My Friend Katie gave me some Paddle Cacti from her yard and I transplanted them in my yard. And I'm going to tell you how to also...
If you're living in the desert this is a nice little trick, I assume most people know it, but if you don't, here's how it works. You find a paddle cactus you like and you gently remove the top paddle(s). You let the open "wounds" heal for a few days, this prevents diseases from killing your little transplants. Then you dig a small hole and place at least half or more of the paddle into the ground. Fill in the hole and drip feed the new transplants for a short time each day. Once established, maybe a few weeks, you can stop watering altogether because as a native plant the cactus will continue to thrive with annual rainfall.
See those white spots? Katie was telling me that it's a larvae that is harvested in Mexico, once mushed a red ooze comes out and it's used as a dye. Once this little guy is well established an a bit bigger I think I'll try scraping it off and dying some fabric or canvas with it.
Thanks Katie! Our front yard needed some filler and I LOVE native plants.
Happy Paddle Cactus Planting (if you're in the desert)!
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