I grow them in pots and in the ground, and when winter comes, they deflate, and both lay down inside the pot, and hang over the sides. This year, I rooted several more pots of paddles, and I plan to bury the pots in the garden for winter. There probably isn't anything you can do to stop paddles from coming free. I've watched squirrels and birds knock them off, as well as wind. I just lay them on a screen in the carport until the wound is calloused, and put them back in the dirt.

Mine are Opuntia humifusa, a Prickly Pear indigenous to Long Island back beaches.

Thanks for your answer! Looks like I'll have to do something new this year -- actually go out back during the winter occasionally, to see how it's doing. Hating winter, I generally don't go out unless forced to, but, now I have to be a responsible parent to my garden. At least I'll get to find if there is any "winter interest" back there. LOL

Thanks again!

I have had one the past couple years growing in an 8" clay pot (only clay pot that I have up here). I keep mine outside year round but will move it against my balcony wall/windows (I actually put it up on my window AC) so it can remain fairly dry in winter except for when I choose to water it. And yep, they do deflate in winter and hang over the pot edges. Mine starts making new pads in June.

So, hanging over the pot's edge won't make it fall out? I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a large rooting system. although, fearing the needles again, I haven't actually taken a peak. LOL

Oh, helpful hint, when you get stuck by it's unseeable needles -- rub one of those microfiber cleaning sponges (Mr. Clean or Chlorox) over the splinters, and it removes them, most of the time.

Lynn

Lynn, once the pads deflate, they cling to the pot edge on both sides (sortof like what happens if you drape a wad of dough over the edge of a bowl), so I expect that as long as the pad joint isn't what is sitting right on the edge, the connections do stay intact.

And yeah, those glochids are a nightmare! I had heard (and had tried pretty successfully) that putting some cellophane tape over the area and carefully lifting it will grab most of them.