jrtalley43

What are your eastern prickly pear recommendations? Just got a starter pad potted. I'm thinking about planting outside next year. I'm in central Indiana, humid and heavy soils, borderline zone 5b/6a, so I'm thinking a small mounded bed, maybe 6 inches above ground level, dug out a bit and back filled with gravel, with a 3/2/1 ratio of succulent mix/sand/gravel on top (Someones home made cactus mix recipe I read somewhere) Anyone already growing these, anything you would do different? Bigger raised bed? Less organic matter more sand? Just keep it in a pot?

cincinnana

Put those fellas in the soil.....
The plant is beast...
A deep internet search and youtube search will have you going in no time...

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pjkfarm

Not quite the forum, though they like some things bananas like or better say hate the same things - WET FEET. We grow in Virginia - hot/cold/humid. Have over 100 different cacti/yucca/agave. 6" is too low - 1 foot minimum. DRAINAGE is all that really matters - we have them growing in clay (wild), compost piles (prunings and throw aways). ONLY important thing is drainage. As water will wick up even putting a piece of plastic under your bed could work if the area your raised bed is on is very flat or otherwise soggy. If the area is well drained, not such an issue. but for sure try more than six inches :-) BTW, do not fertilise after june or so, and we never fertilise cacti unless in pots and then very little.

jrtalley43

The area I was thinking of planting is very well drained, never seen standing water there. Up against a west facing brick wall, I think it would be happy A plastic barrier is a good idea, hadnt thought of that. I thought about going higher but I didn't want to reduce it's cold hardiness too much, though I know they are very cold hardy.

geissene

So, I live in Eastern PA (zone 6) and have grown this cactus for almost 30 years now. I have the yellow flower type that also has tiny red spines that always get into your skin! I grow it on the grass between my sidewalk and the road and fertilize once or twice a year. It always does well and it grows in my junky clay soil. I have also seen this plant growing in sandy soil close to the New Jersey and Maryland beaches.

You probably don't have to worry about hardiness much. I have lost very few pads over the years. Also, the pear fruit contains lots of seeds and they can easily grow new plants each year. Every summer, I have to cut back most of the new growth to keep the cactus from overgrowing its space.

It sure looks beautiful the one week of the year when it flowers! Enjoy your plant!!

Erik

cincinnana

You will need to try this.....
The whole plant is interesting.

I have had this plant all ways.
A local mex establishment serves them up in a insane dish.
https://www.wikihow.com/Eat-Prickly-Pear-Cactus

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jrtalley43

Thanks for all the replies. I actually happened to pass a house today with a large stand of prickly pears, so they must do fairly well tolerating this soil. Will probably do a raised bed anyway to make sure. I have had the nopales at a Mexican restaurant before but I am very curious to try the pears.