Aloe Question

Hey guys,

I wasn't sure whether this belonged here or in Suculents, but I will give it a go.

My aloe has just recently sent up two new shoots through the soil. This is entirely new to me, and I am not that familiar with succulents on the whole.

Any advice or suggestions as what to do next?


Thanks,

Nick

Nick,

I would just leave them in the same pot till they grow more and have roots of their own, right now they are probably still attached to the momma. They should be fine in there depending on how big your Aloe is and what type you have. I'm not sure I am answering your question here, but if they are clumping aloes, they will look really good in a full pot.

That WOULD look really neat...do you have a pic?

Jolene,
I don't know who you are asking for a picture from, but Nj, if you have one, that may give us something to verify.

Mine are all in the ground, as I am in Zone 8/9. Some of my Agaves are in pots just to keep inside my garden area. Maybe go to the cactus forum and you will see tons of photos there.

hahaha Sorry, Gourd. I DID word that poorly...I was agreeing with you and then asking NJ for a picture.

I brought home a tiny aloe and put it a good sunny location. And boy did it appreciate it. Because its now a whole lot bigger. It probably a sprout, a new little plant or two. Leave it alone and watch it grow. When it gets too crowded in it's pot, cut it carefully from the mother plant. and replant. Aloes probably flower from the center of a healthy plant or sometimes plants flower in a dying plant.

It's 'Pupping'.
Totally natural and it means it's happy or unhappy depending on the Aloe.
Some pup before dying most pup when in good conditions.
Don't do anything different than you are doing.
Let it get significantly larger before removing.
It's feeding off the mother plant's roots.
Or as suggested just let a nice clump grow.

If you remove.......use a razor knife to sever the connection (make sure it has it's own root system).......re-pot........ let it rest for a week or so before watering the new pot.
Let the roots heal over.

Congratulations!
Ric

Thanks guys!

Henry, it seems to be rather happy.. no dropping really, and nice and deep green. I had lost a few leaves earlier this year due to overwatering I think.. Once I left it alone, he seems much happier.

I figure I won't do anything different at least until spring. I keep the house pretty cool in the winter (68 or so) so I will wait for the temperatures to come up a bit before considering repotting.

A quick second question: I hear that wider, shallower pots are better than deeper pots for aloe. What do you guys say?


Thanks again,

Nick

I'm about to repot mine in an azalea pot- wide and relatively shallow. So I'd say yes. Of course, what do I know? ; ) hahaha

Cj

Aloe and Agave have some deep roots.
I grow mine in normal pots, no saucers, VERY cool in the Winter.
Mine get 40's at night and 60's or so days.
(They are in a barely heated hoop house)
VERY fast draining desert mix.

Ric

Glad I didn't repot yet, then. Thanks Ric!

I had to zip off to work quicker than I though so didn't finish my reply. Sorry.
The roots are deeper than most Cactus and Euphorbia.
Though generally Aloe are more shallow rooted than say Agave.
An Azalea pot will work fine but as they are more expensive than normal clay pots I tend to save those for shallow rooted plants.

Also Aloe are very top heavy.
You want a pot that is heavy enough to balance the weight.
I have some Aloes at 18" tall so they tend to fall over a lot when the soil is very dry if not weighted well.
I try to use only unglazed terra cotta pots but that's just my preference.

A few tips I learned from a superior Cactus/Succulent grower:

Put an inch or so of coarse gravel in the bottom of the pot.
Cover this w/ a single layer of brown paper.
The paper holds the soil up and degrades after a season. By this time the roots will hold the soil.
The gravel keeps the dirt out of any water the pot may end up sitting in.
Also put about a 1/4"-1/2" of gravel on top.
This stops splash up of the dirt (which can cause fungal infections) and prevents the dirt from washing away around the Succulents.

Enjoy the Aloes and hopefully you'll try branching out into Agave, Gasteria, Haworthia, etc.
They are fun, cheap and very low maintenance.


I have about 100 different Succulents.
It's addicting. LOL
Here's one of my high light shelves in the hoophouse.

Ric

nice collection, ric...your fungicide looks like it's seen better days, though. ; )

LOL!
I've used it about two times and it must have fallen on the floor behind the shelves.
Had been there for over a year when I found it.
I'm starting cuttings, pups and divisions from an out of State outdoor collection SO I had to track it down.
They will be heading for Katrina replacement.
Better to be safe................

One of the new trays.

Ric

Thanks for all the great info.. Should I wait until spring to repot? Or are the aloe sturdy enough to handle these cool temps and low light?


Nick

You can repot at any time.
Just watch the water if they they are dormant or resting.
Aloe are very prone to rotting if it's cool and wet.

Ric