Fresh aloe gel is better, though there are a few companies that produce a stabilized gel that is very good from what I've read, but it isn't cheap. Fresh gel directly from the leaf is much better then the aloe moisturizers I have used over the years. There is really no comparison. Putting fresh gel on your face will make your skin softer than any lotion or oil you have ever tried. The fresh gel exfoliates dead skin too. Actually, it's best to cut a large leaf off from the plant and wait for at least several hours, if not a day or so before you use it. Polysaccharides under the green leaf will immediately begin to concentrate in the gel after the leaf is cut. Researchers in Germany discovered that "the moment a leaf is harvested from the mother plant, it will start diffusing a polysaccharide rich exudate from the entire surface under the leaf. In other words, the dismembered leaf in an attempt to seal itself (and therefore heal itself) will actually generate a quantity of Aloe polysaccharides that far exceeds the number found in the original leaf immediately after harvesting." That's a quote from, "Aloe Vera The New Millenium: The Future of Wellness in the 21st Century", by Bill C. Coats and Robert Ahola. Of course, in an emergency situation you wouldn't sit around waiting to use the leaf. And according to the authors the whole leaf is better than the gel alone for healing purposes. The gel is quite powerful all on its own, though. There are other medicinal aloes with similar properties to aloe vera, including aloe ferox, aloe saponaria and aloe arborescens. Another contributing factor to the potency of the leaf is certainly how it is fertilized. Organic fertilizers like fish hydrolysate, kelp, sea solids and rock dusts will certainly produce a healthier plant than chemical fertilizes. By the way, aloe vera can be used to fertilize other plants. Apparently, it can also help to protect them from insects and disease. Here is a great article on some of the uses of aloe vera. The Aloe Vera Miracle

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.

hello, I am writting about Aloe Plicatilis. I have one of these. My baby at about 200 lbs. in the half wine barrel planter. this is a very hardy plant by my experience. it has sustained all kinds of abuse and now has probably 50 or more heads. Its 25 years old and is doing well. I live in San Francisco area. The plant was with my son for a while in Redding, CA. which gets very hot during the summer. Black leaves are common. That's how they looks as they die. The leaves are soft similar to aloe vera. It tends to look better in a little shade but I have also had it in full sun for many years. The tips turn red and the leaves are not as dark green. There is one on catalina island in the garden there. I will try to post a picture to this web site. If you'd like a picture send me your address and I will send you one. It really is a spectacular plant. By the way the plant does consume water like crazy. It'll survive without it but the leaves will shrink. the only thing I can think of that you should avoid is extreme cold. it will kill it. I can't say that from experience but the plant tends to shrivel in the cold and generally looks bad.

Do you grow your Fan Aloe in the ground or in a pot? That may have something to do with it. How many branches do you have now? Do you have a pic you can show us? Not that it will help me determine the reason why. Mine bloomed in March. As X asked, did yours bloom in the past 3 yrs.? Interesting item I just found: the Latin word 'plicatilis' meaning "foldable" is in reference the fan-shaped rosettes (although the leaves don't really fold). I don't think mine has put on any new branches, but then, I don't count them. Would have to go compare pix from year to year. Maybe I'll do that. :P