I agree with Peter. A UK supplier of buffered coir is Fertile Fibre

https://www.fertilefibre.com/coir/ultra ... -coir.html

The 2 new vines suggest it's healthy so I think the caudex is starting the normal change from the smooth sphere that young plants have into the fissured shape of older plants. The crack on top looks like the first one to happen and more will happen as the caudex begins - in effect - to break open as...

How about contacting Buglife https://www.buglife.org.uk/bug-identifier-0

or the Amateur Entomologists Society? https://www.amentsoc.org/insects/what-bug-is-this/

or the Royal Entomological Society https://www.royensoc.co.uk/identifying-insects

Steven

To solve this problem, you will need to keep the plants in a place that gets more light such as a windowsill. Also, keep them dry in winter as watering encourages growth at that time. If it’s not possible to provide more light, then I suggest you might wish to grow haworthias instead as they need le...

There are habitat pics at https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/283269 ... a-mexicana

Steven

There has been a huge amount of scientific research into the nutrient needs of cacti and succulents - but it's not well known to growers. The results have been written up in a book which describes the nutrients that cacti and succulents need (as well as how they grow, temperature, light, water uptak...

If it's not repotted it will gradually become less and less healthy. So I would : Saw off the tall stems and discard them. Then put it into a larger pot (maybe you will will need to cut the old pot off with a Stanley knife or similar - a mallet can be useful to tap the knife downwards to cut the pot...

Hi Tina. Many thanks. I’d go with the damp pumice to get things going straightaway. I’ve not used rooting powder and mycorhiza on plicatilis but I agree they can only be helpful. I’ve not used a heat pad either and suspect it wouldn’t be needed at this time of year. The dry option wouldn’t save time...

In his book ‘Tree Aloes of Africa’, Ernst van Jaarsfeld writes that cuttings of A. plicatilis root easily. I’ve found this to be the case in the UK too. Use a tall pot (and ideally one that’s narrow as well so there’s not too much compost) and bury as much as possible of the bare stem in the compost...

Thanks Aiko and Jane Don't be put off Jane, they are actually very tough survivors. If you don't want yours to grow quickly, then don't feed them, use a low nutrient soil mix and water sparingly. I know someone who has one that is almost 50 years old and its caudex is still only about 3 or 4 inches ...