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Cacti & Succulents

Aloe vera? Or something else? pic heavy...

lovingmy4babies

13 years ago

I got this aloe in a trade a while back, and it's just starting to get healthy. It was in very poor shape when it arrived. The guy I got it from had bought it at an estate sale, and the people he bought it from had not taken care of any of the plants at all. Is this an Aloe vera, or something else? I've never seen this fan shape before. Thanks!

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Comments (11)

ohmiah
13 years ago
I think that's just how they get when they're severely etiolated. There's one in my chemistry lab here at school that's about two feet long because it's nearly one hundred feet from any windows. I always feel bad for it haha.
kaktuskris
13 years ago
Definitely A. vera in my opinion, and I think you have to be doing something right, as I see babies popping up through the soil.

Christopher
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I would get it out of that pot immediately. Your soil is much too heavy. Inspect the roots. If they are mushy, then you have rot. If that's the case, you still may be able to save it, but we'd need a picture. I would leave the plant out (of any pot) for a few days to allow it to dry, then pot it up in a more porous soil. Wait a week before watering. What was the sun situation when it was with the mother plant?
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Looks like mechanical damage from here, I'd forget it. Sounds like a lot of water, even for gritty mix. A lot of fertilizer too (I'd suggest too much, that's why it's so fat & plump as you said). Personally, if it were mine, I'd use a smaller pot. Unless the roots are huge, it's not good to have so much empty mix (assuming that's what's under the rocks). Some succulent growers use little to no fertilizer, feeling it's both unnecessary & makes for overly lush growth. Tho' I grow indoors only, my Aloes are in West window & I only fertilize them once or twice a year, in Summer only. Anyway, back to the damage, it looks like maybe it was bent against the edge of the pot, or a nearby one, looks mechanical (& not spreading) to me. I'd only be concerned if it somehow spreads.
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Yep, Dan you are right. I just flipped the light on out on my balcony and sure enough I saw a HUGE mouse or rat run across it. It ran into my storage unit that is connected to my balcony. I'm too freaked out to open that door and see what kind of damage it's done. Yikes! Not sure how to get rid of it/them but hoping maintenance can! Thanks so much as I was on the lookout for those big wood roaches and even put out boric acid. This would explain why I was still seeing the droppings.
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I am not totally convinced that you have rot - which is why we would like to investigate further. I say that because I have had plants look black or dark brown on the bottom, but it wasn't rot. It was a leaf being absorbed, and it took a long time. This is an example on a Gasteraloe - and maybe this doesn't look the same to you. So on to checking the roots! This is an Aloe vera that was in an 8-inch pot. I use a soil-less mix of perlite, turface and grit. So the roots are not stained dark like those on your plant. You need to get all of the soil from the roots. Take your time. Some of the roots will unwind for you and you may have to tease the dirt off with a chopstick or skewer. A blast from the hose may do the trick for you. Then you can take a good look at the roots. (same plant) The above roots are healthy and the plant just needed a bigger pot. If you find any slimy or stinky roots, remove them because they are rotted. Take pictures as you go and we can help you with progress. Don't worry about leaving the plant out of potting mix for a day or two. It will be fine. I have absentmindedly left plants out for a month or more. LOL Personally, I would separate the 2 plants and give each its own pot. You do need to amend the soil with perlite or pumice or grit, at least a 50/50 mix for better drainage. Do not add sand to the mix. Over all, your plants look pretty good to me!
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lovingmy4babies
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you both :) I love how the little babies just suddenly pop up- they are darling!
Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
10 years ago
Message has been deleted by author.

This post was edited by LatinLady on Thu, Aug 15, 13 at 0:19
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
10 years ago
Not Aloe vera, which isn't so speckled (if at all when young) - it's Aloe vera 'chinensis', which will have orange flowers. Aloe vera (the natural habitat for which has not been found - somewhere in the Arabian Peninsula / Horn of Africa area it's thought) has yellow flowers. Yours will have orange flowers.
Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
10 years ago
Message has been deleted by author.

This post was edited by LatinLady on Thu, Aug 15, 13 at 0:22
hanzrobo
10 years ago
Yeah, like Jeff said... not Aloe vera. -straight from the halls of Internet forum scholarship.
Danielle Rose
10 years ago
Latin Lady, it would be wise to read a post carefully before you spend so much time correcting. He did not say it wasn't an aloe. He said it was not an aloe VERA, rather aloe CHINENSIS. Note the word "aloe" in both plant names.

But thank you for supplying so much helpful information ... on an internet forum.
Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
10 years ago
Message has been deleted by author.

This post was edited by LatinLady on Thu, Aug 15, 13 at 0:25
Danielle Rose
10 years ago
If the message was edited, it would have said "edited" at the bottom. So, no, I didn't think that was at all a possibility.

:)
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
10 years ago
To say it nicely back, I didn't edit my message, and as Danielle kindly points out, you can confirm that. There was no need for editing, no? No need to be so snarkily erudite here, latinlady - please spare me your negative-energy suggestions and we'll all get along fine.

And this is what an edited message looks like, with a picture of !!!!!!!!!!!!!Aloe!!!!!!!!!!! vera thrown in for you.

{{gwi:494028}}

Cheers,

Jeff

This post was edited by cactusmcharris on Thu, Aug 15, 13 at 0:15

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