Cactus Moving and Planting Instructions

Here is the exact advice you should pass along to the new owners:

  1. Handle with Armor: Tongs aren't enough for these. To move a large hunk, use thick leather work gloves and wrap the clump in a heavy piece of cardboard, an old blanket, or a scrap of carpet. The tiny, hair-like spines, called glochids, are worse than the large thorns.
  2. Heal the Broken Roots: This is crucial for dug-up plants. Before planting, let the clump sit in a dry, shady spot in a garage or yard for 3 to 5 days. Digging breaks roots and snapping off chunks creates open wounds. These wounds must dry out and callus, or scab over, before they touch soil. Otherwise, soil moisture can cause rot.
  3. Prep the Location: Avoid low spots. Michigan winters are wet and snowy. These cacti survive the cold easily, but they will die if they sit in freezing puddles. Choose the highest, sunniest spot in the yard. Dig a wide, shallow hole and mix a heavy amount of sand, gravel, or perlite into the native soil to guarantee fast drainage.
  4. Plant Shallowly: Orientation almost doesn't matter. Once the wounds have dried, plant the clump. Do not bury it deep. Even if the clump is heavy and flops over, that is perfectly fine. Opuntia will root directly out of the sides of the pads if they are laying flat on the dirt.
  5. Do Not Water: Wait for nature. Do not water it right away. Let it sit in the dry soil for a week to acclimate and continue healing, then let the Michigan rain take care of the rest. Once established outside, they almost never need supplemental watering.

A Warning About Michigan Winters

Give the new owners a heads-up about what happens in December, or they might think they killed the plant.

To survive freezing temperatures, cold-hardy prickly pears deliberately push the water out of their cells. They will completely deflate, turn purple or yellowish, and look horribly wrinkled and dead all winter long.

Do not panic and do not throw it away! As soon as the ground thaws and the spring rains hit, it will plump right back up and turn bright green again.