Opuntia flower after only a few weeks.

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cheshirepalms
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Opuntia flower after only a few weeks.

Post by cheshirepalms »

Got some opuntia pads from miketropic a few weeks ago and already they have started to flower! Is there any chance of fruit?
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otorongo
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Re: Opuntia flower after only a few weeks.

Post by otorongo »

When I was in Tarifa in late March the wild ones already had mature fruit. In mid April in Barcelona the fruit was there, albeit small. So they must have flowered and developed the fruit over the winter?

At your location I don't see why they wouldn't fruit, given they still have 2.5 months of summer ahead, and our summers are warmer than Spanish winters.
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cheshirepalms
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Re: Opuntia flower after only a few weeks.

Post by cheshirepalms »

Not sure they will fruit, the flower only lasted 3 days, I now have another but not looking good for 2 at once.
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JoelR
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Re: Opuntia flower after only a few weeks.

Post by JoelR »

You might get seed. I have before from pads i'd just received with out roots. The benefit of cuttings rather than seed is that you get the plant's maturity. It takes around 10 years for Opuntias to flower from seed.
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