As a general rule it is safer to repot at the beginning of the growing season. But, believe it or not, I personally prefer to repot my cactus plants this time of year because there is not much else to do so it gives me the opportunity to carefully inspect my plants. I always find and kill some pesky mealy bugs. After repotting dozens if not hundreds of times over the years, I cannot recall any detrimental effects - but I repot into a just barely moist soil mix, and I keep the repotted plants warm for 2 weeks before they go back out into the cold greenhouse, and I do not trim any roots. I also know my plants are healthy. They will be ready to grow and bloom in the spring. I am not a believer in following age-old mantra that is preached in literature and other reading materials. That is not "scientific". I have experimented with many different techniques. Yes, many a plant has died or suffered in my hands, but that's part of the learning curve and has allowed me to become a better grower.

As long as there's soil in the pot, you're OK...I've seen mature Aloes that were just a big root-ball with little soil...LOL. That's not good. Just keep it in a bright location. Aloes will lose their spots if in direct sun, so if you like that look, keep it in filtered sun or artificial (flouresent) light. When you repot it, you can use cactus mix, but if you use standard potting soil, I advise adding sand or perlite for better drainage. The easiest tip for watering is wait until the soil is dry between waterings...it's better to under-water a succulent than to over-water. Good luck.

cactusmcharris -- Echies and I have that in common! She looks like a model in her new pot. michael19 -- Yeah, I bought it like this so I didn't know what soil was used in it, I've repotted it now and as usual it wasn't well draining soil. BUT it's a great technique to know since I've been transferring all my succulents to gritty mix, thanks!

I've found this regarding the included fertilizer: "What is LECHUZA-PON? LECHUZA-PON is the plant substrate from LECHUZA for house and pot plants. It is the ideal alternative to conventional potting soil — particularly in combination with the LECHUZA sub-irrigation set. LECHUZAPON stores added nutrients which are then released to the plants as they need them. It can also retain up to 40% of its volume in water while at the same time maintaining the optimum air pore volume. LECHUZAPON supports aeration of the roots while providing optimum dosage of water to the plants. What is LECHUZA-PON composted of? Does LECHUZA-PON contain fertilizer? LECHUZA-PON plant substrate is made up of pumice, zeolites, lava and fertilizer. The following fertilizer declaration is applicable to the fertilizer: 1 liter (approximately 1 quart) LECHUZA-PON contains 3g slowrelease fertilizer 15-9-9+3. NPK fertilizer, coated, contains magnesium and trace nutrients effective for 6-12 months. At the end of this period fertilize the plants as usual using commercial liquid fertilizer in the water".