Hi! I have a couple of aloe plants I purchased last year. At first they were doing so-so, then having one in the window - sunlight from about 10am to sunset - it did really well. Produced lots of pups.....not sure what happened but the other one never quite "blossomed" as well. It's always been a bit scraggly. I have them both in plastic pots right now - with large drainage holes. I used the cactus soil (sometime last year) and they seemed to both start doing well. I took them both away from the window because at one point, they started looking like they were burning. So. The one with the pups is doing well....or at least better than the scraggly one. The scraggly one I have about 3-4 feet from the sunny window. It still looks very limp, some brownish looking leaves. One or 2 dried right up, but the others mushy. None of the leaves have shown any signs of wilting - they actually have always looked more plump than not. BUT, they are droopy, and going on the browish side. I have let the soil get more dry than wet (mainly to get rid of the stupid pesky teeny black flies that always seem to arrive when I bring home a new plant from the store...yes....I am a plantaholic)....so. My question.....should I move both aloe plants back to the window? Leave where they are? Repot? I have a picture of the scraggly one, but not of the pup one. Oh, there is a vent right under the window that the air conditioning blows through - more away from the window than towards it. :( This is the scraggly one Closer pic of scraggly in the spot it shares with the other plants Help!!!! Thanks in advance!

It looks like what is called a lemon-lime cypress (because of the citrus scent of the foliage), Cupressus macrocarpa 'Goldcrest' or 'Wilma Goldcrest'. This is a very popular container plant. When growing plants in a container, there are some important issues to consider: Fast drainage is key. Plant roots sitting in soggy soils will rapidly develop into root rots. So you need a properly sized container with a decently sized drainage hole(s) and filled with a very textural, barky and durable potting mix. No rubble, gravel or pot shards on the bottom - they impede rather than improve drainage. Second, you can't rely on just natural rainfall, even in winter or during your rainy season. There is very little real estate in a container for that rainfall to come into contact with - compared to ground soil - and that is complicated by it being on a balcony and not out in the open. You want to water whenever the top few inches of the container soil feels dry. And thoroughly, until the water runs freely out the drainage at the base of the container. And then don't water again until the soil feels dry. And finally, container potting mix carries no real nutrient load like garden soil does. To get what the plant needs for healthy growth, fertilizer must be applied by the gardener. You can use a controlled release fertilizer (like Osmocote) once or twice a season or you can use any liquid soluble fertilizer and water it in monthly. The pot size looks good for that sized plant so I would look to your potting mix and your watering practices. To me, the plant looks dried out. But over watering or a potting mix that is too water retentive (and many are) will produce a similar appearance. Based on your care description, I'm going with lack of water :-)

that mix seems too chunky for seedlings. it shouldn't promote fungus (damping off is caused by fungus at the soil surface that leads to seedling stem decay. if it is indeed fungus then you could try cinnamon powder to control the fungus. Also adding sand or perlite on the surface might help. if the seedlings are dehydrating due to the chunky soil try spraying water, covering them with transparent polythene to prevent moisture loss. Seedlings aren't that immune from dehydration as a more mature succulent. you could try to save seedlings by chopping the stem off to healthy tissue and repotting them in better media. get a seed staring mix off the shelf, something with more peat. Sometimes seedling stems will grow new roots so adding to the soil line or taking cuttings (from dying seedlings) does work. if you restart, use a seedling starting mix and add perlite or sand.

It is possible that it got too cold during shipping time. It also may need more time to recuperate - you said you have it for only 2wks. Make sure pot has drainage hole, and do not over-water. How many times did you water it since received? How were the roots when you got it? Light 7" away is too far. I would lower it very slowly. Temps you mentioned are ok, just make sure it isn't cold and damp at he same time.