Don't worry, the fishies won't starve to death!LOL They will eat the algae in the pond, which is very abundant this time of year.. Your thermometer should be deep enough that the sun won't warm it. I always swirl the water around before reading it. Theresa

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.

I think that soil humidity is more stable and more favorable for most plants, for several reasons: Garden soil has more sand, which does not retain too much water and the sheer size of a garden plot coupled with good drainage (relative to peat) makes humidity levels more stable and less prone to fluctuations. Heavy-clay soils are a problem though. They retain too much water. Light-clay or sandy soils pose problems in a dry season. In the Mediterranean region, where the summer is dry, drip irrigation will be very helpful. The answer is not a definitive yes or no. It goes down to the type of soil you have, and you may need to experiment with it. Keep some in the ground and see how they develop.

If it's not to late I'd like to pls disagree a bit w/ the advice given above. I wouldn't wash the roots nor do anything that gets the plant wet. Wetting it is unnecessary, I always crumble the mix off w/ my fingers or if needed, some small tools, mini rakes or a fork, but not water, especially if I'm concerned w/ root rot. Yes, cut away any soft tissue or anything black, break off any dry brittle roots, leave it out for a couple of days. Then get some household Cinnamon & sprinkle that on the base of each plant, then shake off the excess & pot up DRY. Don't water it in, just bang in against the table once or twice to settle the mix. That should give them a good Start, hopefully you've got some fast draining mix or at least Cactus & Succulent soil w/ 50% added perlite. Water after a couple of days, Good luck. Sorry to be redundant on the Cinnamon, seems we were posting around the same time.