Guest Tom MacCubbin, extension agent for the University of Florida, shows how to safely transplant a cactus, using leather gloves, newspaper and old foam or burlap.
- Use a scrubbed, sterilized container. Cut a piece of wire mesh (old window screening is ideal) large enough to cover the drainage hole with an overlap of 1/4" all around. The purpose of the mesh is to allow water to drain out without washing away the soil.
- To hold the mesh in place, bend a piece of flexible wire into a U-shape and thread the ends through the mesh and the drainage hole, then bend them in opposite directions on the bottom outside the pot. Place a curved piece of broken clay pot over the screened drainage hole as an added precaution against soil washing out or clogging the screen and obstructing drainage.
- Slightly moisten some potting mix and make a small pad or layer of soil in the bottom of the pot. The soil should be crumbly damp, not soaked (wet soil is an open invitation to root rot).
- Gently knock the plant out of its pot. Check the root ball for pests or damaged roots (look for brown, mushy, or rotted areas). Cut away any broken, dead or diseased roots with a pair of sterilized pruning scissors--the kind that florists use to cut stems.
- Rub the shoulders of the root ball gently to remove the hard crust at the base of the stem. Carefully squeeze the root ball to crumble away any soil not adhering to the roots. Then--wearing leather gloves and using either newspaper, foam, or burlap as an extra barrier--pick up the plant, supporting the stem so it doesn't break under its own weight.
- Center the plant in the pot, making sure the soil doesn't cover the stem or trunk. Always maintain the same soil level at which the plant was growing before. Leave one full inch of space between the soil level and the top of the pot so the soil doesn't wash over the edge of the pot when the plant is watered.
- Hold the plant in place with one hand and pour the soil evenly around the roots. (A sugar or flour scoop works well for this job.) If the plant is prickly, be sure to keep hands adequately protected during this step as well.
- When the pot is filled with soil, take the pot in both hands and tap it gently on the potting table (or work surface) to settle the soil. Chopsticks work well for tamping soil in among the roots. Use thumbs to press soil firmly around the plant, or a blunt stick if the plant is spiny.
- Once the plant is firmly in place, set the pot aside for several days before watering.
Background information & tips:
- Handling cacti can be tricky for the inexperienced, and gloves can be useless--they can rapidly become full of spines and cause as much discomfort as the actual cacti.
- Hold young plants at the neck where the spines are weak or nonexistent. Other plants can be held by the root ball (provided the root ball is strong and well developed).
- Hold plants with fewer, stronger spines between the spines or by the spines, if possible.
- For plants with many uniform spines, it may be possible to actually hold them with little discomfort as the pressure is distributed over many points.
- Manipulate tall plants with a temporary strap made of newspaper, which can later be discarded.
- Wrap very large, heavy and spiny plants in sheets of expanded plastic foam.
- Use broad wooden tongs to handle cacti of various sizes.
- Succulents are generally less problematic than other types of cacti, with the exception of only a few varieties (Euphorbia, for instance).
- Be particularly careful with hooked spine plants--getting entangled in one of these can be most unpleasant!
- Special precautions should always be taken when dealing with the genus Opuntia and its relatives--their barbed spines are difficult to remove. If spines do become embedded in the skin, try removing them with transparent adhesive tape. Apply tape to the area(s) where the spines have punctured the skin, then pull off in one swift motion--the tape should remove most or all of the irritant spines.
- If handling Euphorbia, don't allow the plant's sap to come in contact with skin--it can severely inflame cuts or other sensitive areas. If affected, wash immediately with cold water and seek medical attention.
Resources Gardening with Children
by Beth Richardson and Lynn Karlin (Photographer) (ISBN: 1561581925 )
The Taunton Press, Inc.
Website:
www.taunton.com Guests Tom MacCubbin
Extension Agent, The University of Florida
2350 East Michigan Street
Orlando, FL 32806
Phone: 407-836-7573
Fax: 407-836-7578
Email:
tommac1996@aol.com
URL:
www.betterlawns.com
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