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Growing Aloe Vera Plants: Watering, Lighting, Repotting, Use, and More!
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I have about 12 aloe vera plants that I repotted because last year they sprouted as pups from the mature mother aloe. I have had the mother aloe for about eight years and it always grew and sprouted pups, now it looks terrible and the grown pups have stopped growing too and the some of the leaves fall off by themselves (since December growth has been super slow). They are on the porch balcony, and receive indirect sunlight. Help!
Old leaves naturally die back, but the plants should be showing new growth at the same time. When the leaves fall off, are they shriveling up or do they look more like they’re melting/rotting? Dry, shriveled leaves can indicate too little water; rotting leaves, too much.
Were they left outside on a cold night (less than 50F)? Depending on how cold it got, this could have affected them.
Giving them more light might do the trick as well.
I have a nun potted aloe vera plant. At least I think it's an aloe vera plant. It's spotted, in a tiny pot, which is not in soil. How should I water this plant? Is it an aloe vera plant? I can send a pic if needed.
If the plant is not in soil or any other type of media, then it’s likely an air plant. These should be sprayed with water every once in a while and soaked in room-temperature water every few weeks. After a ten-minute soak, turn the air plant upside-down and let it dry completely before putting it back in its spot.
Look up pictures of air plants to see if that’s what yours is. If it’s not an air plant and is in fact a succulent, doing the above will kill it!
Hi there,
I have two plants that I have been growing for almost a year now, they have both been re-potted a few months back as there were 3 large pups and 7 small pups. I potted the 7 small pups in one pot and potted the 3 larger pups in 1 pot. All was going well until a few weeks back where I noticed some of the leaves going soggy on all of the pup plants... I cut the leaves off but it's still happening. Now the two larger adult plants have been suffering from this to with 3 of the largest leaves going soggy... I keep to the recommended 2-3 week watering cycle and all pots are placed in indirect sunlight. Please help as I love the plants and uses them for madisinal purposes.
PS
I cut some of the leaves every other month and bleed the gell into a plastic container and store in the fridge however the gell seems to be going a brownish colour, is it still usable or has it gone off and if so is there a way of storing the gell to get a longer shelf life.
Many Thanks
Iain
It sounds like your aloe plant may be succumbing to rot. When you water, is the soil still moist? The soil should be almost entirely dry when you water again. Make sure that you’re also watering deeply, and not just getting the top layer of soil wet.
It’s best to use freshly harvested gel, if possible. We would discard the gel if it turns brown or has an unappealing odor to it.
I have a very mature aloe. It now has a veryyyyy long stem. There is probably about 12 inches between the dirt and the bottom green leaves. I have read online that I need to cut it, let it callus over then re pot. At the same time I will separate a pup off as well. Somebody reassure me because I am so afraid I will kill it. :(
I have a 20 year old aloe and it's looking better than ever since I cut the stem and repotted it. I didn't let it callous because I didn't know I should, but the aloe didn't mind at all. I just put it into a pot of fresh dirt and it was fine right away. This plant is a survivor. You should have someone nearby who can help you because the plant may be quite heavy and it's easy to break it when moving it. Don't be afraid!
Cutting and replanting an aloe vera stem is not without risk, but it can be done. Here’s how:
- Remove any old leaves and leaf 鈥渟kins鈥 left on the stem before making the cut.
- Cut the stem, leaving about two inches attached to the leaves.
- Place the cut plant in a warm area that gets indirect light until a callous forms over the wound. Direct sunlight can be too intense and may dehydrate the aloe.
- After a callous has formed, dust the entire stem with rooting hormone (this can be bought at a local garden center or online). Rooting hormone encourages plants to put out new roots.
- Plant the aloe vera in a well-draining succulent mix, putting the entire stem in the soil, so the leaves are just above ground. Water sparingly, letting the top 1鈥2 inches of soil dry out before watering again.
- The plant should root within 1鈥2 months. Keep it in a warm area and out of direct sunlight until it has rooted.
Again, this process is not guaranteed to work, so keep that in mind before you make the cut. Be sure to let us know how it goes!
I know, mine also has a long stem except with dead leaves between the healthy leaves and the dirt. I also read about trimming the whole thing and letting it dry out. The stem needs a trim so bad but I keep procrastinating bc I don鈥檛 want to kill mine either. She鈥檚 huge and she was a gift and I鈥檓 scared lol I need an aloe expert.