kari_gardener, They grow wild here in Georgia. Alot of people have problems with them spreading by either knocking parts of the cacti off onto the soil (they sprout roots and grow from those pads) or by attempting to mow them down... I think you have to burn them down to the grown to kill them? I think once you get it down to the ground, you will have to try getting all the roots from underneath the soil. This would be a last resort, but coming from a place where these things can become weeds in seconds, I would try giving some away if you find anyone that wants some and then if you don't want them, kill them... sounds mean, but hey, they sting and they spread like wildfire here. Elizabeth

I have no idea about Montana. What is your gardening zone?! How cold have you already gotten? Also, there are many species of Prickly Pads. The ones that are sold in the East are Opuntia humifusa (Eastern Prickly Pear); but lots of species of Opuntia are not cold hardy. Keep in mind, O. humifusa looks completely different in the Winter! They normally shrivel up and lose the rich green color. They ain't dead! It's just that when it gets really cold, the plants move water out the leaf pads, as soon as Spring returns, the pads rehydrate and turn green again. O. humifusa is native to the East Coast from Florida up to Cape Cod (up to approximately Zone 7a). So, they are unusual among cacti for cold tolerance AND WET tolerance, the combination of which is FATAL to most all cacti. Mine have regularly been under mounds of snow and always return. I would think that a Montana winter would offer some advantage as you are soooo much drier in mid Winter, and it's soooo WET here even in mid Winter. I would think that a snow cover would offer protection if the winters go below 0 F. You could take cuttings, I have a bunch on the surface of some palms that I overwinter in the garage, but they are perfectly cold and freeze hardy to at least 0 F.

Cupid's been busy with that one. Cool photo!

This may sound negative - but pls. consider all remarks (they may or may not apply to your situation): No need for humidifier for succulents, it actually is not better. They come from arid areas, and humidity is often causing fungal problems. You suggested drafty windows, now you saying they are "nicely insulated" - I was commenting on what you said originally. Most succulents will overwinter well in much lower temps, as low as 45-48*F or so. You don't have to, but need to adjust other growing conditions accordingly. Typical moisture meters are not very reliable, but maybe you have new one that still works well, or better quality one. I find much more reliable way of checking for moisture using bamboo skewer, chopstick or even pencil. Some ppl water successfully from bottom, if using fast draining mix. Very often, typical C&S soil is full of peat and doesn't dry well enough. If that is the case, watering from bottom is worse because it keeps soil too wet for too long. Ppl using C&S soil usually add lot more sifted perlite to it - easily 50% or even more - and that works better. I find it much better using inorganic potting mix (no soil). 10" pot sound huge to me - but that all depends on size of plant and I have no idea about yours. Clay 10" pot is usually quite deep. Big, deep pots hold lots of soil and if it doesn't drain fast, it could be problem. I am assuming it has drainage hole. I am not sure what is wrong with your plant, but it looks like either drying (how close is it to grow light? Was it put under it suddenly - is there any chance it may have burned?), or having fungal problems. I would definitely improve potting mix and keep it in room with no humidifier to begin with.