Cold Climate Cactus

This is a good photo of a location that should be good for Opuntia fragilis. The broad leaf plants and grasses are hardly making it here. They probably start out in the spring when there is plenty of rain then as summer gets hot, even with rain, the sand drains too fast for them to grow well. This is marked to help find the location next spring when the fragilis will be planted. It is hard to imagine not being able to find this location, but most of the ground looks barren in the early spring. The marker may be very helpful.

The Opuntia fragilis plants were given an application of Captan and Superthrive as root fungus prevention. The weather has been hot and wet which has been more intense than most summers here in Wisconsin. Some Opuntia plants I've had for years outdoors in Wisconsin have died from root rot this year. The plants for the DNR 690 have not shown any signs of having any problems, but as a precaution they are now treated.

The Opuntia fragilis will be planted next spring in several prairie locations. The best time to plant them is in the early spring, so they will have their new growth to establish themselves in the new location. The best information as to where exactly to plant them is in the middle of summer. The mid summer weather will show where broad leaf plants are unable to maintain their hold, and these ares are going to be the best places to plant fragilis. The mid summer heat will cause plants to dry up and die back where the soil is too sandy.

Now is the best time to mark these broad leaf dead zones, and then plant the fragilis next spring. These areas would not be as easy to find in the early spring without markers, because plants look like they are growing everywhere as they are coming up.

It will be a good situation for the prairie. The fragilis will be able to grow in areas where broad leaf plants can't make it through the summer heat. The cacti will stay in these locations because they will not be able to spread into the lush areas and compete where the broad leaf plants thrive.

Opuntia fragilis will have the best sandy locations with plenty of sun by making the prairie now.

These pads were rooted in rock medium and they are starting to grow into plants too.

These pads were rooted in water, and they are now establishing themselves as growing plants.

It's been hot and dry enough to spray the cacti with the hose. Young seedlings need water more than older plants, but they all do better with a little water when the weather gets hot.

A day after finding the roots growing May 3rd, these pads are planted in growing medium. They are covered with deer netting to prevent animals from catching them on their fur. Pads can go missing if they are not protected.