Oops. What to do?
>> Monday, October 6, 2014 –
cactus,
propagation
I mowed my lawn for only the third or fourth time this summer -- one of the few advantages to a drier-than-normal season.
Unfortunately, I got a little careless with the lawnmower and the wheel knocked this pad off one of the Opuntia in the cactus bed.
This was probably a good thing as this pad was already sticking a bit over the wall, and this variety (which I can't yet positively ID) wants to grow outward this way. It would have been into the path next year for sure.
Now I have a dilemma though. I know that I need to let this wound callous over for a few days (so it doesn't rot when planted), but... what do I do next?
Do I plant it outdoors next to its parent? There's certainly room to do that. With winter approaching though, I'm not sure if there would be time for roots to form.
The second option I'm considering is to pot it up and bring it indoors for the winter, probably on my growing table. I know this will work and I'd expect the plant to start producing new growth, but is this the right thing to do?
Let me know what you think I should do with this pad!
.
Perhaps go for a little experiment to see if it will be fine stuck on the ground now and let it re root in situ even if its already quite late in the season. Indoors is the safest option though.
I'd bring it in, or pot it up and place in a protected (warm) area outside - if you can remember to bring it in when extreme weather is forecast.