Does anyone have any advice on growing Opuntia lasiacanta? I picked up 3 pads from a farmers market. Just love cactus and wanted to see if the pads would root. I took them home, placed them in a pot with dry soil to see if they would root. One turned black in just 2 days so I threw it out. A week later, the other had large black spots so I pulled it out of the pot to find several roots! The remaining one is green and firm, I'm sure it has even more roots and will live. When do I water for the first time, what other needs will this Opuntia lasiacanta need as it turns from a food product into a wonderful plant in my collection? By the way, the temps here have been pushing 100 F for the last several days..but VERY humid! Several thunder stoems but the plants are under my awning and gets no direct rain.
Did you let the wounds heal before you put the pads in the soil? Otherwise there is a big risk for fungal infections. You could try tilting the pad so that the wound is not in contact with the soil, roots will shoot from the sides of the pad. Then you can wait until the wound has healed and then pot it in a more conventional way. I give Opuntia cuttings a little water when the roots are visible. Not too much, especially not if the soil is relatively compact. Opuntia roots usually grow fast and it does not take long before they can be watered normally. They need more nutrients than most cacti, but not as much as typical household plants. I water mine with half to full strength cactus fertilizer in summer, and add some extra slow-release fertilizer to the soil mixture.
