A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 What'd I do this time? (photo-heavy)-Aloe

Well, here is my aloe from just a few minutes ago:



I noticed that much of it was beginnig to droop, or sag:
It's also leaning a bit:

I figured it was because of the new growth:
but I'm not too sure. It's in a clay pot, with the new Miracle-grow cacti soil with extra bonemeal. Could it just be the cold weather that is doing this? Because it goes 'dormant' during the winter? Or maybe because I'm over-watering? I water it every 2 weeks... I think i should reduce that for the winter though.

And what's this?

Thanks for looking, everyone!
(I feel like I'm 'complaining' about my aloe all the time )

--Mark--

Mark,
Is it sitting in direct sunshine light,
like straight at it thru a window?????

Like how long is it in the sunlight?

Yes, it's getting light straight at it through a window... direct light for maybe 2 hours. The rest of the day it has indirect sunlight.
I'm fairly certain it should have more...

2 hours isn't enough. It wants LOTS of sun. It wants soil with no added fertilizer that doesn't hold the water for long. You've almost certainly got some root tor going on. The leaves pucker because stored water is being used (no roots to bring in new water). The plant leans because the roots aren't holding it up. RX: a fast draining soil where you control the fertilizer (and don't fertilize it in winter), more sun, and less water. It'll be fine!

Does it look like it's all pale in color now?
*I can't really tell completeyly by the color in
the photo*
To me, it looks like it's bleached out from the intense sunlight right straight thru the glass..
Like a magnifier would be like...
does that make sense..

But I am farrrrrrr from an aloe grower..
so, hopefully you'll get some one with some way better knowledge of growing them come thru..

Oh good, Maragret swang thru while I was typing..
Go with her advise..
I can't grow those cause I have no window space in my house,
*that isn't being used by kids
who don't like houseplants* :p

Weezie:

Margaret: as soon as I read your post, I ran off to replant it:
Sure enough, there were tons of dead, detached roots hanging around in there
I removed as much of the old soil as possible.
This is only a small handful of roots:

Thank you so much, both of you!

Here's a link to my topic about a rooting agent in Banter hall: http://www.thegardenhelper.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/6/5115.html

It kept getting worse and worse, so I used the rooting agent, and I'm not sure if the aloe made it or not... when I took the plant out, there were more dead roots laying around. The plant was not staying upright on its own...I had to support it. One of the smaller 'leaves' bent backward, and almost snapped....
This is only my first aloe, so I can only benefit from my mistakes!


--mark--
Which my aloe and I luck!

I do know that if you pull a few of those aloe branches off at the bottom, where you'd but it back into the soil, new roots will grow from there...
Not sure if you have to lay it out off to the side to harden up or if you plant right away..
My sister grows these and they grow like mad for her.. me, they just get mad at me and don't do well..
*I left some in too bright of light and they bleached out on me, and weren't happy at all..*

What kind of soil are they in...??

The picture you first posted, it looks almost too rich for them..

***~~~~~>Jimmy, what kind of soil do you have your's in??????<~~~~***

Weezie, it's in this

I am not 100% sure..
I'm hopin' someone else who actually
grows them can give you suggestions..
but it does sound a bit closer to what
you want for those types of plants...

mark, weezie's right about pulling the lower branches off. and you do need to let them callous a day or two before you put them in the soil.

just remember, with an aloe, it is way easy to love them to death (over water/feed)

Just wanted to show you all where I moved it to. In the first few pics in the first post of this thread, you can see where it was. I moved it just a little bit, and actually gets a little more natural light(along with tons of flourescnet light) than it got before:
it's hard to see how much light it's getting from the pic, but it IS getting more:

Don't mind[or ask about] the yellow duck with the hat on in the pot--I'm using it to support the aloe


--Mark--

that's the correct type of soil. don't overwater - remember, aloe store water in the fleshy leaves. and you won't need to feed it in the winter (slower growth time).

you can repot the leaves after letting the ends dry for at least a day...they should root nicely.

i'm sure it'll be just fine, now that you've got it in proper growing conditions (soil & light).

i LIKE the duck...

Quick draining soil + lots of sun = happy aloe.
Some people like to grow them at minimum survival levels (growing hard). This will bring out the color in aloe; pink, maroon, umber, light tan, ... Somewhat more water and less sun will keep them green. Any more water and less direct sun will rot them, from the bottom up (flourescent lights have to be CLOSE to count!). In nature, they are plants that grow on the edge. There is a difference between minimal survival and optimal growth (just like there is for you - people survive in third world poverty, flourish with a bit more, rot woth too much). Aloe Barbarensis (Vera) is native to the Canary Islands. You obviously have internet access (anyone reading this!), check out what they evolved to want - DRY and LOTS of sun. In this environment they will be tan, raggy looking, with dried out leaf tips. This, IMHO, is one of the least attractive aloe species. However, it's also one of the most available and forgiving. Keep it on the dry side always, especially in winter (Thanksgiving to Valentines' Day) and rarely fertilize with diluted fertilizer, only during the growth season. Mine, in a large pot with multiple offsets, is green and waiting. I watered it last at the end of Nov, won't water it again until Feb, will put it out by the end of May when it will suntan until Oct. Broomii, Striata, Brevifolia, and Bellatula (which flowers young and often, and sets seed with any other aloe species or hybrid!) are prettier and more rewarding, again only in my humble oppinion. Good luck, happy new year, happy growing, ...

Thank you for all that info, Margaret.. it really helped!

--Mark--

I am very glad to hear everyone came to the
rescue of your plant Mark..
I hope you keep everyone posted on how it's doing..

I will weezie

--Mark--

I have this light set-up, the 4 tube one:
http://rosemania.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/product245.html I find it well worth having saved up for! Anyway, somewhere in the instructions it said the optimal distance from tube to plant growth point is 8-10 inches. I've got it on a timer that I change to match the daylight hours outside. However, I don't keep my A. Vera under lights as I have south facing front windows.