RE: Cactus fruit

Title: RE: Cactus fruit

I deal with fleshy fruits like this by filling a bowl with water and mashing up the fruit in the water with my fingers (use gloves if the fruits are irritant, e.g., Araceae). Once the fruit is pulped, swirl the water around and wait a few seconds for the heavier seeds to settle in a pile in the center at the bottom. While the pulp is still swirling in the water, carefully pour it off. Repeat a few times until you have clean water and seeds only. Then spread the wet seeds on a paper towel to dry.

I don't think cactus seeds need any special treatment other than some warmth to germinate. Opuntia species can take a full year to germinate, but a Cereus-type like this should be easy.

Nick Turland
Saint Louis, MO
USDA Zone 6

> A while ago I asked about the best way to harvest seed from a
> cactus that has formed a large fruit. I was asked to supply a picture of
> the cactus and the fruit and now I have put it on a temporary website:
> http://users.otenet.gr/~golath/temp/cactus.htm
>
> Someone told me that the seeds are dispersed in nature by
> birds who eat the seeds and then drop them at various places. I guess this
> makes the seeds ready to germinate. (No,...)
>
> Any advice as how to treat the seeds? Drying them? Cleaning?
> Soaking, and if so in what? I guess the seeds that he birds eat get a lot of
> acid, soak the seeds in vinegar?
>
> TIA
> Gunnar

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