I have a few questions......

clemons · Post by **clemons** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 5:46 pm

the trouble i see with tongs is you mite damage the cactus,,you may cut the body with the edge of the tongs or you mite drive some of the spines into the cactus itself..seems too that tongs would be clumsy in handling large cacti also..

ihc6480 · Post by **ihc6480** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 12:51 am

About like determining what type of cacti soil is best. You have to use your better judgement and learning experience.

With what I grow tongs are essentual, newspaper is a pain to get loose from opuntiods and gloves are useless against there sharp spines and get thrown away once there imbedded with gochlids

Determine what is best and go with it. I do agree that tongs are useless on larger plants, I do have a few of them

Charis · Post by **Charis** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 2:02 am

Cool. I have to go find and mix some soil.

As for my spines I just touch delicately. I never use gloves, towels, or newspaper.

I guess I am an adventerous person when I touch my cacti. Thanks for the info keep it coming.

Bill in SC · Post by **Bill in SC** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 4:11 am

You can get away with handling most cactus with spines by hand ok.. However, when you get in glochidous territory, the hand method is foolish at best.
Bill in SC

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:50 am

Hey Bill what are you going to do with those?

Mark

perrycornish · Post by **perrycornish** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:53 pm

Good luck with the transplanting, the advice is good on here! I'm with bill in SC Tongs almost without exception except when I use my hands

Not if there is a glochid about though! I've never damaged a cactus yet with tongs

ihc6480 · Post by **ihc6480** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:07 am

Mark wrote:Hey Bill what are you going to do with those?
Mark

I had to thin some from in front of my gas meter and transplanted them along the westside of my house. Come spring I'll have a pichup load to give away.
Needing some more

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 1:56 am

What type are type are they? I think maybe I could use a couple more, but until next spring.

Mark

ihc6480 · Post by **ihc6480** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 12:50 am

Mark wrote:What type are type are they? I think maybe I could use a couple more, but until next spring.

Mark

Mark,

The cacti are O. mackensenii in the picture. How are yours doing?

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 1:46 am

Most of them have produced 1 or 2 new pads, except one maybe it needs more sun.

Mark

neonj · Post by **neonj** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 9:38 pm

I usually use my bare hands but that's because I just don't remeber the gloves or thongs until it's too late and I'm deep in the spines. After that I always tell myself that next time I'm gona wear some good gloves. I spend most of my day at work with a pushpin trying to dig the spines out of my hands. I've always got spines in my hands and I hate it. I have a ton of the opuntia micro... and we all know the interesting gifts those puppies like to give you. They don't really hurt but they annoy the living s#@t out of you.

Jeffrey

ihc6480 · Post by **ihc6480** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 12:48 am

Jeffery wrote:

They don't really hurt but they annoy the living s#@t out of you.

Been there, done that and won lots of t-shirts

I now remember my tongs

I have a few questions......

Cacti adventures