Waterproof paint or plaster

The gel inside the pads is a great waterproofing agent. Chop up the pads in a concrete mixer or chipper and add the gelatinous substance to a lime plaster or paint. This has been used for a long, long time on old adobe buildings in Mexico.

Predator-proof fence-line

Because prickly pears are both prolific and prickly, they make a great deterrent to predators on any fence-line. We have planted single pads every three feet around our perimeter fence. Next year, those single pads will have made several more, which we will then remove and plant so that there is a cactus every foot. Another year will see those plants grow taller and wider, so that the whole fence will have a prickly pear presence. The plants will eventually grow to form an impenetrable hedge about 3-6 feet in height. The more it grows, the harder it will be for any predator to get through, and we’ll have a huge supply of fruit to use in jellies and wine.

Animal feed

Prickly pears make a cheap and easy to grow food for animals, as they need no additional irrigation or nutrients. They are especially valuable for animals that require extra calcium, like egg-laying poultry, or for animals that do not produce their own vitamin C, like guinea pigs. They also add a sweet flavor to the milk produced from dairy animals that consume them. Make sure that prickly pears do not constitute more than 50 % of an animal’s feed, or it will develop diarrhea. Depending on your variety, it is best to burn the spines off before feeding them to animals.

Mosquito repellant

In central Africa, the gel from the pads is used as an effective mosquito repellent. The gel can also be added to stagnant water where mosquitos breed, whereby it smothers the larvae and interrupts the life cycle of the dangerous insect.

Shampoo

Nopales can be used as a shampoo that leaves your hair soft and shiny. Cut up a pad into small chunks and then add it to a blender with some water. Strain the pieces out and use the liquid on your hair. Rinse thoroughly after one minute.

For cuts and burns

The gel from a pad can be used in much the same way as aloe vera. Just apply the gel topically for instant relief.

Dye

If you are looking for a natural red dye, look no further than the prickly pear fruit. The red fruit (some tunas are green or yellow) produces a pigment akin to beets.

Flour

You can dry the seeds and then grind them for a tasty gluten-free flour.

Toothpicks or needles

The spines are very strong and sharp. They can be used as toothpicks, needles or pins.

Baskets

If you pound and dry the pads, you can extract the strong fibers to use in any weaving project.