Six months with Prickly Pear — what I actually learned

I brought Prickly Pear home six months ago with high hopes and almost no knowledge. The first challenge was understanding using pure mineral grit for drainage in the soil mix — something I hadn't expected to matter so much. Once I got that right, the whole thing settled down.

I grow it in a greenhouse or conservatory staging and the position has been ideal. extremely long-lived with minimal intervention is what keeps drawing me back to it. complete dormancy in winter with no watering was the moment that made me glad I persisted through the learning curve. One honest warning: spider mites in warm dry indoor conditions caught me off guard in month two. Stay on top of it from the start.