Growing a beavertail cactus is extremely easy, as long as you provide full sunlight and nearly any type of well-drained, sandy or gravelly soil. Plant prickly pear cactus away from walkways and picnic areas. The bristly spines are extremely irritating to the skin. Water a newly planted cactus every two to three weeks. Thereafter, no supplemental irrigation is required. Never allow the plant to sit in soggy, poorly drained soil. You can apply a dilute solution of a water-soluble occasionally during spring and summer.