Hi louis mum, Glad you enjoyed the photos of conference - which reminds me I have a heap more photos I was going to post, albeit a fair bit after the event. I'll post Part 4 shortly, and make it the final one. Yes this recent cold snap has been a shock, hasn't it? I have some bad cold damage in my shade house - alcantareas mostly - and early morns here have been down to -2 C. Frost in surrounding paddocks, beyond the garden. It seems to depend on what your broms have grown used to, so even 3 C can damage many plants if they've never been that cold before. Good luck with yours......and bring on SPRING!!! Cheers, Kerry

I think it is a personal preference, Noki...as Karen said. I suppose it depends on a few things. Do you plan on putting them in C&S shows? I would guess there is certain criteria to follow. Do you like the look of big clumps? Or do single plants in pots look more pleasing to your eye? One thing I've found when separating plants from clumps...all parts do not always make it...so plan for some loss. The 1st one does look like Gasteria nitida v. armstrongii (I heard it was the other way around...G. armstrongii became the other name). That 2nd one has the thickest tongues I have ever seen! I believe the Gasteria bicolor v. liliputana is correct, but I don't think the one you have as Gasteria brachyphylla v. brachyphylla is correct. The leaves don't seem wide enough for that one. Can't say I know what it is though. That last one could be Gasteria brachyphylla v. brachyphylla. A great bunch...hope you find satisfying results whether you pull apart or not! ~Rosemarie

Josh I agree, I have an Aloe Ibitiensis and have been removing offsets from her for a long time, she is rare. She is not growing any taller but still puts out offsets. She is been in the same pot since 1990. I do fertilize her and treat her well. A long story goes with this plant. I think that help keep her alive, she is not drained of energy. I have four healthy babies that I will be removing when I think of it again. Some Aloe continue to grow, other do not get taller and remain on the soil line. It will depend on the species. Norma

It varies by the variety as to how early you can remove the pups. A foot tall is probably still a little young. You want the pup to have developed some of it's own roots before you dig it. The easiest way to remove the pups is with a "digging bar". It's a very heavy steel bar, about 6 feet long with a chiseled end. Once you get the hang of it, you can remove a pup in just a couple of minutes, a shovel is a pain in the butt in comparison. My personal experience. The dwarf cavendish is my worst fruiting banana and the pups have a tendency to rot before I ever have a chance to remove them. It's one banana in my yard that will get removed if I find a better replacement.