Opuntias

[scousetigger]

Does anyone on her specialise in Opuntias? I was thinking I might like to use my new g.house when I get it for just 2 specialist groups....one being opuntias. Haven't decided on the other yet.

[Phil_SK]

I'm just getting back into cacti after a break of 6-7 years. Before circumstances forced me to stop collecting I was 'getting into' the smaller S. American Opuntias and the majority of plants I've bought this year have been Opuntias. I love them but they're very difficult to get hold of, as I think was discussed in a thread a few weeks ago. There's never much in books or online, compared to other genera. Here's a few links to whet your appetite though...
http://www.opuntiadelsur.de/01deutsch/p ... kultur.htm
http://tephroweb.ch/
http://www.tephrowelt.de/starts.engl.html
The larger Opuntias with flat pads don't appeal to me as much except that there is the potential to try a select few of them in a rockery outside like this one in Central England:
http://www.winter-hardy-cactus.co.uk/index.html
But again, they're not easy to get hold of.

[scousetigger]

Thanks Phil....I was looking through a link from here called Cactaceae and there were a large amount of Opuntia named but not much about any of them. Especially their watering needs. I have a couple.