Prick!

Today was cactus repotting day. I have three succulent plants that needed some attention before the start of spring.

Prick, by Gynelle Leon, link and description below

Here I am repotting a cactus called Tephrocactus Articulatus - a hardy little plant which seems quite resistant to the cold. It has an interesting way of propagating which is to let several of its stem segments break away to begin a new life as an independent plant.

First I got a roomy ceramic pot and filled it with a layer of cat litter a couple of centimetres deep. This is an attempt to preserve moisture. I am not sure whether this will work, but that's the whole point of experimenting.

I used multipurpose potting compost. Although you can get compost specifically for succulents. I used a newspaper lasso to remove the plant from its original pot as those spines are very prickly.

Next, I added a layer of horticultural grit on the surface. This should help keep the moisture in the soil as well as look attractive.

The next succulent is one that I took as a very tiny cutting a couple of years ago and was surprised by how well it has thrived.

You might notice some small white spots on the leaves. I think this is a fungus but it came off easily with a damp cloth and hopefully has not damaged the plant.

Well, this is a technology blog, so here comes the tech stuff.

I have used one of my microbit moisture sensors to monitor the moisture level in this succulent. Getting the right balance of water is essential to succulent survival. It is a good idea to let the pots completely dry out before gently rewatering again. The microbit water sensor is ideal for this job.

My micro:bit water sensor showing animated "don't water me".

Succulents and cacti like dry and warm conditions and, believe me, plant fungi like to grow in damp conditions. If like me you find that you have a problem with this then you may find a portable dehumidifier is a not-too-expensive solution. The link below shows the dehumidifier that I use.


I can thoroughly recommend this book - Prick, by Gynelle Leon. It covers everything you need to know about the care of your cacti friends. Within these pages Gynelle covers the history, origins and background of succulent cultivation; a gallery of popular plants including care instructions as well as in-depth guidance on watering, repotting and style guides.

Hacking a hurricane plant

Monstera deliciosa, Hurricane plant, or Swiss Cheese plant, call it what you will, they are beautiful plants that take little effort to care for and add a tropical vibe to any geek's dungeon. I've had this one for at least ten years after it was propagated from an earlier parent plant (long ago donated to the Art department of a local technical college).

Yesterday I decided to rescue my plant from the sorry state it had got into over winter. I keep mine in the conservatory where in summer it gets plenty of sunlight and stays warm enough over winter.

Hurricane plant after winter in the conservatory.

The first thing I did was to remove all of the dead leaves. Then I trimmed the aerial roots. I noticed that a number of the aerial roots (which usually attach themselves to nearby rocks and trees) were attempting to make an escape through the carpet. Thankfully there was minimal damage.

Next step was to remove the old string I had used to tie the plant to its support and replace with something more sturdy. I use Toolzone Garden Twist Tie Support Wire which provides a very strong bond between plant and support without damaging the plant.

Hurricane plant with some better support

I then removed some of the young plants that were growing from the base of the Hurricane plant. One of the fun things about this type of plant is that it is very 'hackable'. Any of the shoots providing they have at least two leaves and one aerial root can easily be propagated. You simply need to 'hack' parts of the plant away from the main plant and within a few days they should be growing on their own.

I now have two young plants from the parent plant. These plants should ideally be kept in a sunny location away from direct sunlight and given a moist compost. I used a recycled plastic bottle with drainage holes cut into the bottom which should allow me to see the root system as it develops over summer.

Young plants hacked from the bottom of the parent plant