Useful Tips & Tricks

[matchat]

Having just skimmed through Keith L's thread about the future of the forum and the suggestion on there that we post silly little bits as well as in depth travelogues, cultivation and taxonomy discussions I decided to start this thread. Hopefully you will like the idea and have plenty of ideas to contribute!

*Sticky marks left on clay pots by price labels.*

I find it really annoying that the sticky labels on clay pots leave a sticky residue which then gathers muck and looks unsightly. It occurred to me earlier that a good method to get rid of it would be to use alcohol based sterets sterilizing wipes to remove it (lighter fluid on a rag would probably work just as well). I now have a nice clean pot ready for potting into. Can't believe that this didn't occur to me sooner.

Does anyone else have any suggestions to make tasks in the greenhouse easier?

Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk

[AnTTun]

Or just put your own label where old one was

Clay usually isn't as smooth as plastic (except.. ummm.. 'glazed'?) so wiping could be hard task. Anyway, I use isopropyl alcohol to clean plastic pots. If I really, really, really don't have anything else to do

[sechjoh]

My tip is about baggie-method.

I try to make the plastic bag look like a tipi, because it prevent drops of water to land on the small seedlings. And it looks more like the original; Wardian case

[jfabiao]

My tip is chopsticks. That and a pair of tweezers is all I need to handle plants and tuck in substrate when repotting (I collect mostly smaller species).

[Tony R]

My tip is chopsticks. That and a pair of tweezers is all I need to handle plants and tuck in substrate when repotting (I collect mostly smaller species).

Rather than chopsticks, I use a pair of toothbrushes for the same job when repotting - one (brush end) to gently hold the (globular) cactus in place in the middle of the pot and the other (handle end) to firm down the substrate.

[Dot]

When I want to clean a plastic pot especially for Show plants, I use Mister Sheen aerosol polish. Used with a clean rag or a piece of kitchen paper, it seems to cover small surface scratches.
Keeping clay pots clean is much more difficult.

[Bill]

Forceps are useful for pulling dead leaves of small clumping plants, they grip much better than tweezers or fingers. Also useful for getting grit and bugs from between spines.

[agavedave]

For plastic pots that are looking a bit tired, I apply Armor All or similar product, seems to make new ones last a bit longer as well.

Regards
Dave.

[Mike S]

There is a spray you can buy on Ebay that gets rid of label residue.

[Liz M]

I always put a small piece of kitchen roll in the bottom of plastic pots, when potting up. It keeps the compost in until the plant is established and then rots away, when hopefully the roots will hold in the compost.
Also, to minimise the places for mealy-bugs to lurk, keep all debris out of the pots and remove dead leaves of succulents as soon as possible. Then treat with whatever treatment you usually give.