Cactus gloves

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29Palms
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Cactus gloves

Post by 29Palms »

I went online to a specialty site that sells equipment for handling dangerous animals.

I purchased a pair of 'Hex Armor" gauntlets that were touted as being very puncture resistant. They look like they could handle rabid wolverines.

Well, I tried them when breaking some more pads off my favourite Opuntia scheeri. Imagine my pleasure when I felt the spines immediately penetrate the gloves and go into my hands. :lol: Photo of the gloves attached.

What are everyone else's experience with gloves. Does anyone have the perfect gloves and where do you get them.

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CoronaCactus
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Post by CoronaCactus »

Technology has not been able to crack the Opuntia nut by way of gloves. Tweezers, tongs and disposible materials are what works.
iann
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Post by iann »

It took them a lot longer to develop stab-proof vests than bullet-proof vests. They're still working on something that can stop a cactus spine :lol:
--ian
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tudedude
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Post by tudedude »

I use purple nitrile gloves, the disposable kind. They work great for small glochids. For larger plants i wear them under nitrile garden gloves. I would imagine those thick black rubber gloves used for industrial chemicals would work great.
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Harriet
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Post by Harriet »

Yep "Tweezers, tongs and disposible materials are what works." Up to a and including gloves. Once the glochids are imbedded in the gloves you may as well throw them out.
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Dmyerswny
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Post by Dmyerswny »

Looking at those gloves just made my hands cry. Metal tongs.
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vlani
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Post by vlani »

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JeffWhiteDevil
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Post by JeffWhiteDevil »

:( Ouch, Ouch, and Ouch! I use tongs, a flamethrower and the garbage can when dealing with glochid covered devils. I still question my own sanity for growing anything with a glochid. I even talked a elderly woman out of purchasing a Opuntia cactus at walmart last week.
:|
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SnowFella
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Post by SnowFella »

I've atleast had great luck with gloves and one perticular Opuntia, double surgical gloves worked wonders when I repotted my last O. microdasys. :D

And nothing's ever foolproof even if the gloves are made specificly for what you are doing, proved that rather well in an old job of mine when I inadvertently tested how well cut resistant kevlar gloves worked again sharpened steel. One fingertip split down to the bone later I stopped wearing the clumpsy gloves and instead started thinking about what I was doing. :lol:
29Palms
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Post by 29Palms »

Well, I tweezered every spine off the outside of the gloves. There were also a few spines I couldn't get to, inside the gloves. Upon trying the gloves, I discovered these interior spines would stay stuck in my skin when I withdrew from the gloves. :shock: These I of course tweezered off my hands and after a few determined repetitions, all the spines are out of the inside of those gloves.

Today I tried the gloves for planting some large five gallon Opuntia santa rita and they worked great for handling those cacti during planting and positioning. I also planted several 5 gallon container Ocotillo and handled them with the gloves during planting. I can report that the Hex Armor gloves worked great for these two species. The Hex Armor gloves are back in the play book. 8)

Though I will use tongs for the Scheeri.. :shock:
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cactuslee
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Post by cactuslee »

i take a newspaper and fold it up to wrap around the cactus when working with it. it seems to work for me.
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Gallows
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Post by Gallows »

That's exactly what I do. Works like a dream for me. Sometimes the simplest solution is still the best. Old newspapers are free!!
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daiv
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Post by daiv »

I have a pair of lined thick leather gloves that I use in repotting and various cacti duties.

These are the type that are smooth on the outside - not the rough or suede like pairs. These alone do not stop spines, but I use them in combination with "gentle" or "light" handling.

In other words, I will balance the top of a columnar, but hold the bulk of the weight by the roots or between the ribs. Or if I have to pick up spined surfaces, I spread the contact area as much as possible so that there is not much force exerted on any one spine.

Spines still get through, but that's just cactus-grower acupuncture and is good for you anyway. 8)
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Arjen
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Post by Arjen »

in most cases I use chopsticks, when a plant is too big for this I use a piece of cardboard I have lying around, I've stopped using gloves altogether mostly because of glochids
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*Barracuda_52*
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Post by *Barracuda_52* »

29Palms wrote:Well, I tweezered every spine off the outside of the gloves. There were also a few spines I couldn't get to, inside the gloves. Upon trying the gloves, I discovered these interior spines would stay stuck in my skin when I withdrew from the gloves. :shock:
Ive done the same thing several times just when ya think oh good, clean gloves and ya stick your hand in there OUCHY :shock: not clean :evil: OOOOOOOOPS.. LOL!!! :P
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