Ouch! Be careful.

The prickly pear is one of 200 species of cacti, that sometimes take on the character of an invasive weed, sometimes covering hillsides.

They winter nicely to well below 50 degrees F. and bloom on schedule every spring. This will be followed by a spherical fruit. Smooth white seeds will mature in the pods.

Why cultivate them? The blooms are spectacular and they are carefree plants in the ground or in a container. They will enjoy full sun and require little water.

Surprisingly they are moderate growers and multiply fairly quickly. Propagation can be done by cuttings.

Q: I have a cactus I bought at Wal-Mart I am not sure about what kind it is but, I was wondering if it is O.K. to stick it outside throughout the whole year? I live in southeast Georgia it does not get that cold during the winter maybe the coldest it will get is in the 20s and that is at night.

A: I personally would not 'winter over ' a cactus in GA. I know your winters are somewhat mild... but unless it is in a very micro climate where rains will not drown it out and the moisture build up will not occur I would find a happy spot for the few or couple of months until spring arrives again.

Cactus in general like HOT-DRY and non humid conditions. Grow in a clay pot and with very minimal watering ....rots starts very quickly within cactus plants.

Even fertilizing should be kept at a minimum.

But ... if you have a keen environment and spot for it you may want to venture and keep the cactus outside.

After all, in the southeast, pear cactus are native to many states...

Q: I have a very, very old Easter cactus that I was given last year as I was handling an estate (the executor thought it was in excess of 60 years old, and by the thickness of the base of each stem, I think he may be right!). It was blooming when I got it in April 2002. Well, this year it had two measly blooms. The leaves are no longer plump and strong, and it seems droopy. I did repot it last spring after it was done blooming into a 12-inch pot as it was quite root bound. It is now in a south-facing window. I use a water meter and only water when it is almost dry. I rarely fertilize it, though did fertilize it when the two buds appeared. Any hints on why my heirloom plant is going down hill?

A: My biggest suggestion is to summer the cactus outdoors for the season if you can. In the shade, with perhaps good morning sun. Make sure it is in a clay pot. Repotting it should of had no affect on its performance. But the stress and strain may take time.

Do not fertilize until the middle of the summer.

Your watering procedures are very good so I would maintain with that program.

Check for insects or disease. In any case, you may just want to wash it thoroughly with a mild solution of soap and water.

If mother nature rains .... make sure the plant is not setting in water afterwards.

Q: Someone gave me cuttings of a rick-rack cactus (also called fish-bone cactus or orchid cactus). I am having the hardest time finding culture and propagation instructions for it on the net. Do you have any idea what to do?

A: Propagation for the fishbone cactus is very similar to all the other cactus and succulents.

Take a piece of the cactus (by section or cut into pieces) and let them 'cure' for a day so the ends have stopped emitting any liquids.

Using a cactus soil or potting soil with a sand base poke and place the piece of cactus in the pot. I also suggest a clay pot. Do not water for a few days.

They will soon root.

You may also want to use a root hormone. This prevents diseases and has some hormones in to help root and grow.

Start in good morning sun and acclimate to brighter light, that cacti like.

Q: I have a cactus that I planted for zone 5 and I am trying to make another plant for a friend. A piece had broken off when I purchased it. I currently have it in a damp paper towel. How should I proceed to get it to root? I tried looking it up in my books but still have not had any luck.

A: First of all take the cactus piece from the damp towel and dry out. Your goal is to have the cactus piece create a callus. When this has happened, in less than a week, just position in some cactus soil or some sterile potting soil where sand has been added for good drainage. Use a clay pot 'til there is sufficient rooting. You can test the rooting by pulling gently in about a month.

In two months tops you should have a well rooted piece of cactus to share with your friend.

Q: I have a pot of cacti that I have raised from seed. About 6 months ago I bought a pot with three plants (cacti)--one expired 4 weeks ago, the rest look OK, BUT my cacti have lots of white stuff on them now. Not sure if its wooly aphid or mealy bug. How do I treat this without harming the plants?
I would be more than happy to exterminate the new pot to prevent re-infestation.

A: First of all, and you probably have already done this, isolate the infested plant.

Wooly aphid and mealy bug can be treated with a homemade soapy solution. Mealy bug responds to alcohol on a Q-tip. This works best especially on the hard spots of a cactus.

Keep out of the sunlight for fear of burning sun scald.

You can also use a product spray called Safer.

If you really like the cactus, I would give this a try.

The soapy solution in the potting soil is just fine.

You may have to do more than one application.

A chemical attack would be using nicotine sulfate or malathion.

Not my personal recommendation but this may work.

Q: I was wondering if you can plant a cactus in soil or does it have to be planted in sand. Please reply as soon as possible because my cactuses are grown out of their pots.

A: Yes. It is very important to have as nearly as possible the correct soil for each individual plant (although many plants do acclimate to something not required by them). What is important is that cactus / cacti must have good drainage and that drainage is created by sand.

Minute pebbles or grains may help if you only have regular potting soil. Most potting soils have a lot of peat or humus in them and often times soil wetting agents that retain moisture. So, be very careful, because this will keep water in and around the roots and this will lead to rotting in a cactus.

Cactus love hot-dry arid conditions and this of course, should be supplied in and around the pot too.

Good luck

Be careful in transplanting. Using rolled up newspaper to hold the cactus while placing the cactus from one pot to the other.