It looks marginally okay--it is surviving. I would go shallower and wider on the pot for increased stability. Something like a terra cotta "bulb pot". Once it really gets growing it will fall over in a tall narrow pot like what you have there. Aloes are not epiphytes so get rid of the pine bark. Putting it outdoors for late spring, summer and early fall will help (>40F) Gradually accustom the plant to direct outdoor sun. A stretch of cloudy weather is a good time. You'll be able to water more (or it will get rained on) outside and a little fertilizer will be a good idea. Keep a drinking straw handy--if you get several days of rainy weather blow all the water out of the base of the leaves with the straw so the crown doesn't stay too wet and rot. The "taco fold" of the leaf indicates not enough water, but at the same time the roots don't look as happy as they should.

Thank you! I'll give it a try. I'm so desperate to help this poor plant. The only outdoor area I have is the very small, covered balcony you see in the photos. Plus, there's building construction going on across the street that's creating a lot of dust and will soon block out my sunlight, so there may be a limit to how much time the plant can spend outside or reap the benefits of full sun and fresh air (this is NYC, after all). As for now however, should I water it more often while it's still mostly inside, or water modestly till I see signs of (root) recovery? Will I be able to bring it back indoors eventually, after it gets healthier? Thanks again!

Watering--observe, observe, observe. That's all I can say. Take frequent photos and look back at them frequently to see changes. The more you look at a plant after a while you can see subtle changes and get a better feel for what it is doing. Again if you can let it spend time outdoors in warm weather it will grow more and be more healthy. Outdoors in late spring/summer/early fall, indoors in winter. Despite the dust outdoor light is a great benefit. I well remember the NYC environment, coming home after work and washing soot off my face. Excellent tasting water though, right out of the tap.

Thanks hoovb!

NYC tap water is definitely the best! It makes for great bagels and pizza, but I filter and let it sit out for a bit before I water my plants with it. The soot problem from years ago (I totally remember!) is now gone (or else I've gotten used to it). I hope the air is better where you are now.

As per your suggestions, I put my aloe out this past weekend for about 40min; I have its new wide pot cleaned and ready; a touch of fertilizer will go in the next watering; photo documentation of its progress to begin. I'll be vigilant. Again, I am very grateful for your diagnosis + advice ...and crossing my fingers!

Hi,

my aloe looks very similar! How did it go with yours?

Hi Eileen,

Thanks for asking! My aloe plant is doing much better now in terms of hydration. Following the advice of hoovb, I changed the mix, put the plant outside for the summer in a wider pot, and kept careful watch. It seemed to stop declining, which was a relief. The leaves didn't really start to improve till I decided to submerge the entire planter when watering (for about 10 minutes each time), rather than pouring from the top. Around July last year — discovering that the roots were still mostly way too dried out — I repotted again with roughly 30% cactus soil mixed in with 70% grittier stuff (including pumice and bark), and put in a thicker cotton wick. I watered differently afterward, mostly from the top again, since the soil was different. Since then, the leaves have plumped back up. (Some of what I did went against instinct, but I tried to observe how my plant was reacting.)

See attached photo of how the aloe is now — not as thirsty, though suffering from lack of light (a combo of winter and surrounding buildings, even though I use a grow light; btw, it doesn't live in that spot). I hope to correct that now that the season is changing, and it can go back on the balcony. It has a way to go toward full health.

I credit hoovb's advice for setting my plant on the road to recovery, so those are good instructions to follow, especially regarding observing your plant closely and adjusting where needed. I hope the your aloe gets better soon as well! Please post how it goes. Good luck!

jc

Hey there. I have plenty Aloe from Arizona and have started a nursery here in Georgia. That being said, I have learned from the experience after killing a few lol. Spray water them once a week. Get a $1.00 spray bottle and fill it with water. Spray allows the leaves to get water for photosynthesis while keeping the roots dry as to prevent root rot. Spray also mimics rain.

@flashfrozen what do you mean by “submerge the whole plant” when you water your aloe? i have a similar issue now but not sure how to address it.

It had been dry at some point.

Mine takes a beating from the sun and dry conditions. Not worried about it though.

Hi Denise,

Sorry for the delayed response. Matt is right; my aloe had become super dry. By submerging the whole plant, I meant I took the entire plant within its planter and put it in a bucket of water, so the water level was at the soil line (not touching the leaves at all). My aloe was planted in just grit/clay/bark, in a terra cotta pot with a large drainage hole, so I let the water permeate the pot and planting material thoroughly for about 10 min, then took it out, and let the water drain off completely. (Before that point, I believe most of that mix had become hydrophobic, and when I watered it from above, the water was probably just running along the sides of the pot and directly out of the drainage hole, without really reaching the roots. If I remember correctly, I had to water this way for many months before I saw improvement. (btw, I do not spray/mist the leaves)

I hope that helps and your aloe gets better! It’s amazing my plant survived for so long under such conditions, so I bet yours will be OK too.

jc

flashfrozen thank you for updating, I was glad to see your aloe is doing so well now! :)

I have a weird issue with mine, where the bottom half of the leaves are skinny and curled in, but the top half of the plant is doing great with plump leaves. It's not doing as well as yours though haha. But I think it's alright considering I only use a grow light, and it gets almost no natural light (there's nothing I can do to change that)

Some advice from South Africa.
Look at how the plant grows in it's natural habitat and copy that
Remember this is a tree aloe and grows to 60 feet when mature.

Regards Mickey
Cape Town
30 April 2020

@User Hi there, I'm experiencing similar issues you had with your Aloe. I have an Aloe Cameronii that I purchased in late August from a local garden center. How long did it take yours to recover? This is my first foray back into gardening in several years and I would like to save the plant. Thanks!