Prickly Pear Cuttings show new growth – Potted on May 18, 2016

These prickly pear cuttings I gathered from a neighbor are finally showing some new growth. I am guessing this means they have put down roots and are ready to start growing on in other parts of the garden.

I potted these cuttings back on May 18, 2016, which you can see in this video, Container Garden Update 42: Propagating Prickly Pear (Opuntia) and I noticed this new growth around September 20, 2016. This means it took about 4 months to see any obvious signs of rooting and new growth.

The paddles had been somewhat “flopped over” when I first potted them up, so the first good sign was when they started to stand up straight again in their pots. That — and the fact that they weren’t rotting in place — gave me good hope that they would eventually take off, if I just waited long enough.

Once all the cuttings start to who obvious signs of growth, I will begin planting them out around the garden. I already have a few ideas for placement and will show you that in an upcoming “In the garden…” episode.