviously very tough even when turgid. It began to show buds some time ago and they have grown apace as the days have lenghtened. I am going to try this with some other Opuntias next year and my Tephrocacti (esp articulatus) to see if it helps keep them from shedding segments.