It looks very nice, but I have to say that I really admired all the "tunas" fruit on your opuntia before you began pruning. Were they edible, and did they taste good, if you ate any of them?

We have an opuntia of the type Mexicans call "nopales". We rooted a nopal pad from the supermarket to make it, and it rapidly grew big, but it is in a big pot. I can see from yours that it's probably a good thing that it is confined to a pot! I had to smile at the statistics you gave for what you threw out.

It looks much larger and neat. Now you can think about expanding your collection.

Xuan

Josiah,

That's just how I got started - it's nice to see that expansion/development can be spoken of in a positive voice. And Xuan is absolutely correct - more plants!

More space = more plants! Just in time fore the big sale next week!!

It really is great to have a sudden boon of space. Honestly I had been running at a deficit, with lots of plants in shady places that really deserve more sun. Even after moving things into proper locations, I should still end up with some spare space though! I consider myself especially lucky to have a landlord that is so tolerant, if not supportive of my little obsession!

The "before" photo was from last year. Although there was some fruit on the parts I pruned, it is all at least a month or so from being ripe, thus it all got tossed. All but a little of the pads I threw away were old, lignified branches that weren't worth keeping for propagating or especially eating.

Growing up in Arizona, I've eaten tunas (prickly pear fruits) on many occasions and in many ways. Really hard-grown plants in the desert produce much, much better tasting fruit than those of the plant in my backyard. They are very bland and watery in comparison. Also, dealing with the fruits is a huge amount of work between the glochids and the seeds, so unless they are really choice, it isn't worth harvesting them. Still, I'll usually eat one or two each season just to see how they taste...

It's a lot of fun to have more space. Well done.

IÂm hoping to be able to heat more of the greenhouse this winter. Would like to carry over quire a few more plants.

randy

Jo,
Amazing work youve done there! Its beautiful.. and isnt it a great feeling when you look at the work youve done? Although Ive never even seen a prickly pear so Im curious as to what they taste like.. I dont think they would survive the winters of NW Pa..(record snowfall last winter of 148" of snow total)
I have noticed the longer Ive been checking out this website I have expanded my "obsession" past jades. I just recently purchased a really cool "zebra plant".. I personally think it looks like a tiny forest of pines covered in snow.. and also a Haworthia mut. otz. the longer I look at your plants tho the more Im interested in some others also!! uh oh.. I better log off!! lol
its awesome Jo!!
Christina

Christina, there are a number of OPuntia species that would grow in zone 5 no problem. They don't mind deep, prolonged freezes as long as they have excellent drainage for when things do thaw out.

Cool! Thanks Jo.. Now that you mention it, I remember as a kid, my dad had a fig bush in our yard and the summers of '87 and '88 (record heat and drought) it produced tons of delicious figs!