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Cacti & Succulents

Help aloe vera is dying??

6 years ago

This was my aloe vera on March 2016, but ever since I got it the leaves have been dropping a lot. This is how it currently looks it was repotted quite recently and the roots seem to be okay so i dont think its root rot. I have been watering it once a week during the summer and hardly at all during winter (maybe once every month or two).

is it healthy and im over reacting? It has been on my window and the tips have gone brown.

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Comments (5)

hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
6 years ago
Needs more light. See how stretched out and opened up it looks? It's trying to find more light. Brown tips are not abnormal on older leaves.
Wioleta P. thanked hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
Maria Elena (Caribbean - USDA Zone 13a)
6 years ago
What region are you in? If you go to HOUZZ PROFILE => EDIT PROFILE => ADVANCED SETTINGS, you can add your zone or simply put your location next to your name.

Hoovb is right. Aloes are full sun plants. Slowly acclimate / inch it towards full sunlight. A good way to acclimate a plant that's been indoors is to move it to a covered porch or patio outdoors for a few days. Then gradually move it into more and more direct sun ... just morning sun at first, then warmer afternoon sun.

All the best to you!

Maria Elena
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Hi, Alexander. Do you have it in a fast draining mix that doesn't remain wet for long? Sounds like possible rot, which can go south rather quickly. I think it's a good idea to uproot the aloe to see what's going on below. If anything is mushy, including roots, it will have to be removed. That said, it IS possible to re-root an aloe that's lost all its roots by removing all the bad tissue, leaves included, and allowing the bottom to air dry a few days, then sitting it atop DRY soil for 2 months. Once new leaves come in, you'll know the plant has re-rooted. Water need is dependent on where you are, how hot or cold it is. Succulents hold a lot of water and can easily freeze in cold climates. This aloe was potted in poor soil and all the roots rotted. I saved it using the above method. This photo was taken last fall. It's actually filled that pot now with several rosettes. It's in full tropical sun and gets rained on all the time. The soil is 1/2 perlite for quick drainage. By the way, please research low light plants for your living space. Why buy a plant with high sun needs when you cannot provide it. If I may make the suggestion, Sansevierias come in many varieties ...compact, tall, cylindrical, yellow rimmed, or all green ... and may work better for you. Wishing you and your aloe the best, Maria Elena
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Plants tilt usually because they are turning toward light. I helps to turn pot about a 1/4 every week or two, depeding on light. If you have outside space available, you could keep it outdoors, but make sure it is acclimatized to change, or it may get sunburn. If most roots have rotted, plant was kept in 'soil' that stayed too wet for too long. While your plant should survive, that siuation should be solved and avoided again. Cactus mix is often not as well draining as it should be. Simple way to improve it is by adding lots of sifted perlite or pumice (whatever you can get). By lots I mean about half of total. Adding just a bit will not help. Excess water should run out of drainage hole. I am not sure why you use layer of activated charcoal at the bottom? Also, what are the big black chunks in your pot? You did well by trimming damaged roots off. Aloes usually grow new roots quite readily, as long as they do not sit in soil that is too wet. Black dots and soft leaves were signalling the problem, so good you took plant out and repotted. Hopefully, there was no rot set into stem yet. Was it dark-blackish and/or soft?
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Wioleta P.
Original Author
6 years ago
I live in the UK and unfortunately this was all the sunlight i could provide it with. The temperatures are far too cold to put it outside but the newest leaves seem to be pointing up so im hoping it's just the old leaves that will drop like that
kwie2011
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I still also suspect Over-watering. That's an enormous pot, and it looks like a peat-based mix. That might be fine in 90F (32C) and direct sun, but in shade, it'll stay too wet. You must let it dry between waterings. What is the temperature outside that you think is too cold? If the highs are above 50F (10C), and the lowes above freezing, it'll probably prefer cool weather and full sun over shade and home temperatures. All my Aloes (about 30 varieties) go outside as soon as the risk of freezing passes, and some earlier.

(Edited to add centigrade conversions)
rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Wioleta

I agree with kwie, they will most likely be better outside. I am in Ontario, Canada, much colder than you. All my succulents go outdoors as soon as temps stay constantly about 10*C. Many can take even lower temps, but I do not want to bother bringing them in in case of frost. Even in less sun, light outdoors is always more intense than indoors. So it would be of benefit to any plant to be outside if you have any available outdoors space. If you use lots of perlite and some horticultural grit in potting mix, plant will be OK even on rainy days as excess water will drain out fast. If many days of non stop rain, it could be easily protected by using sun umbrella if available, or putting a sheet of plastic over the plants, or moving under some roof or inside. I never had to move plants indoors for that reason (but have used plastic sheet couple of times).

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