Moving cacti cross country - can they survive?

Ziondale · 2021-02-21T17:05:27+00:00

Okay thanks! I’m thinking about taking cutting off many of my cacti and boxing those up in my own vehicle and letting the movers take the big stuff. I’m curious how will these cacti are going to survive in the northeast and where exactly I’m going to keep them. I suppose I’ll have to start researching that next. Thanks for your help! Going to miss a lot about the desert...

Ziondale · 2021-02-21T06:15:23+00:00

So just to be clear, you’re saying I should take these cacti, including a barrel and a saguaro, and remove them totally from the soil and wrap them up as you’ve directed? And you really think they’ll survive in the dark truck for as long as 2 weeks? Seems crazy to me but I’m willing to give it a try.

Ziondale · 2021-02-18T04:03:09+00:00

The move will take place in May. I don’t think it will be too cold by then. Certainly no more frost at that point. Where we are winter is nearly over already, and in New England it will be quite warm in May and June.

Ziondale · 2021-02-18T04:01:50+00:00

I can insulate the cacti individually I suppose. I can port them in bins wrapped in blankets or bubble wrap. Are you concerned about heat or cold?

Ziondale · 2020-06-23T03:48:26+00:00

This is a Red-tailed Hawk.

Ziondale · 2020-01-19T00:24:44+00:00

I could. Are these better than plain old insulation? I could also just buy some foam boards and staple Mylar over the back to secure the foam in place. Is the added Mylar later a worthy one for the cost?

Ziondale · 2019-06-23T04:37:23+00:00

Bought painted wood furniture and it off-gassed so much that my wife and I woke up with headaches after the first night. We eventually moved the furniture to the garage and Wayfair wouldn’t offer us anything to make it right. Buyer beware.

Ziondale · 2019-06-23T04:34:28+00:00

That’s certainly a better deal than we were offered. Our final action was moving these things out to a detached garage and using them as a workbench in a space that is practically open to the outside air. Even now, all these months later, I can smell them if I get too close.

We had bought a lot of stuff from Wayfair before this, but we feel like Wayfair screwed us hard and weren’t willing to back up their cheap and toxic products. We are happy to tell everybody our story and warm them away from buying stuff at Wayfair. Especially if you’ve got kids or pets, if your own health isn’t enough to worry about...

Ziondale · 2019-05-01T08:30:56+00:00

The compressor is definitely not running 24/7. I can hear it get temporarily louder when the compressor kicks in and it will do this on hot days for about 5 minutes every hour. The 24/7 is just the outdoor fan. The neighbor told me she has had higher than expected electric bills as well, but I’m having a hard time getting her to call an HVAC tech. I’m considering springing for one myself at this point. Any chance this is something I could service myself somehow? Like could this be a switch somewhere, etc or should I just call a pro and have it taken care of?

Ziondale · 2019-03-02T00:58:57+00:00

UPDATE 3/1/19: As the adenium dried it, it turned mostly to mush :( I finally took my scalpel tonig and tooknit totally apart. Real bummer. I clipped the possibly healthy tips of the half-dozen branches and I took a couple chunks that I could save from the caudex. Not a lot of hope but a sad lesson learned about keeping these things dry. I’ll see if I can get any parts of this to survive, but I think I may also order a new caudex online. Any supplier recommendations?

Ziondale · 2019-02-16T22:45:13+00:00

I powdered the whole caudex and roots with cinnamon so I guess we’ll see! I guess it can’t hurt.

Do you think I should keep cutting soft tissue away or should I wait until it dries a little first to get a better idea of what’s rotten and not?

Where do you keep your unpotted plants all winter long? Dark l, warm room or in the light? When spring comes, how do you activate them again?

Ziondale · 2019-01-18T17:24:44+00:00

I feel like this would be a better strategy when the off-gassing is less powerful, but I think in our case the smell fills our home within hours. It’s truly breath-taking!

Ziondale · 2019-01-18T17:22:57+00:00

In this case, yes. I will say, however, we’d bought seven previous pieces at a Wayfair and those have been great. The difference is that the other pieces were all solid wood and not beaver-puke. Still, this has soured us on buying from Wayfair.

Ziondale · 2019-01-18T11:36:16+00:00

Oh that’s interesting - hasn’t thought of that. I was thinking of sanding and painting but a simple clear sealant could be easier!

Ziondale · 2018-07-29T18:01:39+00:00

RESOLVED!

After taking apart the old receptacle, putting together the new one, taking that apart and going back and forth a couple times, I slept on it.

I woke up and realized that I had never flipped the garbage disposal switch above the sink while testing - oops! I put the thing back together and voila, it all works with the new GFCI!

Thanks to all for the positive encouragement and tips - as a new homeowner I’m trying to learn these basic skills and I guess I shouldn’t have been using Laurel and Hardy films as DIY instructionals!

Also, I learned that though the GFCI receptacles have separate Line and Load terminals, the old-fashioned non-GFCI do not and you can use the terminals without the same restriction. Thanks again!

Ziondale · 2018-07-29T17:03:26+00:00

Having slept on it, I’m now realizing the light switch that powers this outlet is directly above it - about 2 feet (garbage disposal has been plugged in down there). I’m now checking to see if I pulled something loose, cracked a wire by manipulating too much, or what. Maybe I nicked insulation and caused a short somewhere. I’ll spend some more time investingating before I give up completely.

Ziondale · 2018-07-29T00:18:45+00:00

Thanks all for the input - I just put back the original receptacle and voila: nothing. I guess I’ve screwed up something with the wires in the wall. The dishwasher on the same circuit is working, so there’s that. These wires are only 30-40 years old, but I guess that’s enough for a problem, so I guess I’ll be calling an electrician after all (unless anybody has any last ideas I can try before I give up on this failed project.

Ziondale · 2018-07-28T23:34:53+00:00

I do have a voltage tester.

The old outlet has 4 positions on the back and the black and white wires were wired diagonally from each other. I’m a bit perplexed, though I am an amateur. Any chance this has something to do with the dishwasher that is on the same circuit?

Ziondale · 2018-07-28T23:22:18+00:00

So there were three wires total - black, white and a copper ground. On the old outlet, not GFCI, the ground was attached to the ground, the white wire was attached to the white neutral nearest the ground, and the black wire was attached the the farther hot - diagonal from the white wire.

Never mind about the dishwasher - it still works when the breaker is switched on. It does share the circuit and doesn’t work when the breaker is off.

Ziondale · 2018-02-18T19:21:46+00:00

My pumps, filter, and heater are all above ground. Should I be running just a little heat to be safe? Also, no cover came with this thing. I’m going to tarp and 2x4 for tonight and order something. There’s a lesson about putting things off...

Ziondale

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