i started growing opuntia for my tortoises - addicted to opuntias myself now :)

[tortoiseuk]

Hi everybody, glad the shelledwarriors is now back

I feed my tortoises a complete pellets free diet (nothing against it, but it was my decision), 90% of it its wild plants/weeds, 5% supermarket greens and the final 5% succulents and cacti I plant myself.

I started with 1-2 opuntias, but I think I got addicted to them now.. I have +40 opuntias now.. lol. they are really great cacti, grow fast and are a good addition to their diet.
Some of them are hardy in the uk, others not so hardy, so i've them in greenhouses.

Here're some pics of some of them


OPUNTIA HUMIFUSA - hardy in the uk. ( I have tons of these outside now)


Cilindropuntia - hardy




OPUNTIA VULGARIS


OPUNTIA LINGUIFORMIS


OPUNTIA FICUS INDICA


OPUNTIA SUBULATA


OPUNTIA BRAZILIENSIS


OPUNTIA CONSOLEA MACRACANTHA



OPUNTIA CONSOLEA RUBESCENS





OPUNTIA NOPAL


OPUNTIA SANGUINOCOLA


OPUNTIA PRICKLEY PEAR - this one is the one comercially used in america for nopales and for the fruit



OPUNTIA ROBUSTA



OPUNTIA LITORALIS


OPUNTIA TUNA


OPUNTIA BASILARIS


OPUNTIA MICRODASYS


OPUNTIA BABY RITA


OPUNTIA AURIANTRICA


OPUNTIA MONOCANTHA


OPUNTIA ?????? (this one I dont know)


OPUNTIA MACRACENTRA (and behind the leftovers of a spineless opuntia thorntons blue that my tortoises destroyed --- trying to regrow it.. )


OPUNTIA TOMENTOSA


OPUNTIA VIOLACEA SANTA RITA


OPUNTIA ROBUSTA (another kind different from the other ones)


OPUNTIA GRANDIS


OPUNTIA BERGERIANA


OPUNTIA QUITENSIS



then I also have aloes, desert sedums, gasterias, echeverias, agaves, etc..


I now I'm trying to grow also hottentot fig



i think I'm addicted to opuntias indeed.. lol