From our perspective, reproduction is fundamental to our survival and dispersal. While we Opuntia microdasys do produce flowers and seeds, this method is slow and energetically costly. Our primary strategy, therefore, is vegetative propagation. This allows us to clone ourselves efficiently, creating genetically identical offspring that are already well-adapted to our arid environment. When a segment, often called a "pad" or "paddle," is detached from the parent plant, it carries within it all the necessary genetic material and stored resources to establish a new, independent individual. This is the process you seek to facilitate.
The success of your endeavor hinges on your selection. You must choose a mature, plump, and completely healthy pad from the main plant. Look for one that is uniformly green, firm to the touch, and free from any signs of softness, discoloration, or damage. Using a sharp, clean, and sterilized knife or shears, make a clean cut at the narrow joint where the pad connects to the parent plant or another pad. A clean cut minimizes damage to our tissues and reduces the risk of pathogenic infection. It is crucial that you handle us with extreme care at this stage, using thick gloves or tongs. Our clusters of tiny spines, called glochids, are a formidable defense mechanism; they detach easily and can cause significant skin irritation.
This is the most vital step you will perform for us. Immediately after separation, the wound on the detached pad is fresh and moist, an open invitation for rot and fungal infections in the soil. You must place us in a dry, warm location with good air circulation, out of direct sunlight, for approximately one to two weeks. During this time, we will initiate our internal healing processes. The cut end will gradually dry and form a hard, dry, cork-like layer called a callus. This callus acts as a protective barrier, sealing the inner, moist tissues from the external environment. Do not rush this process. A fully formed callus is non-negotiable for our survival; planting us before this seal is complete will almost certainly lead to our demise from rot.
Once the callus has formed, you may place us on top of a well-draining cactus or succulent potting mix. Do not bury us deeply. Simply setting the callused end on the soil surface is often sufficient, or you may nestle us just slightly into the top layer of the mix to provide stability. The pot must have excellent drainage holes. Place us in a location with bright, indirect light. At this stage, you must resist the urge to water. We possess ample stored water and nutrients within our pad to sustain ourselves while we develop new roots. Watering now would only risk the callus softening and rot setting in. After a few weeks, you may notice new growth or feel slight resistance if you give a gentle tug, indicating root development has begun. Only then should you introduce very light, infrequent watering, gradually increasing as we establish ourselves more fully in our new pot.
