Can I help my aloe vera grow?

12 years ago

I have had my aloe vera for probably a year and a half now. I'm very proud of this plant because it's the first one I was ever able to intentionally keep alive! I'm wondering if there is any way I can help it grow? It seems kind of small still. For a while I was having trouble, its leaves were getting soft and I eventually found out that it was because I was watering not NEARLY enough, so now it is content to have a drink about once a week when the soil is completely dry. The leaves are very plump and firm and there's new a new spike/leaf (I'm not exactly sure what it's classified as) every couple of weeks. I have only repotted once and wonder if the size is appropriate? It is terra cotta with plenty of drainage.

Also, from the pictures you can see some darkness on a few leaves. It happened after I put it outside for a few hours a few days in a row, is this just normal tanning? It's been there for a few months and doesn't seem to hurt it at all, but it hasn't turned back green though it's been moved inside.

Is it normal for it to grow kind of crooked like this? I have tried packing one side up with a little extra soil to help it stand up, but it seems to like to grow kind of bent over.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b171/alice_ayres80/Plants/101_1598.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b171/alice_ayres80/Plants/101_1599.jpg

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Comments (6)

pirate_girl
12 years ago
Some of us can't cut & paste (at work) to see your pix.

Pls. go back to Photobucket & cut & paste the THIRD LINE OF CODE (only, I think it's labeled HTML), into a Message Area here. It'll look like nonsense at first, but then if done right, when you hit Preview, you'll see your image.

Am trying to help you, but can't get to the pix.
norma_2006
12 years ago
Change the soil, cut off all dead roots, use the right soil mix. water and fertilize once a week if the plant has live roots. Make sure it has plenty of fresh air, sun. Sun is needed to grow well. Don't let it sit in water, and don't water if the soil is still damp. Put a chop stick or pencil down in to the mix and see if it is perfectly dry. Pick up the pot and feel the weight, then feel the weight after it is watered. When you water make sure it is thorough. Water must readh the root ball.
Give it love, make sure it is healthy. Do not use Peat moss in the soil, make sure the mix drains fast. If this doesn't work bury it and say a prayer. It bends over to reach the sun. Gradually put it into the sun, if you were going to the beach now when it is hot and sun out, wouuld you get a sun burn if you were out for a few hours? Don't just give you plant a drink, put it in the shower and drench it for 5 minutes, the water must reach the center of the root ball not just the edges around the pot. I don't know what more to tell you at at moment. I don't have any books to send, which you do need. I wish I could be of more help. Norma
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Growing an Aloe Vera (or most other Aloe species - there are more than 300 of them!) is not a difficult matter, if a few basic rules are followed: If grown in a pot, allow the root ball plenty of room to grow; aloes are voracious growers, and having space to do so is necessary. When you repot, allow a growing area three to five times the size of the root ball. Use a well-draining soil. The number of soils A. vera will grow in is quite large, but a basic cactus mix available at home improvement centers is quite suitable. You may wish to experiment with other soils, but one thing it needs is to be well draining, so even a home-made concoction of 1/3 sand, 1/3 soil, and 1/3 pumice/gravel is better than straight potting soil. Aloes don't like to be cold and they don't like wet feet. Pot up your aloe in soil up to the root ball. Use top dressing (gravel/pebbles) on top of the soil to give it a finished look, hold down the dirt, and reduce evaporation. Do not water a newly repotted aloe for a few days. This gives it a chance to get used to its new home, as well as allowing time for any roots that have broken to seal themselves. After a few days, a light watering, perhaps with some B-1 in the water, is recommended. Most aloes grow vegetatively from April to October so water regularly with that in mind. The rest of the year, watering twice a month is sufficient. Water when the soil is dry - rainwater is the best - so that may mean twice a month, or once a week, or some combination thereof. Aloes are very forgiving and they can go a long time without water, but they grow best with it. If in doubt about watering, don't water. Don't forget - they shouldn't be cold and wet. Some aloes will withstand a freeze, but many will turn to mush. No one wants a mushy aloe! Fertilize from April through Septrember, twice a month, with a low-nitrogen fertilizer, heavily diluted. You can try Miracle-Gro 15-30-15, diluted to about 1 to 5. Many aloes produce 'pups'. When the pup is fully formed, detach it from the mother plant, let it callus over for a few days in a cool, dry area, and pot it up. If it has roots, pot as you would a regular aloe, allowing for the fact that it is smaller and should be in a suitably sized pot for its size. If it has no roots, let it callus over, place the cut/broken end ON the soil, and support it with top dressing. DO NOT WATER IT-it has no roots, so watering the soil will likely cause rot. Instead, mist it every few days. Roots should start forming within a month. When growth is evident, it can be watered. Aloe vera flowers are yellow, but others flower in hues of pink/red/orange/white/gray. They start as a spike that gradually gets larger and finally opens, lasting a long time. Aloe flowers are beacons for hummingbirds, so be prepared to be buzzed by these lovely creatures if you are amongst your aloes when they are flowering. For more information, seek out fellow succulent plant people, join your local/national society, and take advantage of the advice and experience they are able to offer. Stop by our Cacti and Succulents forum for tips and friendly conversation. Lastly, these are not ironclad rules. What works for others may not work for you. Experiment a little if you think that's what is needed as your growing conditions are likely different. Aloes are very adaptable creatures, within limits, of course.
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anna_in_michigan
Original Author
12 years ago
pirate_girl
Here is the HTML code. :) Thank you for your interest!

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Norma: It doesn't have dead roots and I used a cactus mix, which seems to be the proper mix. It's not dying, it's just not getting much bigger. It gets plenty of sun and the sliding glass door is sits in front of is open most of the day. I only water when the soil is dry and I give it a good drink. Also, it doesn't bend over to reach the sun because rotating does no difference. But thank you for the suggestions.
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
12 years ago
Anna,

I know this is an office plant, but this would benefit from being in full sun and outside now. As you know, this plant isn't cold-tolerant so you'd want it back in before nighttime temps were an average of 50, but until it gets cold most Aloes (and this version of Aloe vera, the A.v. variety chinensis) want full sun, air circulation, water when dry and a porous soil. Your plant is not getting all of those and is slightly suffering for it. If it was mine, I'd start by giving it more sun, gradually, and remove those lower leaves, the discoloured ones.

There's an FAQ for this plant - have a look at it, as I think it will answer most of your questions. The link is below

Here is a link that might be useful: Aloe FAQ
anna_in_michigan
Original Author
12 years ago
Cactusmcharris, thank you for your feedback. This isn't an office plant, I just moved it on my desk to get a better picture. :) It actually sits on a table that is only 2 feet away from a south facing sliding glass door, so it gets lots of light. I will gradually start moving it out so that it can get some time outside on the patio. The discolored lower leaves are plump and firm, so I was wondering if it was just some tanning from too much time in the sun. Are they probably unhealthy?
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
12 years ago
Anna,

They're likely not unhealthy for the plant, but as it grows with the increased sun (remember these can sunburn like us) those lower leaves will gradually be discarded. For now, it's just aesthetics as the reason for the suggestion, but they're in the process of dying as the plant grows. I'd also give it a repot into more porous soil (if you need to use perlite to increase the porosity of the soil, use rocks/gravel/stones on top of the soil (aha, it's called top dressing) to prevent the perlite from coming up), but that's the Aloe Boy in me crying out to be heard. This particular Aloe is one that's quite forgiving in its choice of soils, unlike many, so maybe it's all right as it is.

Can I help my aloe vera grow?

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pirate_girl

norma_2006

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Can I help my aloe vera grow?

Comments (6)

pirate_girl

norma_2006

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