If you go on Youtube looking for this stuff, you'll find videos where people just stick a knife into the core and do it that way ... I thought the drill method would be better because it allows me finer control over what I damage and what I remove. Less actual damage to the plant, less queasiness overall that way.
This is something I've thought about for some time, and I kept extra plants for this express purpose, so if they all die, it's not a big deal. The first step was accepting a high probability of failure.
