Question
Hi Will.

i have had my aloe vera cactus for about 2.5 years now, have sucessfully repotted it once, about a year ago and now my dear plant seems to be quite unhappy. bAck a year ago, I repotted it unknowingly into a deep pot (9"deep, 10" across), with not the best drainage as i can tell, and  yet it has lived seemingly very well for a year there. it was in my bright living room, but not ever in direct sunlight, all last fall and winter. This spring, I've been watching it slowly decline...its leaves are quite large, but are all drooping, some even bending to the point of forming a crease and browning. the lowest ones are withering, and the new top crown ones droop as fast as they grow. ON watering: I didnt water it a whole lot overall, but it seemed to stay moist for a long time after watering.

The whole plant was falling forward as well, it's stalk beginning to show more and more so I decided to try and stuff it further into the soil....this is getting bad, I know, but as I unearthed it, I discovered the shallow root structure and watched a chunk of it break off from the main plant stalk. (it kind of didn't seem to have a whole lot more little roots than what i saw come off, the root structure seemed minimal)  Still hoping for the best, I placed it more upright into the same pot, re-packed the earth (miracle grow potting soil)around it, and placed it where it should be getting a bit more light. The results? Not good. It's just looking worse and worse, more drooping, more sadness.

What should I do to save it????? Can i?
Please help!

Thanks so much.

Erin

Answer
Hi Erin,

Thanks for your very detailed description. Had you contacted me  a year ago I would have advised you not to repot your Aloe and that would have been all the help you needed. Now, unfortunately, there is not much help that I can provide.

Like most fleshy-leafed plants, Aloes are succulents and that means they have small root systems that are adapted to very dry conditions, but fare poorly when the soil is constantly moist for long periods. By moving your Aloe into a very large pot, the excess soil retained moisture for a long time. Gradually the roots began to rot and as the plant no longer had functioning roots to absorb water, the rest of the plant eventually started to languish and deteriorate.

If you can find a healthy section of your Aloe, you can try rooting it in a very small pot filled with a damp mixture of half peat moss and half perlite. Place it on a sunny windowsill. Otherwise, consider getting a new Aloe. Then keep it in a very small pot and place it in a sunny location and water it only when the potting mix is completely dry.

I wish I could be of greater help with your Aloe and I do hope I have spared you some problems in the future.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
   
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Visit my web site at www.HorticulturalHelp.com

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