Care sheet: Prickly pear

At first appreciated for the sweet flavor of its fruits , the young rackets are consumed in their country of origin as a vegetable. A nutritional peculiarity which, according to the UN in person, would be the future of man.

This succulent is offered as a duo at Paris Pousse , with sansevieria Monica or in the company of his brother Fidel the cactus.

As it is a question of implanting it elsewhere than on the Mediterranean rim, we offer it in pots to allow hibernation sheltered from frost. His Mexican origins thus respected, naturalization took place immediately after.

- MAINTENANCE SHEET -

☀️ Exhibition: In a bright and airy space, in full sun but indirect.

💧 Watering: In hot and dry periods, water once a week, with total stop as soon as autumn comes its way. Never forget that with a member of the Cacti family, a lack of water is better than an overflowing stream. Adding fertilizer during flowering is a guaranteed good harvest, choose it rich in potash.

❌ Cultivation errors: Once well established, the prickly pear does not require any special care. However, allow time for the roots to heal after planting before watering, this will prevent various diseases from appearing. Don't leave it at the mercy of winter's frost and, as soon as the first spring suns appear, take out your potted plants.

🤢Diseases and pests:

The prickly pear risks rotting from excess water, and its main enemy is the cochineal.

We will not return to the precautionary principle, which is to avoid watering it abundantly, to avoid mildew and rust. On the other hand, mealybugs are insects to be taken very seriously, especially since in Mexico and Morocco they are the cause of a real plague.

Consequences: Mealybugs feed on the rackets, the plant becomes covered with waxy, downy filaments and dies.

Solution: Brush the infected parts with a brush, with a mixture of alcohol and water, or use an insecticide.

Small precision for fig trees whose fruits are intended for consumption: there is no proof to date that the infestation presents any danger to the health of humans and animals... Let it be said !

🌱How to repot a prickly pear:

Planting in a pot: To be able to form new snowshoes, its center of gravity must be as low as possible. These risk falling under their weight, it is advice that is worth its weight in gold.
1- If it needs to be repotted, it is imperative to proportion the plant to the pot! Choose a pierced and very heavy pottery, if necessary you can ballast the bottom with pebbles on a bed of substrate
2- We have found that prickly pears like the sun, provided they are in well-draining soil. Get a soil that has this property, special cacti or universal, and add a good dose of sand.
3- To unload, without risking being stung, protect your hands with a cloth or newspaper. At worst break the pot! The main thing is that once positioned in its new shelter it can stand on its own.

Good to know: The therapeutic properties of nopal , or prickly pear, have long been well known to the Aztecs.
Western medicine is coming to rediscover its benefits, in particular for its antioxidant qualities, its effects on slimming diets, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, etc. The list is long, we will come back to it later in more detail.

Note: In addition to its phyto-therapeutic virtues, the prickly pear is the fruit of an edible and succulent cactus . Nopal is thus greatly appreciated for its high concentration of fibers, which does not present any toxic character or contraindication.