Hi OO, I'll make it simple. These are hardy, rugged plants, one needn't worry or look to be so precise & exact for them. I grow indoors only in NYC & my kitchen window is all Aloes on a West windowsill on top of a working radiator. Bottom line -- the maximum light you can give it (starting gradually of course); can be direct sun, but also fine w/ bright indirect. I tend to leave mine alone & pretty much ignore them. I'd suggest you do nothing to yours for at least a month, let them become accustomed to their new home, then maybe into a terra cotta pot, especially if you tend to overwater (don't know if you do or not, a general suggestion). FYI: in these plant circles of ours AV = African Violets, almost always; otherwise we just say Aloes or Aloe vera, but save AV for African Violet (see how long that is, that's why we say AV). Hi Jonas, FYI, your mix looks kind of peaty, if it were my plant, I'd change that mix to something much more gritty or if that's all you've got, I'd add at least 40% perlite or pumice to make it fast draining; that mix looks slow to drain, which increases chances of rot. Having explained above that I only grow indoors, in MY home, brown on Aloes would be a possible sign of rot, brown on Aloes is NOT a good thing, tho' you seem to think it is. Brown is not a winter color for Aloes (unless I misunderstand your post). They're supposed to be green like in the pix you've shown, not brown (at least when grown indoors). I wouldn't be in a hurry to remove the pups; I like to ensure they're old enough to move out on their own before I do that & also, aesthetically, I prefer the look of the crowded pot like yours.

Jeff is right, It does need light to set roots, set it upside down, away from a draft until you see the roots, just set in on top of soil, use what ever mix that you plant your other succulet plants in. This plant will get large enough to fit a 5 gal container. It will have red good looking flowers, and it does help help heal wounds. No matter how long your question, at least you asked. Yes read the FAQ don't over water unless you have bright light. In the kitchen is the wrong place to locate it. It will get any grease thats in the arm, please remember where this plant natively grown. Do not use any peat moss in the mix. It will grow in sand mixed with gravel of any kind, it must drain rapidly. Do not water until you can see the roots. Call up Nurseries and ask them and I can actually give you contacts to call in england. Jeff lives in cold country, so he is the best one to help you. Norma

Growing an Aloe Vera (or most other Aloe species - there are more than 300 of them!) is not a difficult matter, if a few basic rules are followed: If grown in a pot, allow the root ball plenty of room to grow; aloes are voracious growers, and having space to do so is necessary. When you repot, allow a growing area three to five times the size of the root ball. Use a well-draining soil. The number of soils A. vera will grow in is quite large, but a basic cactus mix available at home improvement centers is quite suitable. You may wish to experiment with other soils, but one thing it needs is to be well draining, so even a home-made concoction of 1/3 sand, 1/3 soil, and 1/3 pumice/gravel is better than straight potting soil. Aloes don't like to be cold and they don't like wet feet. Pot up your aloe in soil up to the root ball. Use top dressing (gravel/pebbles) on top of the soil to give it a finished look, hold down the dirt, and reduce evaporation. Do not water a newly repotted aloe for a few days. This gives it a chance to get used to its new home, as well as allowing time for any roots that have broken to seal themselves. After a few days, a light watering, perhaps with some B-1 in the water, is recommended. Most aloes grow vegetatively from April to October so water regularly with that in mind. The rest of the year, watering twice a month is sufficient. Water when the soil is dry - rainwater is the best - so that may mean twice a month, or once a week, or some combination thereof. Aloes are very forgiving and they can go a long time without water, but they grow best with it. If in doubt about watering, don't water. Don't forget - they shouldn't be cold and wet. Some aloes will withstand a freeze, but many will turn to mush. No one wants a mushy aloe! Fertilize from April through Septrember, twice a month, with a low-nitrogen fertilizer, heavily diluted. You can try Miracle-Gro 15-30-15, diluted to about 1 to 5. Many aloes produce 'pups'. When the pup is fully formed, detach it from the mother plant, let it callus over for a few days in a cool, dry area, and pot it up. If it has roots, pot as you would a regular aloe, allowing for the fact that it is smaller and should be in a suitably sized pot for its size. If it has no roots, let it callus over, place the cut/broken end ON the soil, and support it with top dressing. DO NOT WATER IT-it has no roots, so watering the soil will likely cause rot. Instead, mist it every few days. Roots should start forming within a month. When growth is evident, it can be watered. Aloe vera flowers are yellow, but others flower in hues of pink/red/orange/white/gray. They start as a spike that gradually gets larger and finally opens, lasting a long time. Aloe flowers are beacons for hummingbirds, so be prepared to be buzzed by these lovely creatures if you are amongst your aloes when they are flowering. For more information, seek out fellow succulent plant people, join your local/national society, and take advantage of the advice and experience they are able to offer. Stop by our Cacti and Succulents forum for tips and friendly conversation. Lastly, these are not ironclad rules. What works for others may not work for you. Experiment a little if you think that's what is needed as your growing conditions are likely different. Aloes are very adaptable creatures, within limits, of course.

Okay, I understand. I'm going to keep these two in pretty small pots until they have more roots established. I don't mean tiny pots- just like medium sized I would say. And I will add some small rocks to the top in order to stabilize the plants. Today I unpotted both of my aloes to see how much damage there could be and if any, it would allow me to remove the damage and let them callus over before repotting this weekend or so. The roots of the smaller aloe look pretty good to me- there is plenty of new growth (including new baby roots and additional growth on the longer, older ones). This was the aloe with the two leaves on the bottom that turned yellow and shriveled up- which I was told was normal and the plant was just shedding the older leaves. These leaves were easily removed from the base with gentle pulling. Just wondering if you guys agree with me and the roots look good and this one can be planted as normal in the new gritty soil. Two pictures of the smaller aloe: Next, was the bigger aloe which I wasn't happy with. As can be expected, it's roots did suffer. So I trimmed off the dying roots and was left with barely anything. But I was happy to see it has one new root growing! So there is something left there (: My question with this one is should I remove the dark part of old stem that is under the baby root? I don't know if this is rotten or not, it's soft and dark but not mushy or smelly. I'm thinking I should remove it because it's not doing any good but will that much trauma to the plant cause more suffering? Bigger aloe: One more thing, I read about putting cinnamon on any cuts or damage upon transplanting in order to prevent infection. Should this be done immediately or after the plant has had some time to callus? Thanks in advance for any help (: