Aloe Plicatilis Root Rot, Surgery, Recovery and Re-Potting
Location: San Diego
Direct sun light for most of the day. Elevated potting. Unfortunately, it got over watered. It was mature and beautifully shaped specimen that was gifted to our family. . It flowered twice a year and appeared to be very healthy.
Below is a photo during surgery.
Below is a post operative photo.
All of the dead tissue was removed. The exposed tissue was cleaned with isopropyl alcohol and then dusted with roottone. Today the plants are sitting out in the sun. I bring them into the garage at night for warmth.
I'll try to keep this thread updated with progress, but as we all know, this will take some time. The plants will be sitting out for a week or two until the callus is fully formed. After that, I'll place them on top of some pumice.
Comments (27)
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Comments (52)I'm not familiar w/ these brands of mixes, but mostly soil doesn't seem the best idea (like the 2/3 you're suggesting). I see you've collected others, so if it's working for you ... But pls. consider that in nature, these grow in crotches of tree branches, rather than soil, they're in leaf litter & debris, wastes & whatever else blows their way. So bark makes more sense that way, it's much lighter & more airy. (Indoors) I've mostly used soil w/ perlite myself thru the yrs. & have recently added a good portion of bark to my own holiday cacti. Am happy to report I've been able to keep an EC alive for a few months now in just bark & it's doing well. I've often struggled w/ECs 'til now. I've been using Repti Bark, from a pet store. Smaller (than Orchid bark mix), evenly sized pieces, nice. Perhaps try using that in place of your potting soil. So it'd be: bark, perlite & Cactus mix. Reviewing this old thread reminds me of Josh's point that bark mixes allow the copious watering these plants often get in nature....See MoreMoving Aloe plicatilis
Comments (8)Wanda, I've not had any problems moving similar sized ones this time of year, but it would of course be safer to get as large a root ball as possible. This species is a pretty adaptable plant in our climate. As they are winter growers, I would assume that new root growth would possibly be faster this time of year, but maybe wait until the end of March/first of April and the soils might not be as wet. The worst part of moving one is that they are so full of water that they can be heavy, maybe get some help to lift it, or a pry bar can come in very handy....See MoreRoot rot or something else? Haworthia help
Comments (7)Cleo, I think your plant was just adjusting to the change. If that is a haworthia or a hybrid thereof, then it will just be approaching the end of its growing season. Haworthias grow in spring and autumn. In the hottest part of summer, they go dormant. They also slow down in the coldest part of the winter. Most of my haworthias are in pure pumice but I also have some in about 40 percent potting soil and 60 percent pumice (I just never got around to repotting them). In zone 7, I water weekly during spring (March to mid-June) and in July, I stop watering. I resume watering in September and slow down on watering around November, when they are brought indoors. Even in winter I water maybe every two to three weeks, I really dont worry too much. The kind you have is one of the sturdier ones (might even been an aloe hybrid?) But as long as its out of the pot, you might as well mix up a better kind of potting mix. I strongly recommend more perlite than soil in your mix. You can water it as soon as you have it potted up---the best way is to water around the plant, closest of the walls of the pot and away from the rosette. If your nights are still going below 16C, you can probably still water it weekly. Keep it in bright shade for the moment though, and probably throughout summer. You don't need to fertilize it until autumn, it won't need it until it has recovered fully from being disturbed. Hope this helps Pagan...See MoreA recently separated family needs your help (Aloe, with pics inside)!
Comments (37)Thank you, Beth - the kind words are appreciated. I apologize for not getting to your message. I'm easily behind by more than 100 replies to forum members, so you're not the only one. I'm soo busy at work, and I'm trying to get all my tropicals repotted - less than 10 to go, I think. I'm off Fri & Mon, so won't have trouble getting the repots done this wknd, but I'll never catch up on the mail. You really need to cut those long branches back very hard. In a 2D photo, it's difficult to get a sense of how much the tree is leaning. In the top image, the lean doesn't look bad, but it could be a misperception due to lack of depth perception - no way for me to know. If the lean isn't horrible, it can easily be corrected by simply changing the planting angle during the next repot. So, I suggest you put a wedge under the pot and tip the plant to a spatial position that looks good to you, then do your pruning based on that. For demos, we do that to extremes when we style bonsai trees that need radical changes in the planting angle to bring out the best in the tree. Witness: See the 'before' image below The hardest part of the pruning is going to be choosing your apex (top). Right now, your apex doesn't exist, but I can arm you with the knowledge of where it WILL exist in short order. More on that in a sec. You want your tree to eventually be a dome - like a mushroom cap that is maybe as high as it is wide. So, the lowest branches should ALWAYS be the longest, or at least branches need to become successively shorter than branches immediately under them as their position on the trunk gets higher. Nature makes sure it happens just so, as a way to ensure the lower branches don't get shaded out by the stronger/higher branches. So, the really long branches @ the top need to be brought back into the fold by pruning them back to 1 or 2 healthy leaves. The lower branches that are really long need to be brought back so they sort of fit the mental image of a dome that you need to keep in your mind's eye as you prune. I'm guessing you'll be removing well over 50% of the canopy volume - maybe as much as 75%. Where branches will appear and in what direction they'll grow is very predictable. You can see that the branches will start growing from the axil (crotch) formed by the leaf and the branch, and grow roughly in the direction the leaf is pointing, not considering the effects of phototropism (growing toward the light). After branch pruning, to determine where the apex should be, just look for a leaf facing upward on the tallest branch. The leaf should be right above the point where the trunk exits the soil (with your tree tilted as you like it), or it should be pointed in a direction that ensures it will grow toward that point. Cut the branch off just distal to that leaf. Within a week or two, you'll see a bud erupt, which will grow into a branch. You can even help guide that branch into the most appropriate position. I'll be in Chicago in mid-Aug. If you're not too far from Deerfield, I could stop on my way to the hotel (Thu, Aug 17) and prune it for you. I've done that for forum members several times, and even repotted about 10 large plants for a wheelchair-bound lady in SW MI. Al...See More
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agobelinko thanked cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5belinko
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoThanks for all of the comments.
@Rina - the cuttings are not potted. I'm letting the cut plants callus over for up to two weeks.
@cactusmcharris - Unfortunately, I don't have a heating mat, but the cuttings are sitting on concrete in direct sunlight for most of the day, temperatures here are in the low 70's °F today. I think you hit the nail on the head, the plant was over watered in the summer.
@TT,zone 5b - Approximately one year ago we remodeled our yard (landscape architect, irrigation, drainage, new landscape, hardscape, etc.) Since then all of the plants were getting established and I've been trying to determine optimum watering cycles. All of the plants are watered through a drip irrigation system. The Aloe was the center piece of the yard and I've always been vigilant about it's growth and condition. The plant would flower twice a year and appeared to be happy in it's new home. I think the Aloe got over watered this summer, when the watering cycle was on for every other day for 3 minutes. Based on my experience with this Aloe and our proximity to the coast, I will not water it with the drip system.
Below is an image of the front yard.
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
8 years agorina_Ontario,Canada 5a
8 years agoTT, zone 5b MA
8 years agocactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
8 years agobelinko
8 years agoJust a pic of how the plants sit during the day. It's a cool 72°F in San Diego in November.
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
8 years agobelinko
8 years ago@cactusmcharris
I bring the plants inside at night, keep them in the garage where it is warm (radiant heat from the cars). The concrete gets over 80°F during the day. It's only been a couple of days, I think they should sit out for 1-2 weeks, before placing them on top of pumice. Unless you suggest otherwise. I plan to fill pots with pumice and lay the cuttings on top of the pumice until I see sign of rooting. I'll be moving the pots out into the sun during the day and back into the garage at night. Let me know what you think.
On a side note, some roots sprouted from a branch while the plant was still in the ground. Kind of strange.
Here's a couple of pics of the flowers, they's so vibrant. I'm looking forward to the flowering days again.
ealdwood (10a)
8 years agocactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
8 years agobelinko
8 years agocactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agobelinko thanked cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5belinko
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoLast night I potted the cuttings in pure pumice and today they're out in the sun again.
I purchased 6 bags of pumice and couple of 5gal nursery pots. I cut the nursery pots up to maximize their usage and I lined the bottoms with ground covering material. I think it turned out well.
@cactusmcharris
Should I water the cuttings with a spray bottle? Should I keep moving them into the garage at night? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
8 years agoTT, zone 5b MA
8 years agobelinko
8 years agocactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
8 years agobelinko
8 years agobelinko
8 years agocactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
8 years ago
TT, zone 5b MA