Aloe Vera: Please help I'm so lost

Discussion in 'HortForum' started by Tropical Foliage, Jun 3, 2010.

  1. Tropical Foliage

    Tropical Foliage Member

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    Hi folks,

    I have an Aloe Vera plant which is approximatively 4 years old and is dire need of something, but I don't know what.

    I've been told it has rot at the roots or the base and it was suggested I do this:

    http://made-in-afrika.com/aloes/resurrecting.aloe.htm

    I read it over and over again an it seems like it could help, but I'm afraid I'll cut somewhere wrong and kill it for good.

    Many of the leaves at the base dried-up and have been removed. I've included some pictures of the Aloe's trunk where most of the problem is. It is also etoilated, but does have 4 offshoots.

    If someone needs better quality photo's ask, and I'll try.

    Please help I don't wanna lose this plant.

    Thank you,
    Ian
     

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  2. anna stewart

    anna stewart Member

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    Frankly, those instructions seem perfectly and exactly what you need to do.

    You're going to lose this plant it looks like, at any rate. Why not take a leaf or two and try the method illustrated in the link you provided? What do have to lose? And, look what you have to gain.

    And, those offshoots are called "pups" I believe. Look up how to plant new pups. Here is one link: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cactus-710/Aloe-Vera-pups-Transplanted.htm
     
  3. Barbara Lloyd

    Barbara Lloyd Well-Known Member

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    I agree with Tropical. Follow the instructions if you want to save her. Personally, I only keep an aloe vera in the kitchen for burns. Squish the leaf into a pulpy mush an spread it on a burn. Works great! Like when my grand daughter catches her ear and not hair with her hair straightener and burns the heck out herself.

    When the mother plant begins to look like yours I wait until the pups are big enough to harvest leaves from and get rid of mom. If left she will just get leggier and curl around, drape over the edge of the pot which begins to tip over "and soon she's " the plant that ate the kitchen" Or, you end up with 42 little pots of aloe pups all over the place. As you can tell its a medicinal plant for me not really a houseplant. barb ;))
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2010
  4. anna stewart

    anna stewart Member

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    Thanks, Barbara. Does this plant need a lot of sunlight? Probably yes, and Direct, i bet! My kitchen doesn't have any windows as it's on the inside of my house. However, I do have some xenon lights under my cabinets that are new............i'm experimenting with the lavender that i bought to see if it will grow there.
     
  5. Barbara Lloyd

    Barbara Lloyd Well-Known Member

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    Yes to light. Mine sits in a west window that later in the year will get pretty hot and it will get moved back a bit so it won't sunburn. I tend to ignore it much of the time so it tends to dry out, but it keeps going on. barb
     
  6. Tropical Foliage

    Tropical Foliage Member

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    Which tools can I use?

    I need to re-root an Aloe Vera plant, but I can't find a pair of hand pruners that open big enough to make the cut. I read that it's OK to use a kitchen knife that is very sharp. Is that really OK to use. I also need to cut a few pups free is it OK to cut the roots of them with a knife, would scissors be better?

    Thank you.
     
  7. Tropical Foliage

    Tropical Foliage Member

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    Aloe and rot

    I'm a little confused here, is it possible for an Aloe Vera plant to have new growth AND rot at the same time?
     
  8. saltcedar

    saltcedar Rising Contributor 10 Years

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    Re: Aloe and rot

    As a defense mechanism a plant under stress will sometime produce
    new sucker growth to replace damage/dying old growth.
     
  9. Tropical Foliage

    Tropical Foliage Member

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    Re: Aloe and rot

    OK, so it is possible. I don't know what sucker growth means though.
     
  10. Fen Sandar

    Fen Sandar Active Member

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    Re: Aloe and rot

    Your new little growths...it is trying to save itself from dying. Is it being over-watered? If you live in a humid area, you may not need to water it very often at all....

    If you don't know, find out what its soil and water preferences are. I did the work for you, here you go: http://houseplants-care.blogspot.com/2006/11/aloe-vera-plant-care.html .

    If that is not the problem, look for little black flying insects called fungus gnats around your plant (still would probably mean over-watering for an aloe), if you have them they are bringing you the gift of mold in which they can breed. You will want them gone, so if you do take a visit to your spice cabinet for some cinnamon and sprinkle the top of your dirt with it. This will kill the fungus (yes it does work), but only if you let the soil dry out between waterings.
     
  11. Tropical Foliage

    Tropical Foliage Member

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    Clarification on Aloe

    I'm going to be harvesting some Aloe Vera pups tomorrow from the mother plant. There's a LOT of information on the web. It's my understanding that if the pup(s) have roots they can be potted immediately, but if they don't they have to callous over for a couple days/weeks?

    Also,

    The Mother plant has some root rot issues, so will start the process of re-rooting her, am I cutting off dead, mushy, hallow roots or my understanding is I cut all the roots off and leave some of the steam to form new roots, right?

    Thank you.
     
  12. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    (merged 4 threads into 1, since they are dealing with a similar (or ongoing) topic by the same person)
     
  13. Tropical Foliage

    Tropical Foliage Member

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    Oh, that was nice thanks. I probably should have dome that instead of all the different threads. Thanks again.
     

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