The Garden Helper

Helping Gardeners Grow Their Dreams since 1997.

No-dash-here, you've found The Real Garden Helper! Gardening on the Web since 1997

Please help me save my lovely Aloe Vera

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2006
by rainbowcraft on April 07, 2006 10:39 PM
Hi all,

My aloe vera plant, about 2 years old and approx 18 inches across, needed repotting as it had sprouted 5 babies and the pot was rather full. So I repotted them all.

NOW: 3 of the babies have lost their roots - how do I rescue them please?

AND: the mother plant's "leaves" are no longer full and succulent green, they're going brown/yellow with brown tips, and they feel limp. Even the new stem shoots are coming through like this [tears]

The ONLY thing I did different to before was repotting. It's watered extremely sparingly, it's on a south facing windowsill...it was flourishing well before I repotted [tears]

How can I rescue my lovely plant, please?

Thanks in advance [Wink]
by tkhooper on April 07, 2006 11:54 PM
Did you use a cactus potting soil or one that retains water?

Does your new pot have sufficient drainage?

Did you move it out of the sun by any chance? Or into a much sunnier location? If so could it be sunburn?

* * * *
 -
 -
by rainbowcraft on April 08, 2006 01:13 AM
quote:
Originally posted by tkhooper:
Did you use a cactus potting soil or one that retains water?

Does your new pot have sufficient drainage?

Did you move it out of the sun by any chance? Or into a much sunnier location? If so could it be sunburn?

I used a standard houseplant compost, exactly the same one that I potted it in when I first got the mother (when she was just a baby) and subsequently - so while it COULD be that, it's strange that they've all suddenly taken a dislike to it. I'll probably get the cactus soil over the weekend and carefully repot (with some root hormone for the babies). Funny thing is, two of the babies are doing really well, in the very same soil! [dunno]

Pot drainage is fine, and the pots are in exactly the same place as before: south facing windowsill, gets all the light/sun as before.

It's really baffled me!
by mycateatspiderplants on April 13, 2006 07:44 AM
i would put the babies directly in dirt, they should send out roots- or you can place in a shot glass with a tiny amount of water just on very bottom of plants and place in dirt as soon as it sprouts little roots.

i think your aloe needs time to adjust to its new pot. if it was not root bound i would have left the mother aloe in the same pot and just plucked a few babies off- it may have not needed a transplant.

it is normal for some aloes to wilt their bottom leaves as they grow- as long as the top ones are healthy still. if it looks wilty and brown all over it could be too much water- a bigger pot will hold more of the water you give the plant longer- and roots can rot. stick your finger an inch or so into the dirt to feel beyond the top layer of dry dirt- if its moist at all DONT water as often.

perhaps the season is switching and it is getting too much sun even though its in the same spot?

hope your plant cheers up soon!

* * * *
saving one pet wont change the world, but surely the world will change for that one pet....
by Stupe on April 24, 2006 06:34 PM
My Aloe suffered the same fate. It was due to overwatering.

monitored it for a month and now, it is sprouting new babies again.

it is normal for the bottom leaves to dies off. maybe a better alternative is to cut it the moment it is turning yellow and use it for skin care?

* * * *
Stupe
by hjolicoeur on April 26, 2006 07:15 AM
I have an aloe vera that is in my bathroom. I don't think I have watered it in 6 months or more. Just the steam from the shower is enough to sustain it.

Maybe yours is getting too much water?

* * * *
~Heidi
by rainbowcraft on April 26, 2006 12:10 PM
I think it was a combination of overwatering and it's new pot - bit of transplant shock! [Big Grin] It seems fine now - 2 of the babies are happy, and I'm trying to encourage roots on the other babies. One of them is so happy that it's growing! [clappy]

Active Garden Forum



Search The Garden Helper: