Pure vermiculite?

It would be better to put it in soil rather than water. Aloes can take up to a couple of months to root, but they will rot if left in water for that long. I suggest just sticking it like 3/4 inch into some soil and leaving it alone.

Well, im not going to wait for a response, so in a nutshell

-that is better than water, be patient

-growing aloe vera in pure vermiculite (long term) is not advisable, they are nutrient gobblers,

- they will tolerate even the soggiest and most organic of soils, if they are kept fairly dry and well lit

- they grow moderately fast, compared to most cacti and succulents

- if grown in coarser, more draining soil, you will need to water more(often, or quantity)

-my experience? Lost the first vera to rot. My second, a clone cutting , propagated in soil, has in fact shown stress signs of being under watered(but nor dry) which is a good thing if you are growing cacti and succulents.

You could air dry them, but it would take more than overnight,and it would actually take a week + couple of days. You could place cinnamon(or sulfur )powder on the cut, which will shorten drying time dramatically. Or place in vermiculite, and not water for 2 weeks.

...and if you want to read more on propagating various succulent cuttings (mostly 'tops'-rosettes of plants, like yours), check out =THIS HREAD= for many great suggestions and photos...

Its done for. Like i said, you need to cut a certain length above the rot, in your case, its too far.

I'd suggest differently.

Don't cut this off now, simply remove it from water & let it dry overnight. Sprinkle household cinnamon on the root end, shake off the excess & pot it up DRY in equal portions of C&S mix & Perlite. They need to be mixed well pls

I think it still has a chance, I don't believe it's done for. Pls accept that rooting succulents takes time. Plants are on plant time, not people time, can't be sped up or fertilized into rooting faster (like another poster on here thinks)

You don't sound like a dummy Grace, it's a reasonable question. We were all newbies once.

Just next time root succulents directly in soil (mix), not water. For Houseplants, one can use moist Perlite, maybe that's where you got the idea to try Vermiculite.

Importantly, when potting up succulents DO NOT WATER THEM IN as they have no roots so therefore no way to take up the water; it'll just cause rot. Pls wait to see new growth before watering, then water only on the soil, never on the plant.

Stefan, the lower stem still looks good from here. I don't see rot yet wherein the lower stem would be discolorered &/or mushy.

Good timing on this - if you google Youtube Garden Answer, she just did a great video on aloe vera care. She mentions how to propagate in the video. Hope it helps.

You've gotten good advice here, Grace. Rather than pitch it out, I'd do as Karen suggested. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. ;-)

This member posted the progress of her Aloe vera plant woes and it is looking great now. Maybe it will help to see her post.

I don't care for the Garden Answer video(s). I think they confuse new growers. But maybe that's because I disagree with almost everything they tell folks to do. LOL

Just a little tip to add ... something I do when potting up rootless cuttings is to stick toothpicks in the soil/media to remind me that they are rootless and not to water until I see perking-up and new growth which indicates that they have roots and are now ready to use some water!

It can be agonizing looking at them looking all haggard and limp, or dry and flat; not sure if they are going to make it or not... but have patience and don’t go pulling them up to check - you can damage new roots that way :)

These little guys came home from Montreal in my suitcase, pinched off my host’s big mama plants...

#1 was a dry curled ball mid-July and now is rooted and actively growing.

#2 still looks pretty rough but I’m just waiting it out :/

Ps. I didn’t have any cactus soil around that day so I stuck them in some spare soilless mix I had just to get them potted up. Usually I stick cuttings in soil & perlite like suggested above.

Here s a Pepe Aloe that shows it's first root. I had been giving it little bits of water, and then more little bits after the first root showed up. I've found that this (the water) is counter-productive at least for these and Haworthias that have rooted. With too much moisture, the small roots kind of whither away somehow. It took forever for this one to grow decent roots. That doesn't mean no water afrer they get roots, just don't be watering them everyday, even if it's just a squirt. Even when rooting in only pumice and perlite, if there aren't roots taking in the water, it can stay surprisingly wet.

That's why we repeat "no roots - no water" :)

That's a good mantra. I've actually never seen it exactly like that before.

"no roots - no water" "no roots - no water" "no roots - no water" "no roots - no water"