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Tips on using plant tweezers

Ajm200

Member
Joined
19 Feb 2010
Messages
531
Location
London
Hi everyone.

DH has bought me some plant tweezers but there is obviously a knack to using them that I haven't got yet.
I know the theory is
1. Hold plant with the tweezers.
2. Push plant into the substrate
3. Open and remove the tweezers
4. Plant stays put.

So why does the plant float to the surface usually taking several of it's neighbours with it. Argh! I've unintentionally uprooted most of the vallis this am and ended up planting most with my fingers and odd bits are still floating up now.
I think that I just needed to get that out of my system before I launch the tweezers down the garden...
Is it just me that's too clumsy to use these things

Anyway.. Any advice/tips appreciated. Otherwise sorry for letting off steam :oops:
 
What's your substrate? It might be the grain size of the substrate making it difficult, ie if it's quite large.

You need to try and use the tweezers quite vertical. It's all about displacing as little substrate as you can. You also need to poke the stem in quite deep if you can. You can do this better with tweezers as it should displace less substrate.

Vertical and also gently push any displaced substrate back around the stem :)

Hope that helps!
 
Hi Steve,

About 3mm. The finest cheap gravel I could get without resorting to sand. I guess practice will make perfect. The tweezers have angled tips. Maybe I'll invest in a 99p straight set from HK. Currently battling with PH plantlets and my technique is gradually improving.

Amanda
 
The longer the better, I recently got some "medical grade" 8inch curved tweesers for £3 from a tool shop and I really like them they seem perfect for most plants, they could do with being much longer though.
 
Plant stems at a slight angle to stop them coming out of the substrate. With p helferi, leave a leaf or 2 on, these act as a 'barb'
 
Thanks. I'll try that when the other pot of P. Helfrei arrives on the post.
 
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