My 2 big tree aloes, A. dichotoma and A x Hercules, are showing some signs of needing an upgrade in their root-zones. Older leaves are drying out easily, which to me is a sign that the roots can't pump enough moisture to sustain a full crown of leaves.

Both are almost 6 ft tall, crammed into pots that are about 10-gal.

I know what I want to do, I'm just not sure when to do it, so I'm hoping for some constructive feedback.

I can simply bump them up into 15-gal pots, but I want to also do a root prune. Nothing drastic, something along the lines of slicing off 1-2 inches from the existing rootball sides and bottom. I am fully aware that monocot root pruning is not as straightforward as with dicots: roots don't branch readily, new roots take longer to form from the base of the stem, etc. The main reason I want to do this is to see how they respond. There's a limit to how big of a pot I can grow these plants in before it gets out of hand. I want these plants to grow slowly, but at the same time healthy. I'm optimistic that some root pruning would do the trick.

I've messed around with smaller Aloe plants without any problems, but a bigger tree aloe is different, especially A. dichotoma.

The dilemma I face is timing: do I root prune in the spring when weather for growth is best - but moisture may be a bit much? Or do I prune in the wintertime so the plants can sit cool and dry as the roots heal, waiting for better weather in the spring. I just don't know how long until recovery is well under way. The A x Hercules is a vigorous plant so my gut tells me it will respond without a hiccup, but the A. dichotoma scares me a bit more, I would hate to lose it.

My instinct is to do this next spring, right when the plants get into active growth mode.

What say the collective great minds of GW?
..........................................
As an aside, I've got an Aloe thraskii that is growing up, A pillansii that is chugging along, and juvenile A alooides & A bainesii. It is an ongoing experiment to see which ones can tolerate my growing regime.

I have yet to figure out what to do with these guys if/ when they outgrow my quarters. I may have to retire to SoCal and set them free...