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My husband picked up some *****ly pear cactus starts that someone had set on their sidewalk with a free sign on them. Since we are very new to the area I want to ask which end you plant down. Is it the area where the plant was cut? My husband planted the cut area upwards and I think it is wrong. Anybody know?

I would google for detailed info, but the cut end definitely goes into the cactus potting soil after the cut has completely dried/scarred over. Maybe 1/3 of the cutting into the soil at most and do not water for a while - just mist. I do this with my succulents. While waiting for them to dry they usually start putting out very fine roots.

I did that !!

The cut end~~ so easy! Will look for my pics & email!

Yes, the cut end in the dirt! We also have them here in the SE! BUT, they will spread, they will get tall...about 5' both up and out or can go further out. You won't be able to get near them to do anything if they are in the ground....no weeding, no mowing, etc. Those thorns are hooked and once in they are horrible to try to get out.
My DH won't allow me to plant any of them on our place cause they also spread by seeds.
But they do have beautiful blooms every year.
If you keep them in pots, they will need to be re-potted to larger pots every couple of years. I'm not handling any ever again. I got thorns in my hands when we first moved down here from moving one. I had to dig forever to get them out and got a plantar type thing where they had been. Took a couple of years to get rid of it.

So plant/handle at your own risk!

Yep, plant them cut side down. I have some & I only handle them with tongs. I brushed up against one that looked like it was bare of thorns, but they are practically invisible between the big thorns. Was scraping my hand for hours.

Well, I thought he was planting them upside down when I looked out the window so I said to him "I think you are planting them upside down" and he said "no I am not" and I said "I think you are" and then he gave me a dirty look so I shut up. LOL.........a wife knows when to shut her mouth! After he planted them we got a downpour so they might not have survived anyway since they require minimal amount of rain even when they are first transplanted. He complained about them sticking him so badly too even though he wore rubber gloves. So maybe he will leave them upside down lol.

HH, don't be surprised if the darn thing still sprouts roots & grows. I've seen them down here where a "leaf" has gotten knocked off by a piece of equipment & they have grown!
I use gloves with leather palms if I have handle them or yucca and I still get stuck through the leather, it's just that the thorns don't generally get embedded into my hands with those.
Yuccas can have sharp edges on their "leaves" as well at thorns on the ends...so take care there too!
And Century Plant cactus (agave) can put out suckers almost as fast as you can blink. If you don't want them to spread you need to keep and eye out for them to pull them.

You have now entered a whole new world of gardening! It's fun, it's a learning experience but don't be afraid to try things that others there will tell you won't work....some will & some won't!

quote:

Well, I thought he was planting them upside down when I looked out the window so I said to him "I think you are planting them upside down" and he said "no I am not" and I said "I think you are" and then he gave me a dirty look so I shut up. LOL.........

ROFL Hammerhugger - although had to do that inwardly because DH sitting close by and he might have asked me what I was chuckling about!

Well they have not died yet! lol.......in my previous post I meant to say he wore leather gloves, not rubber gloves! lol