I can't understand your description of the three pieces. Since you can not propagate Aloes from leaves, the only portion that will survive is the one with the growing point at the center of the rosette. If you have a bit if stem below the growth point, it can grow new roots.

Please post a picture so we can have a sense of what you are talking about. Since the new tissue cultured A.p. have the habit of making multiple branches, it is possible that you have/had the potential to make several new plants.

The section with roots should be potted. Losing the growth point would be the same as coring, a technique used to make A. polyphylla branch/pup.

Brad,
I can't post a photo today. All three pieces have bits of stem, I know you cannot root Aloe leaves. As I said, the plant is rather etiolated. I just noticed that the middle section also has a few roots on it, so I have potted it up along with the bottom section. The top section is sitting on the soil, we shall see what happens.
Thanks,
Breton

I feel your pain... this happened to me a few months back. Now it's solid as a rock with a spiderweb obstacle course of ropes and anchors.
Matthew
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That is enough to drive somone to drink!!! My heart goes out to both of you.

That's just terrible, sorry to hear what happened.

Be careful with Mr. Beverly's advice. What works for him in the Bay Area will not translate to other areas. He told me there's no way A. polyphylla can survive an entire winter without exposure to strong light and UV to keep growth compact. I have proven that to be wrong.

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x

X,
what was your method for keeping that plant in such great shape. i am interested in an A. polyphylla but was worried about the winters. any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Doug

Thanks for the advice, Xerophyte. Your success is inspiring! What kind of mix do you have yours potted in?

Squishyplant, that does look distressingly familiar...good thing sux are tough!!

Wantonamara...no drinking for me, but there was a fair bit of foul language that day! haha

Between Breton and Matt, I don't know who to feel sorry for the most, not that it'd do any good. But it sure is a cautionary tale. Think I'll go "un-perch" those pots that could be more secure than they are.

Soil: 50-50 turface + perlite + slow release fertilizers.

I bury the pot in the ground to keep the roots cool. Plant is at an angle to prevent water from pooling in the center. Full sun. Watered daily in the summer. Stays in that spot unprotected except when nights are regularly below freezing (December to March). January and February it sits in my garage - cool, dry, no light. December and March, if there is a prolonged very cold and wet period, I will move it under cover.

It needs a wide pot, but the root system is not deep. The absolute most important factor, in my opinion, is that the root zone must be kept cool. A potted plant exposed to typical ambient summer air temperatures (80+ F) will lead to failure unless your climate is cool i.e. Pacific NW.

These are alpine plants, not "desert" plants. They like strong sun, cool and damp soil, and good air flow.

x

x -

How often do you water your poly when it is getting the garage treatment? Mine is enjoying the Indian summer, but will soon find itself garaged full-time, too....

T

Thanks Xerophyte! I will repot my pieces into such a mix, seeing as your climate is more simialar to mine than Alan Beverly's I am in coastal Nova Scotia.

T - in the garage it gets watered probably about every 3 weeks. It can easily handle less watering - what happens then is the leaf tips start drying and then the tips harden and turn black - which does look kind of cool I must admit, almost Agave-like, but come warm weather when new leaves form it looks weird.

x

My A. poly enjoying a New England fall sunrise with a few buddies (who also have no business growing around here this time of year):

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...granted, they are being shuttled in and out as needed...though the past few nights and days have been quite mild!

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The same poly back in May:
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...and now today. It has definitely grown some, which is a good sign...
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T

We kept ours in a Heated green house during the winter, when cut off the top deliberty, it offset from the top and eight plants around the bottom. Perhaps this will happen for you. Our plants had good light year round. It love the lower San Francisco area I think it was Pacifica? My friend actually flowered it and sent seeds back to Africa to the location where it came from. I spent hours pollinating his two plants to each other, these are not self fertile, Norma