A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Cacti and Succulents in the Garden Weird aloe vera curl???

My aloe vera plant curled over during the last 2 days, I'm not sure what caused this, any help please??

Welcome, Coloradokid.
I am never sure exactly what causes this. They lose their stiffness and become soft. Sometimes it is due to root rot from over watering. Sometimes it is climate changes. Make sure it continues to get plenty of light but not drafts or too cold.

Thanks Tina, have you seen this before then? I was surprised to see this happen, I definitely haven't changed the feeding on it. It's still firm and healthy looking other than the curl over. It could be the climate change, getting cold at night.

Yes. Aloes have a 'dormant' period in winter when you are supposed to cut back the watering and just give it barely enough to keep the leaves plump. Mine are outdoors and in the ground and they will sometimes flop a bit when they get too much winter rain. I hope yours recovers. But it may not ever stand up straight again either. Some of mine that flopped are propped up with stakes to keep them from touching the ground and rotting. You may also see offsets springing up around it soon. When they get stressed, they sometimes try to put out new growth.

My aloes have done that before.
In the winter I only water my aloes only about once everyother month, sometimes longer and they usually do just fine.

Place your plant in a sunny, consistently warm location away from drafts. Do not over-water your plant. Give it a good watering every couple of weeks. Let the soil dry out completely before watering again. Overwatering is probably the number one reason people are not successful growing Aloe Vera plants. Using soil that drains quickly (sandy, gritty soil) will help ensure your plant does not sit in overly moist conditions. # Look closely at stems and leaves for any signs of insects or disease. Finally, look at the pot and soil. If roots are growing through the drainage holes or are seen at the soil surface, the plant has probably outgrown its pot. If you choose this plant, special care will be needed when transplanting into a larger pot.