Opuntia grown outside - progress.

[Mark07]

Quick update on this. We had another relatively mild winter with just a temporary plastic sheet to cover and protect from the heaviest of the winter rain. All seems to be growing nice and quick again. Maybe too quick! I will probably cut a few things back soon as there is a lot of competing for space but for now I’m happy with the way things are going with my little slice of the Med in the garden

[juster]

It looks great Mark and interesting to see the progress, well done!

[Herts Mike]

Hear, hear!

[Mark07]

Thank you both, I was hoping for some flowers this year from the Opuntia but not the case it’s just putting out many more new pads at present.

[Mark07]

Quick update. Some nice big pads formed this season and still going strong although the area is becoming quite overgrown with the succulents around it. I’ll need to do some cutting back in the spring. As you can see I’ve built a temporary rain shelter for this winter which I put up beginning of October so the soil is almost bone dry now which will hopefully help. This will be its third year and there seems to be no evidence of any cold damage at all so far. Hoping it will flower next spring .

[edds]

Looking good! Shelter looks like it'll do the job - did you use that last year too?

[Mark07]

Looking good! Shelter looks like it'll do the job - did you use that last year too?

Thanks edds, no last year was a small polly tunnel which I was forever repairing / rescuing from the wind so I wanted to try something a little more sturdier. Its been through some high gales so far and held up so should be good fingers crossed. The bed is obviously more open to elements now though compared to a relatively enclosed polly tunnel so it will be interesting to see how the plants cope with any frost but at least it is nice and dry and we don’t get hard frosts very often here on the west coast. I figured it would help with the high humidity as well which was a problem with the makeshift polly tunnel last year.

[Mike P]

And no sign of mollusc damage.

[Mark07]

No I’ve been quite lucky, touch wood Although I am forever looking out for them or any signs and removing when spotted. I think the dryness of the area must be helping as well to some degree.

[Brian]

Very interesting and a good outdoor set up. The shelter is impressive. Due to nothing other than shortage of greenhouse space I put my aeoniums and a large opuntia outdoors in spring. They’ve never done so well but are back under cover under glass now. I’ve not seen opuntia flower outdoors in U and wonder what the chances are.