Pantry of knowledge: how to create optimal conditions for the growth of Opuntia figs?

Prickly pear Indian is an exotic perennial culture that belongs to the Cactus family.

It is often grown precisely because of the delicious fruits. You can use them not only as food, but also for the treatment of certain diseases.

Further in the article we will talk about what useful and medicinal properties this plant has and tell how to properly care for this exotic beauty. You will learn what methods of reproduction exist and which plants are still similar to prickly pears.

Botanical Description

Fig prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) has articulated shoot stems that have a cylindrical, spherical or flattened shape. Bushes grow to a mark of 4 m, and their diameter is 2 m.

The plant is completely covered with thorns, large and hard spikes. The cactus blooms spectacularly, since it can have red, yellow, yellow-orange flowers. As soon as they fade, egg-shaped large fruits are formed, which are called "prickly pears". Inside they contain flat seeds with hard peels. The fruits are also covered with dull bunches, the tips are bent, which can only be examined under a microscope.

The roots of these cacti are powerful, they develop more in width than in depth. You can determine fig prickly pear by the shade of the pulp of the fruit. It can be white or bright red. In the people, this plant received several names:

• mother tongue;
• eared cactus;
• dragons fruit;
• fig cactus.

Differences from other species

The main advantage of this plant is absolute endurance. Fig prickly pear can grow in a variety of conditions, even after withering stems and the absence of prolonged watering. The cactus blooms beautifully in the natural environment, so that at home the flowering will be more magnificent and longer.

In addition, the plant has small hairs with numerous spines. If you touch them, then the spikes with notches will begin to easily separate and cling to clothes. This difference in fig prickly pear is its drawback.

Useful and healing properties

Since the leaves of prickly pear contain calcium and potassium, they will help develop the body insulin, so apply them effectively to treat diabetes. If you use foods from prickly pear, they will reduce the formation of fats and improve their excretion from the body. Plant fibers swell and increase the amount of food in the stomach, and this reduces appetite. Because of this, weight, sugar and cholesterol levels are reduced.

Fig prickly pear fruits contain a lot of vitamin C, which is beneficial for the body. It strengthens it, enhances protective functions and activates the immune system.

Herbal preparations obtained from prickly pear are effective in eliminating cellulite and edema, and contribute to the release of excess fluid. In addition, prickly pears contain substances that reduce intoxication with a hangover syndrome.

Read more about the healing properties of fig prickly pear, on the chemical composition and on the use of cactus, read here.

Caring for Opuntia ficus indica

Despite the fact that even planting a plant in the ground in a temperate climate is practiced, there are optimal conditions for development and flowering.

Watering

Fig prickly pear is very demanding on watering. But just do it carefully to prevent rotting of the root system. It is necessary to moisten the soil as necessary, only after the soil layer has dried up. In winter, the plant does not need watering. Use soft and slightly acidic water, acidifying it with 2-3 drops of lemon juice.

The best way for watering remains in the pan, since due to the ingress of water on the leaves, a cork from a known plaque may clog the water, and plant growth will be inhibited.

Top dressing

Fertilizing is necessary during the period of active growth - In spring and summer. Do it once a month. You need to use ready-made fertilizers for cacti with low nitrogen levels. Excess of this component will lead to decay of the root system.

Temperature

The room in which fig prickly pear is located should be regularly ventilated, only to avoid draft. In summer, for prickly pear, the air temperature remains 25-35 degrees. In winter, the plant needs a cooler temperature of 5-18 degrees.

Shine

Fig prickly pear is a photophilous plant, so for its active growth and development it needs bright lighting. But it is better to accustom a cactus to direct rays of the sun.

Humidity

Opuntia perfectly tolerates dry air, so it does not need to be sprayed. But still, it is best to grow it at 60-70% humidity.

Priming

For a cactus transplant, it is necessary to prepare light and loose soil, and it must also pass moisture well.

You can buy a ready-made substrate for cacti or prepare it yourself. In this case, you need to mix the following components in equal proportions:

• sheet earth;
• turf land;
• peat;
• sand;
• pebbles;
• broken brick.

Pot

For prickly pears, you should choose a wide, but not too deep pot. A plastic container with large drainage holes is best suited.

Transfer

The transplant is performed as follows:

1. Prepare the pot, sanitize it.
2. Place a drainage layer at the bottom of the container.
3. Fill the pot with a substrate for prickly pears.
4. Before planting, do not water the cactus, but transplant it into a new dry soil. Then install it in a slightly shaded place and do not water for 7 days.
5. After 7 days, you can put a container with a cactus in the light, provide regular watering, but do not feed.

Next, a visual video about the process of transplantation of prickly pear:

Pruning

The pruning pruning pruning process is as follows:

1. Prepare a sharp knife or blade that must be pre-treated with alcohol.
2. Trim the plant stem by about 60 cm.
3. The place of cut is treated with crushed activated carbon, and the plant itself should not be watered for 2-3.

Rest period - what is it?

From October to February, the prickly pear prickly pear comes to rest. At this time, you need to lower the temperature to 12 degrees Celsius, the air in the room should be dry. During wintering, stop watering completely. But the sun or artificial light should be a lot.

Growing methods

Propagation by cuttings

This method of growing prickly pear prickly pear is as follows:

1. For cuttings, the best time is considered to be the end of spring - the beginning of summer, when the baby was separated from the mother plant, leave it for a day to dry.
2. Lay the dried shoot in wet sand or soil.
3. Place the young plant for 7 days in a slightly shaded place and stop watering.
4. Only after 7 days, you can begin to moisten the substrate. And as soon as the first roots appear, then transplant the young prickly pear into a constant capacity.

We offer you to watch a video about the process of pruning prickly cuttings:

Seeds

The seed propagation method has the following features:

1. It is better to carry out reproduction at the end of the dormant period - in March.
2. Hold the seeds for 20 minutes in a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. In order for the seed to sprout, you need to violate the integrity of its shell, rub it with emery or stone.
3. Soil, conditions from the earth and sand, you need to disinfect, and then sow the seeds, covering the crops with plastic wrap.
4. Install the capacity in a room where the temperature is 19-21 degrees. Water the soil once a week.
5. As soon as the seeds hatch and the seedlings become strong, transplant them into separate containers and set them closer to the light.

We suggest looking at the process of planting prickly pears with seeds:

Disease

Brown stains form on the stem of fig prickly pear due to excessive watering. These are the harbingers of the beginning of decay of the plant. To save the cactus, you need to cut the spotting, and treat all the affected areas with a layer of crushed activated carbon. The soil in the pot should be treated with a mixture of carbendazim and reduce watering.

In case of insufficient lighting and waterlogging of the earth, the stems of the plant will be covered with wrinkles. And when there is a lack of useful substances in the soil, the growth of prickly pear stops.

Similar flowers

The following flowers look like prickly pear figs:

1. Heliocereus. This is a bushy epiphytic plant that forms thin, long stems. Spines are absent, and the flowers are red and are 20 cm in diameter.
2. Pachypodium. This is an original culture with a trunk that resembles a cactus. The powerful stem is covered with thorns and narrow leaves.
3. Euphorbia resinous. This plant is characterized by a tetrahedral stem, on which there is a gray-green foliage. On the edges of milkweed, warty ridges with spines are concentrated.
4. Stapelia. This is a perennial succulent, which has tetrahedral fleshy shoots, whose height is 60 cm.
5. Echeveria. This is a perennial plant with oval leaves gathered in a spectacular rosette resembling a rose. The color of the Echeveria is blue-gray.

Prickly pear prickly pear is not just a beautiful home plant, but also incredibly useful. Its berries and leaves are often used in folk medicine. The cactus is not picky in care, it does not impose special requirements on watering, top dressing and soil, so even a novice can cope with all the work.

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