Neglect sometimes what plants need > Prickly pear cactus requires a rest

As summer nears, we all look forward to getting out into the garden to give our prize plants lots of TLC. But perhaps we should just admit it; some plants flourish best with nothing short of neglect. I know that’s a horrible thing for a horticulturalist to say, but sometimes it’s true. And Dawn Thibodeau of Levant can testify to this philosophy, especially when it comes to cactuses.

Last fall when a friend was taking cuttings from a mature prickly pear, Dawn put a piece into a gravel-filled bucket. After the plant was subjected to a solid freezing on her deck, it spent a sleepy winter in a back room in the north corner of her house. It received only one watering, in late January.

To her surprise, when she again visited the plant last week, she was greeted with three large rose- and yellow-colored flowers. Without purposefully doing it, Dawn had duplicated the plant’s natural environment, giving it all the environmental cues it needed to initiate flowering.

There is no single prickly pear. Varieties in this group of plants are named for the spiny, pear-shaped fruits they produce. Some common names of prickly pears are “bunny ears” and “rabbit ears.” As the name also implies, these cactuses are among the most brutal when it comes to prickliness. Their tufts of golden bristles are called glochids. Glochids, like most spines of cactuses, are actually modified leaves. If you consider the harsh environmental conditions (low moisture and intense sun) cactuses endure in the desert, it is easier to understand why they have developed their distinguishing features through time. They’ve developed fleshy swollen stems (or “pads”) that store water, and short, spiny, compact leaves that minimize transpiration, or water loss, in the desert sun.

Many prickly pears have small clusters of short spines. Others, such as Dawn’s plant, offer a double whammy of prickliness, as they have one long central spine surrounded by a shorter clustering of spines at the base. These spines are difficult to remove from skin and clothing. Cellophane tape will remove some of the smaller spines if they aren’t too deeply lodged in the skin. For larger areas, try applying a thin layer of rubber to the area. Let it dry, then gently rub it off. The bristles should come out easily — though not painlessly.

Prickly pears are surprisingly easy to propagate. This may be done by seeding and grafting, but perhaps the easiest and quickest way to obtain a new plant is through cuttings. Pull off a pad — be sure to wear gloves or grasp the pad with a wad of newspaper — and let it “heal” for a week or two in a dry, shady area. Later, to root your cutting, place the healed end of the pad into a pot filled with sand or gravel. These soil types are better choices than loam or potting soil because they offer air space and excellent drainage. Note that prickly pears prefer basic, rather than acidic soil. You may need to add lime to our native soils to adjust the pH to be more alkaline.

Place the newly rooted cutting in bright light. Not only do the plants require full sun for optimum growth, but the exposure to bright light also prevents fungi from infecting the plants. If you want to enjoy their beautiful flowers and fruits, don’t leave them exposed to full sun year round, though. In order to initiate spring flowering, prickly pears require a dormancy period (late fall to late winter) with reduced temperature and light.

As with all cactuses, prickly pears require infrequent but thorough watering. The root systems of cactuses should be allowed to dry out completely between waterings; they should receive a thorough watering once every two weeks. They benefit greatly from a little dilute application of liquid fertilizer about every six to eight weeks.

Diana George Chapin is the Bangor Daily News garden columnist. Send horticulture questions to Gardening Questions, 1243 State St., No. 2, Veazie 04401. Selected questions will be answered throughout future columns. Include name, address and telephone number.