You will always get more response asking your question on cactus discussions forums. It also accepts photos. . More people frequent it. Having a photo helps anyone giving the advice to see the problem. I will say the if you allow the cut to callous ( form a hard surface) a week after sprinkling it with cinnamon, a natural fungicide. Then plant it in a pot and denied water till you feel roots developing. The hunk missing hunk on the pad will heal but will remain apparent. I would sprinkle cinnamon on it too. If it is a mess one could neaten the cut up.

Thank you! Thank you!

The soil should be a very fast draining soil with very little humous and mostly grit. What are you using for soil?

Thanks so much for the replies. The cactus is potted in a mix of sand and very loose, potting mix with a lot of medium size bark pieces. I had no idea what I was doing and winged it but it has done pretty well for a few years now.

Now after an ice storm, this brings about more questions! I will cut the pads off that tore loose and try to root them according to the instructions above. With temps below freezing - waaay below right now - do I need to bring in the orphan pads to dry inside or should I leave both pads & original plant outside? Should I separate each pad to root individually?

It is hard to see the tear in the pic but you get the idea.

I suspect that the cactus has frozen. If that fallen pad froze, it will not root, but you can take it inside and see what happens. I would also take the parent plant indoors during extreme temperatures like you are experiencing.

About the frozen pad issue, It all depends on what type of PP you have and how cold cold is.. GT, I have to preface this with I live in Zone 8B, so what I say must be taken with a note of caution. I do not know where you are and how your cactus will do. Many cactus harden off by dehydrating and "LYING DOWN" and playing dead. The ice is giving it some insulation. When spring comes it may just stand up once warm IF it is a hardy cactus like O. polycantha, O macrohiza (sp). I have seen this with Prickly Pear. I saw a huge 5 foot O. gomei lie down and smother the cactus below it and then stand up exposing the now dead prized trailing cactus 3 months later. I forgot. That happens when one has too many plants. . I had trimmed its brother of about 200 lbs. of pads and left it as a control to see what would happen. It took a long time but it stood up. It was on the edge of its hardiness range. My neighbors 4 cows broke loose and ate the 200 lbs. of pads in one afternoon.

You have a choice of cutting the pad off know and bringing it inside and see if it is viable or leaving it as is , but check it for rot. The pad will not even think of rooting till warm spring/summer so do not put it in soil. Just let it callous .

Thanks so much for the info. I'm still groaning about the cows!

I have no idea what type of PP I have, I picked it up as 1 rooted pad at a yard sale quite a few years ago. I'm in Tenn in zone 7b & have seen large stands lie down here in the winter & recover well. These pads actually tore partially off before the ice & snow & I didn't get the plant moved to it's usual semi-protected spot on the porch because I wasn't sure what to do with the damage. I will cut the damaged part loose & bring it all inside. Should I separate the pads that tore loose or leave them together to callous?

Thanks again to all!

Up to you on the callous them separate or together.

I guess the cows did me a favor because I really did not need that many more plants that would get that big. They did get down and munch on some others too that irritated me much more. They are coming back from their roots.