How to Grow a Prickly Pear From Store Fruit

You can grow your own prickly pear plant from store-bought fruit if you do it right. Store-bought prickly pear fruit are called pads. These pieces of the cactus are large, flat sections of the plant that have been cut off and had most of the thorns and tiny stickers removed. Prickly pear plants can be grown inside in a pot or outside in your garden.

Sand
Potting soil

Instructions

- 1
  Make sure the joint where the pad was cut off of the plant is dry and has a callus formed over the wound.
- 2
  Plant the prickly pear pad 1 inch deep in dry soil that is half potting mix and half sand.
- 3
  Position the planted pad in bright sun and adjust it so that the width of the plant faces east and west.
- 4
  Place rocks gently around the upright pad to help hold it in place.
- 5
  Refrain from watering the pad. Add water only if wilting occurs.
- 6
  Water the new prickly pear plant when roots have formed, 4 to 8 weeks after planting.

Can You Cut a Cactus?

My Cactus Looks Like It Is Wilting

Growing Cactus