Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Prickly Pears...


Well, these are the infamous prickly pears... It does look a bit weedy in the background. A condition that is being aggravated by the unusually wet spring and early summer that we're experiencing right now. These are actually planted in the back alley behind my house. Every fall, after the first frost, we pick the fruit and make jelly... great stuff.


These are hesperaloe seedlings... and this is my favorite way to sprout cactus seedlings... I put a little soil in a ziplock baggie, put in the seeds and some water and use a straight pin to pin it to the wrong side of a curtain. The plants get light and humidity, and there's no little pots sitting on the windowsill where they annoy people in the house. These seedlings are about ready to be pricked out and planted individually, or maybe 3 to a pot so I can get an early clump... I harvested these seeds from a neighbors plant last year, and they seem to be sprouting like wildfire.

3 comments:

  1. Don't you just love the Hesperaloe seeds? They are the blackest black, and remind me of Pringles the way they are stacked inside the pods. Since they are so common here, I've never bothered to start any from seed.
    Aiyana

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  2. What a great way to start the seeds! Maybe someday I'll try it! Love your prickly pear blooms! I know I won't try making jelly .

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  3. Whata neat way to start seeds...I have never seen this technique before! I like it! I am going to be trying out some different seeds soon too...hmmmmm.....

    Oh...this is a huge opuntia...love the blooms on them! They just look so soft and fluffy!

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