QuestionHi.
I have a large aloe plant which has been in a very sunny window for ages. It is a plant which I gave to someone at work. Up until recently doing great. Someone else started to take over its care and it seemed she was underwatering it. Some of the stalks were thinning and browning at their ends and were yellowing throughout the structure of the stalk.
I took it home and placed it outside in a nice morning light exposure hoping to nurture it back to health. It seemed to get dryer outside and I overwatered it I am afraid.
Some of the stalks now have brown spots slightly smaller than a dime in size some slightly smaller in size.
Also, I read that one should not shower a cactus with water as opposed to just adding water to the soil? Is this so?
Do you think that I just overwatered it:
Also, the plant was becoming too big for the pot and I was going to divide it and repot in the fall. Do you think I should/could risk repotting at this point? Or should I try to let it stabilize first.
The stalks are still somewhat yellowed although it seems a bit better except for my unfortunate overwatering episode.
Thanks,
Jill Sarkady
AnswerJill,
Cacti get showered with rain in the desert all the time and they are fine. I water my cacti and aloes that are outdoors with the hose regularly. It is hard to overwater aloe when they are outdoors. Do you have a drainage tray under them that is holding a lot of water forcing them to sit in a swamp all day?
The brown spots could be sunburn. Aloes don't like any sun in the hot afternoon.
How large is the pot it is in? Aloes don't mind being a bit rootbound. The only time you should repot any houseplant is in the spring, between April 15th and June 15th at the latest. If you really feel it needs done do it immediately so the roots can get settled in and grow before fall.
As for the yellow. You might try getting some ironite and giving it a teaspoon full sprinkled on top of the soil, then water.
If I can help more email me again. Good luck.
Darlene
