Got a weird tip from a guy at the Tucson cactus show last month
Honestly, I was just looking at some grafted lophophora when this older guy next to me pointed at my hands. He said, 'You're gonna kill those seedlings with your skin oil.' He told me to wear nitrile gloves when handling any tiny succulents, especially during repotting. I tried it with a batch of 20 astrophytum seedlings I was moving. Ngl, the difference after two weeks was huge. The ones I touched with gloves looked way healthier. Has anyone else found a simple trick that made a big difference with delicate plants?
That sunscreen idea is interesting, but I've handled seedlings with clean, dry hands for years and never had a problem. My guess is it's more about being gentle than what's on your skin.