How to Care for a Michigan Cactus

Of the several cold-hardy varieties of cactus that grow in the United States, only two are native to the often chilly climate of Michigan. Appearing naturally along sandy open fields, roadsides and oak forests in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 9, the most common is the eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa or Opuntia compressa). A similar, though much more rare species, the fragile prickly pear (Opuntia fragilis) grows in Michigan's grasslands and wooded areas amongst shrub and brush plants in USDA zones 1 to 9. Both these low-growing, flowering cacti require little care to thrive and make hardy additions to borders, rock gardens and container plantings.

Tongs
Sharp knife
Garden shovel
Pruning loppers
Low nitrogen fertilizer (optional)
Planting pot with drainage holes (optional)
Cactus soil mix (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Keep cactus gardens away from high-traffic yard areas, as the spikes can injure adults, pets and children. Select planting sites with full sun and well-drained sandy soil, or sunny patio corners, for potted cacti.
- 2
  Propagate cacti with plant cuttings. Grip a cactus pad on a mature plant with a pair of long tongs and separate the pad at the base with a sharp knife. Let the pad dry out in a shady spot for one week and dig a shallow 2- to 3-inch deep hole. Pick up the pad with the tongs and insert the base into the hole, then back-fill the soil around the base.
- 3
  Water young cacti once every two to three weeks in the summer. Water mature, established plants only when they appear wilted.
- 4
  Prune cacti to control the size, as prickly pears tend to spread rapidly. Grip the plant with a pair of tongs and cut pads at the base with a pair of pruning loppers.
- 5
  Fertilize potted cacti with a low nitrogen fertilizer once every two months at a rate of 1 teaspoon per gallon of water.
- 6
  Treat the prickly pear's most common pest, cochineal scale, with water from a hose. Scale appears as thick white fuzz on the plant's surface. Prickly pears attract few other pests.
- 7
  Repot cacti that ougrow their containers. Fill the new pot with a commercial cactus soil mix that includes both potting soil and coarse sand, stopping at the same level the root ball sits in the original pot. Hold the cactus with the tongs and place it into the new pot, then fill the rest of the pot to the plant's original depth. Do not water transplanted cacti for two weeks.

Internal Adaptations of Cactus Plants

Barrel Cactus Growth

Growing Cactus