hello, this is my first post here so please bear with me. after reading about what to do with a twisted, withering aloe that had virtually no roots, i took the plunge and cut the bottom off mine, let it dry out, and replanted. the existing leaves all turned greyish brown and i thought it was done, but lo and behold last week some bright green shoots came up through the middle of the plant and now there are at least 4 of them. my problem is, all the "undead" old leaves (which are quite big) are still around the outside of the plant- can i cut them off or should i just wait for them to fall off?
Cut 'em. Aloes are remarkably tolerant to abuse, and cutting at this point allows the plant to concentrate on new growth. Good luck!
Aloes are tolerant to neglect and abuse, but I must disagree about cutting off the leaves. If they are not dead, then they are providing food for the plant. Cutting them off will slow down growth. This is different than cutting of a stem tip of a plant, which may promote a more compact growth. If you've already cut them off, the plant will survive, so don't worry about it. You may not need to water as much, since the overall growth will slow down.
ok thanks, i have already cut them off, but good to know about watering. i also repotted the plant, and it had a massive root growing! it was quite amazing to see, especially since i had inherited it in such poor shape. it seems to be doing just fine now, way smaller than it used to be but MUCH healthier.
