Cactus Pear Plant

Question

I need your help. I have received a cactus pear plant from a neighbor. The plant is from Italy. It’s been about 6 months that I have had the plant, and it has doubled in size – which is a good thing considering I live in Canada (Montreal). The plant was outdoors during the summer and comes inside for the winter months. My question to you is yesterday I noticed two pads that look healthy were on the ground of my pot. But I don’t know why. Is it normal for the pads just to fall off on their own, or am I doing something wrong? Bear in mind I water my plant about every 4 to 5 days – is this okay? Plant is near my window where it gets a good amount of sun and is near a heating vent. Is this okay or should I move the plant away from the house heating vent on the floor? And the pads that fell off, should I replant them right away or do they need to dry first?

Answer 1

Dropping pads are typically a sign that the plant is water stressed, so you may need to increase water a little. But it may also be too much water. Give the cactus water only when a finger pushed into the soil to the first knuckle is dry. Check it every 3-4 days rather than watering every 3-4 days. The new pads can be planted right away and typically root with no extra assistance.