Use an empty plastic pot about the same size as your cactus plant. Put it over the plant, squeeze gently and move the cactus out of one container into another without getting pricklies all over your hands. Please use gloves for this maneuver. Is pricklies a word?

Yes, pricklies is definitely a word; you just invented it.
Yours is a good idea. I had been using large tongs, like a person would use when turning slabs of ribs on the grill, but yours is a much better idea.

Thank you Greene - I also keep duct tape nearby when handling prickly plants

Good idea for when this kind of cactus situation comes up. In the past, I've only used towels...

I have used oven mitts before but they are very clumsy and cumbersome. And it's hard to get the pricklies out of the mitts

Is pricklies a word?


What a good and simple idea. I've potted up hundreds of cacti and never did it like that. Yes, pricklies is a word in my opinion!

I've used rolled up newspapers to hold the pricklies. Then I can toss them. I used to use leather gloves, but it was impossible to get the pricklies out of them.

Yes in dee dee ! Karen 😁 3 or 4 layers of news paper. No broken spines on cati.
Also ! No gloves, spines get in gloves, and the one you miss getting out, will find you someday. Ouch ! Son of a kisteriser 😭😭😭

😎😎😎

Some of the best ideas are the simplest. Will give this one a try.