SpikyMike added some photos to this forum in 2018. https://forum.bcss.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=167676 0DD1C133-6BA8-4489-B944-61B96185A43E.jpeg 766DF4C1-FEDE-42BA-8416-DBB531AE0177.jpeg 7D0689E0-94C9-4F7A-9594-98C0F0E3A583.jpeg JonNo posted this good example of damage in a peanut cactus that inspired ...

The UK Biological Records Centre suggest that the mites (B. r.) are pests of not only Cactacaae, but also of Rhoeadales, which covers many common plant families/genera. That being so, it explains why it persists in the UK, as I find it difficult to believe that a pest totally specific to Cactacae w...

Of course, she never waters it and then says to pot it into compost once it has roots. Missed that part, wouldn't moler clay or even perlite be safer anyway? Thought Kew would know better :grin: She has a cat that attacks her orchid, so presumably she has some cat litter to hand. Perlite is too lig...

I see at least 15 mites in that photo (when opened in a new tab and embiggened). They are at the limit of visibility, but I would say two show the classic legs forward pose that indicates you have cactus mites. Not spider mites, which is why there is no webbing. The darkening may be a rot that got i...

Interesting, when I was looking for alternatives of Tesco or Sanicat, all clay based white ones were clumping. I found a white calcium silicate based one that I thought would be perfect to experiment with. Bought it and it stank of bleach even after soaking and changing the water for several days. ...

I watched the Kew introduction to the Economic Botany collection and now Youtube want to push every Kew video at me. I have set it to start at the succulent, rewind if you need advice about how to propagate a spiderplant. It is, of course, aimed at the novice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IHqsDC...

Pic. as requested. The centre one is a Heurnia, the other two are Parianthas. Spelling probably wrong. You are actually spelling Heurnia the way it should have been spelt, but for the fact that the first use of the name of the genus had a misprint in the publication in 1811, though the name of the ...

New species described from the Deccan Plateau. Published today. Open access article.

https://taiwania.ntu.edu.tw/abstract.ph ... ct&id=1831

And your point here? My point is that trying to tell anyone that they are going to damage themselves by absorbing vile substances from a soil-sodden cocktail stick is not supportable by logic or evidence. Do you have any case studies to reference? However paranoid you are about the toxins that you ...

Apart from knowing quickly how moist the compost is, you may have an indication of its chemical content and a trip to A&E. Not the methodology recommendations on my uni chem course. Nil by mouth was the watchword. Citation needed. People have died from turning over compost heaps but I have neve...