Growing prickly pear cactus in the open field - turning the garden into a desert
Do you love succulents, but at home there is simply no free space on the windowsill for new plants? Go to the store for prickly pears, and feel free to plant it in the garden. Growing prickly pear cactus in the open field is not a fantasy and is by no means an advantage of desert inhabitants. The succulent has many varieties with increased winter hardiness that can safely overwinter even in the central zone. The most important thing is to find a well-lit area for the plants and take care of the correct soil. Otherwise, care for them is minimal, especially compared to other garden dwellers.
Did you know that prickly pear practically does not bloom at home? In order for inflorescences to appear, the succulent must be taken outside for the summer. But garden plants do not have such problems - they bloom profusely every year.
What types of prickly pear can grow in the garden
Opuntia grows most often in the form of a spreading shrub, although there are species that are more like trees in size. However, in our climate it is still a bush of many interesting branches. They consist of flat, spiny segments. From mid-spring until autumn, the garden prickly pear decorates the flower bed with gorgeous flowering. Large flowers in the form of a gramophone can be colored yellow, white, red or orange. After flowering, the fruits ripen - berries, and in most species they are edible.
Among the variety of species of this succulent, there are many plants with increased winter hardiness. These include the following varieties of prickly pear:
- White-haired. The height of the bush can reach 5 m, the segments are 20 cm long and are covered with white pubescence. The flowers are large, yellow, 8 cm in diameter. The berries are fragrant and edible.
- Berger. The total height of the bush does not exceed 1 m, but the shoots are up to 25 cm long. Green leaves are covered with brown spines. The flowers are orange-yellow.
- Gosselin. Differs in blue - green shoots with long, up to 10 cm, thorns. The flowers are yellow. Growing rapidly.
- The main. Slow growing red-flowered cactus with sparse thorns.
- Jointed. The globular segments are covered with tubercles with red glochidia. There are few thorns, the flowers are small, white or pink.
- Fine-haired. A low-growing bush with small rounded segments, decorated with golden hairs. The flowers have an interesting color: inside they are golden, and outside they are almost white.
- Pink-flowered. Glossy - brown thickened segments, strongly branched. The flowers are purple in color.
Growing prickly pear cactus in the open field
Set aside the sunniest place in the garden for the succulent, the best option is alpine slide... Frost is not afraid of him, but stagnation of moisture is destructive. Therefore, take care of good drainage. The prickly pear soil loves light, slightly acidic. Add sand, small pebbles.
In summer, do not forget to water the bush abundantly and often so that the leaves do not wilted. By the end of August, reduce watering so that the prickly pear stops growing and begins to prepare for wintering. During the period of active growth, you can feed the succulent with a mineral complex twice a month.
With the onset of cold weather, prickly pear will begin to gradually acquire an unattractive appearance. At first glance, it will seem that it is disappearing. In fact, moisture from the aerial part goes into the roots, so the segments wrinkle and lie on the ground. By winter, you can cover the bush with dead wood, but most species tolerate frosts without problems. Since April, the succulent begins to recover, the foliage is absorbed by moisture and rises again.