Growing the Peruvian Apple Cactus in the Garden

The Narrative:
The Peruvian Apple Cactus, formally named Cereus Repandus or Cereus Peruvianus, produces nutritious and tasty fruit. And if you enjoy seeing birds in your yard, the Peruvian Apple will attract them. They love its apple!
I live in USDA Growing Zone 10-a, and this Peruvian Apple cactus has required little maintenance. My yard’s soil is very rocky and sandy with some loam. When I planted this cactus from a cutting, I chose a sunny location and dug a hole about two feet in diameter and 8 inches deep. Any rocks that were over five pounds were removed. Two tablespoons of 5-5-5 fertilizer were sprinkled into the bottom of the hole. The cutting, which was about 14 inches in length, was placed into the 8-inch hole. I trickled water into the hole until the surrounding soil was soaked. I then filled in the hole with native soil, including the smaller rocks; I trickled that dry soil. After its initial planting, I watered it occasionally, meaning about every two weeks when temperatures did not exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperatures reached 90 degrees or above, I watered it once a week with a slow trickle, soaking its surrounding soil with about 5-gallons of water. It firmly established itself in about 9 months, at which time I no longer watered it. And I have not fertilized since I put it into ground as a cutting. I should note that I do not harvest this cactus’ apples, though I do occasionally pick and eat its delicious fruit. They are very tasty are nutritious. That means that my fine feathered friends that fly around my yard can consume the majority of the fruit. I mention this because the birds often leave behind their organic fertilizer. So, if I were looking to increase production and harvest the fruits, I would use a 5-5-5 fertilizer in late winter, late spring and late summer. On the size of this cactus, I would use 1 cup spinked in a circle about 6-inches from its base and water it into the soil.
I recently did a couple of cuttings using the same method. These are the two that I followed using the same method. The Peruvian Apple cutting on the left has grown only about five inches. The other on the right has grown almost three feet. It has been 9 months. No fertilizers have been used since their initial planting.
This mature Peruvian Apple is well over 15 years old and gets pruned or cut back about every other year. I usually trim about four feet off its height and use a machete to trim it. But, when we are lucky enough to get 18+ inches of annual rain, it accelerates in growth. I then use a 48-inch long, flat shovel, known as a gravel shovel, to trim it down. If this cactus is left to grow freely, it can reach a substantial height, probably 20 to 30 feet. Because I live in a high wind zone, its branches or arms can break off and be a risk to property, people and pets. That’s why this one is kept trimmed. The other two cuttings I showed earlier will be allowed to grow freely, as they are in a place where neither pets nor people mingle.
This cactus produces beautiful flowers. It Blooms in the evening trough nightfall and starts closing up at sunrise. It produces an abundance of nectar as you’ve noticed that the bees are highly attracted to its blossoms. They will try to feed on this as long as there is light. That leaves the bees about 20 to 30 minutes before nightfall calls them back to their natural hive they constructed in my yard. They took up residence over 20 years ago and are extremely docile. I have never been stung nor have my dogs. For some reason, many people know of the dangerous bees popularized as vicious stingers. The bees in my yard are not the “Africanized” honey bee species, also known as “killer bees”. In short, if they were aggressive, they would have been removed immediately.
Here is a picture of the flower fully open at nightfall.
The Peruvian Apple Cactus can be grown in USDA Zones 9-11. Its lowest temperature it can tolerate is 18 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let’s take a look at its fruit or in this case its “apple”

Thanks for watching.