Karen I certainly agree. I want to remind Britta, that this species grows in hot country, and will not like cold weather either. She should follow your lead as to where to grow the plant. Please tell her how often to water, and make sure that soil drains well, do not let the pot sit in water. As it grows then she can increase the size of the pot, that cutting looks huge. Any small rocks will aid drainage, it also make the pot heavier, and helps hold the plant in. This plant naturally comes from the east coast of Africa so it a good one to grow indoors and it likes more water than the species that grow in the deserts. Karen, does your Aloes grow mostly in the Winter, mine seem to flower when my temps. cool down here. Hugs, Norma

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.

If the part of the smaller plant is brown, it may or may not be a problem: squeeze it gently to see if it is soft. If soft, there could be rot or hopefully, only waterlogged and may dry up. Take them out of the soil, let sit on some newspaper or kitchen towels to dry up, in well ventilated spot (not direct sun). Make sure you get off all the mucky soil - wash it off if necessary. It won't die if out of soil for a while (even few days). How about the leaves - are they just limp or yellowish-looking and very soft? Photo would help... I am not familiar with your soil either (but many members from UK use it - hopefully they will see your post & comment), but I would mix it with min 50% of perlite. If you could get some grit, it may help, mixing approx. 20% of soil and 40/40% of perlite. Make sure there are drainage holes in the pot. Do not press soil down too hard when potting, just firm it up. Poking around perimeter of the pot while adding soil will help it to settle down. You could always use some larger rocks to support the plant after potting - while it is growing roots to anchor itself in the pot.

Yep, I'm same way as malfleur, burning sensation and rash. Yuck. That's with just an aloe lotion, I'm afraid to even get close to the real stuff.