I planted a *****ly pear cactus in my backyard several weeks ago. I wanted a plant that could survive the cold weather so I would not have to replant year after year or take it inside for every freeze. The guy at the nursery said a *****ly pear cactus would be good and it appeared he was right due to the below article. Plus, I was planting it in a boot so it fit the theme.
Growing Cactus Plants in Cold-Winter Climates
It was planted for a few weeks before the first deep freeze where it got down into the 20s. Right after the freeze the cactus began to wilt and below is what it looks like today. What went wrong?
Growing Cactus Plants in Cold-Winter Climates
Quote:
The champions of cold-hardy cacti come from the *****ly pear family, known botanically as Opuntia. There are many kinds of cacti in this family, but two of the toughest are Opuntia fragilis, hardy to -35 degrees F, and Opuntia poryapantha, hardy to -25F.
It was planted for a few weeks before the first deep freeze where it got down into the 20s. Right after the freeze the cactus began to wilt and below is what it looks like today. What went wrong?