posted
Hi all! I have an aloe vera plant that was given to me 2 years ago. It has grown a tremendous amount and has been repotted twice in that time. Over the last 1-2 months it has begun to lean over in its pot. It was completely upright before and now looks like it wants to hop out and crawl away. Is this normal? Any ideas why it is listing? Should I re-pot it again? Also, it hasn't put off any baby plants in the whole time I have had it - is there something wrong with that? Thank-you for help in this matter! Plants: 2 | From: canada | Registered: Jun 2006
| Seeded: 24.70.95.205
posted
Hi, Petvet! It looks healthy, but aloe roots are VERY suseptable to rotting. You've got it in a plastic pot where you can't tell if there is a bit of residual water at the bottom. I would absolutely repot it in a clay pot with good drainage and a quick draining soil. Don't be dismayed if you see little or no healthy roots, they will regrow. That's why your plant is leaning - not a strong root system. You may want to stake it up in the new pot for a while, don't plant it deeper than it is. Give it lots of sun and just a little water, it'll regrow roots and probably start offsetting, too!
* * * *
may God bless the WHOLE world! Plants: 601 | From: Rhinebeck, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2005
| Seeded: 68.199.184.133
posted
Thanks for the advice! I repotted it in a clay pot today and staked it. The dirt around the existing root system was very wet so I didn't add any water to the new soil that I added to the new pot. Is this ok? It just seems so light that I feel like I should add a bit of water to the dirt so it can mix in better with the roots and dirt surrounding them. Or stated differently, the plant, roots and wet dirt they are enmeshed in seem almost too heavy for new, dry potting soil to hold them in well and I am afraid it will tip over before the roots can become a part of the existing set up. Am I worrying about this too much? Thanks for your help, Tanya
Plants: 2 | From: canada | Registered: Jun 2006
| Seeded: 24.70.95.205
Yes. Within a day or so the water will even out by itself (diffusion). If you can describe anything about an aloe as 'wet' it's already got way too much water. Just let it be. One thing many people seem to forget is that plants aren't like animals. You can take an aspirin and get pain relief in less than an hour. Take an antibiotic and get relief within 24hrs. Plants take time and they don't say, "ok, this is better now." Just let it sit and trust yourself. Give it plenty of sun and maybe next weekend some more water. It'll do the rest.
* * * *
may God bless the WHOLE world! Plants: 601 | From: Rhinebeck, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2005
| Seeded: 68.199.184.133
posted
Trust me...margaret knows her aloes! I have one that would definitely have been tossed as dead or dying were it not for her...It is now growing new shoots daily!I will post before and after pics! Before
posted
Tonya, I blush at your praise and am happy for your aloe! I grow about 18 species of aloe and a few of their hybrids. I really like these plants. If anyone ever wants to move on from A. Vera, I can make some suggestions... Petvet (Tanya?), Tonya's pics are about a month appart, I think. Time and sun heal all aloe (mostly).
* * * *
may God bless the WHOLE world! Plants: 601 | From: Rhinebeck, NY USA | Registered: Jan 2005
| Seeded: 68.199.184.133
posted
Margaret, you are correct, they are roughly a month apart. My neighbor also gave me the variety that has babies. It had been frosted on and had spent the winter on top of her freezer away from the sun. It is quite happy now in my kitchen window in a new pot and some water(just a little!) The green has returned to it's leaves and it is sprouting. The one baby I did remove is still pale and not sprouting...any ideas?
posted
Beautiful aloes. Yep, they like to stay on the dry side. The hillside behind my condo is covered with aloes that bloom orange. They never get water of course, as they are naturalized. But wow do they multiply ! I wonder what type of aloe they are-they are "fatter" than aloe vera and put out orange flowers on long stems. I enjoyed these posts !
* * * * Plants: 1772 | From: Southern California, USA | Registered: Feb 2006
| Seeded: 207.200.116.139
login | 
| 
| 
![[thumb]](graemlins/thumb.gif)
![[kissies]](graemlins/kissies.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this garden