Prickly pear (Opuntia) is a tough cactus that copes with many conditions and produces the well-known edible fruit. Here are the germination and growing instructions from seed.
Preparation and sowing
The seeds have a hard coat: rub them lightly with sandpaper and soak for 24 hours. Sow in spring or summer in cactus compost, 0.5 cm deep.
Germination temperature
Ideally 20–30°C. Germination is irregular, from 3 weeks to several months.
Watering
Keep the soil moist until germination. After that water about once a week in summer and hardly at all in winter, once a month.
Light and temperature
It needs full sun. In winter keep young plants above 5°C. Repot into a deep pot with good drainage.
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