Question

opuntia plant   hello thank you for helping me.  i have a 25-30 year old opuntia  (prickly pear) plant.  the trunk is sturdy and round.  the  new pads grow in a nice green color.  the problem is as follows:  the trunk and the  old pads are now "crusting"  over brown.  it looks like a new brown skin.  the new pads do "stiffin" up eventually but not  before they droop.  i have been tying up and staking the pads so they will stay tall and allow the next years growth to  grow in an upward direction .  is this just old age and normal?  how do i keep all the pads green from now on.  i have a jade plant in a 6" pot that is way too top heavy.  i have to tie it to the ironing board to keep it from falling over lol.  a 9" pot would make it stable but would that be too big a jump in size?.  thank you for your help.

Answer
Thank you for the top ratings and nomination, Mary. I wasn't clear enough in my reply that moving your Opuntia to a larger pot will not only not help the top-heavy problem, but it may cause other problems, such as root rot. All Cacti do best in small pots that have porous soil that dries out quickly after watering. If you do repot, it should be to a 7 or 8 inch pot and no larger.

~Will

Hi Mary,

Without being able to see the entire plant and actually feel it, it is hard to be sure, but I believe that the tan color on the primary trunk is nothing more than age. Just as Jade Plant trunks and stems are initially green and later become brown in color, the same can happen with very old Opuntias.

The brown discoloration is too even and smooth to be indicative of rot, scale or mealybugs.

Let me introduce you to pruning. Both your Opuntia and Jade would benefit from regular pruning. A larger pot will not help support the oversized leaves and stems that are being tugged downward by gravity. Nearly all potted plants eventually need pruning to keep them looking good without resorting to stakes or ironing boards!

I suggest that you prune off any Opuntia leaf segments that are "drooping." Let the cuttings dry in the open air for a couple of days. Then, insert them into a small shallow pot filled with cactus potting mix. Keep the mix slightly damp and out of the direct sun. In time they will root and you will get new plants. The "mother plant" will benefit from a reduction in size and weight pulling it down. It will also produce new growth where you make the pruning cuts.

Likewise, stem cuttings can be taken from your Jade Plant to reduce its overall shape and size and propagated in a similar manner. There is no reason to repot either plant, but several good reasons NOT to repot them.

I have written articles on Jade Plant care, repotting, and pruning that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to PlantCareExperts.com