Keeping My Aloe Plant Alive

[Jessica]

Hello,

I purchased an aloe plant about a year and a half ago. On the card it comes with it reads that it is a "houseplant requiring bright light. It does say you can place outdoors in warm weather, but it needs a climate between 50-90 degrees. Fertilize every fourth watering in active growth."

I have repotted this plant once since I purchased it, but it looks like it's obviously too big for what it's living in now. It wilts as you can see in the picture, and I have it propped up against the wall so the leaves don't break (which has happened to the ones I allow to fall naturally).

I have fed it miracle grow, but mainly once every two months. I give it about a cup and a half of water when it's dry so that it is saturated and the bottom fills up with water. I then dump that water from the base. It gets plenty of sunlight in a room with four windows that are open all day. They aren't overly bright, there's some shade from curtains. The temperature in this room is also moderate. The aloe leaves are beginning to grow in extremely thin, and they are starting to bend. Some are growing upright, but I know those will start to fall also. I've would like to get this plant in good health soon. Or at least before it gives out.

Here you can see two pictures of what it looks like at the moment.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

The card can say, what the card can say. If you google, where the plant "normally" free grows and note that environment, then you need to mock it in its new location.

 

[Jessica]

The card can say, what the card can say. If you google, where the plant "normally" free grows and note that environment, then you need to mock it in its new location.

I just googled what you suggested, the only thing I found that might be a cause for the bending leaves is over fertilization. But again I have not fertilized it enough for that to have happened, and I rarely even water it unless it needs it. It's in perfect lighting, and temperature. I live in NJ, and the weather is so back and forth. I am afraid to place it outside at this point. The rest of my house doesn't have adequate lighting at all. My other succulents all died when I placed them in other rooms. So unfortunately, I think I have to keep it in here. Other than that I do not know what else I can do. That's why I'm trying to find suggestions. Maybe I am doing something wrong that I'm not catching onto through a google search. I appreciate any advice. I wanted to repot into a terra cotta pot about twice the size so the leaves are being held up by the pot itself. I just find it odd that they don't stand up on their own like every other aloe plant I've seen. Some of the leaves also fall off when they get too heavy. From what I read, this is a sign of over watering. However, from what I have been doing that shouldn't be the case. That's why I am thinking there has to be something else I'm completely unaware of that is causing my aloe plant to grow slowly, wither and possibly just give out in the near future. As much as I have googled, I still landed here. I am sure there are other's out there who have been in my situation and were able to save their plant with special care. If placing it outside really is the only option, I can do that once summer is here. But then comes the problem again with winter and the plant reverting back to this.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/environment-needed-aloe-vera-plants-survive-67448.html

 

[Chuck]

When I was a kid and my family had a truck farm my mother grew literally thousands of aloe plants. She would give them away to customers at our roadside and she NEVER fertilized them and rarely watered them either

 

[Jessica]

Thanks for the links and information. I'll try repotting it and placing it outdoors when it's sunny out. I won't fertilize it, and water it less frequently. Let's hope it works.

 

[herbs93]

You know I hear that everywhere that aloe plants are kind of indestructible, but I always manage to kill my aloe plants. I think that maybe the watering is also a problem with me, I too, possibly overwater them.

 

[Jessica]

You know I hear that everywhere that aloe plants are kind of indestructible, but I always manage to kill my aloe plants. I think that maybe the watering is also a problem with me, I too, possibly overwater them.

This is also my second or third aloe plant. They all seem to wilt and then eventually die after a few years. So I'm obviously doing something very wrong. The plants grow significantly from the time of purchase, but slowly after that this begins to happen every time.

I usually water it every ten days or so until it's saturated and drain the base. I found a larger planter, so I have to find a good potting soil and replant as soon as I can. I'll probably place it outside sometime in June when I know it'll be hot. My other concern is whether it's alright to keep it outside during the August months when it gets up to 90-100 degrees. I guess I can move the plant in the shade during those times. I only worry if there's a day I won't be home to do this and the plant suffers.

Should I leave those bending leaves alone, or trim them? The very thin ones that are growing in - you can see them in the picture.

 

[Chuck]

This is also my second or third aloe plant. They all seem to wilt and then eventually die after a few years. So I'm obviously doing something very wrong. The plants grow significantly from the time of purchase, but slowly after that this begins to happen every time.

I usually water it every ten days or so until it's saturated and drain the base. I found a larger planter, so I have to find a good potting soil and replant as soon as I can. I'll probably place it outside sometime in June when I know it'll be hot. My other concern is whether it's alright to keep it outside during the August months when it gets up to 90-100 degrees. I guess I can move the plant in the shade during those times. I only worry if there's a day I won't be home to do this and the plant suffers.

Should I leave those bending leaves alone, or trim them? The very thin ones that are growing in - you can see them in the picture.

In very hot weather it is not the heat that bothers them, it is the brilliant sunshine. Just put them in lightly shaded area. My mom kept hers under oak trees

 

[Esther Knapicius]

when we are in Key West, Florida, I spy them at the base of trees.

 

[Beth_B]

For what it's worth, I had an indoor aloe plant that got huge, for years in a sunny room. I don't recall ever fertilizing it and it probably only got watered when it was crispy-dry. I left it with my ex and for all I know it is still doing fine. It was at least two feet sideways and tall.

 

[maxen57]

I actually have my own aloe vera plant that I got two years ago from a friend at my son's school. I just transferred it in a bigger pot and it rapidly grew. I didn't put anything in it other than water. It was also left at the car port where the rest of our potted plants were since we don't have a vehicles. We have a tropical climate and it's currently summer here so it's very hot. Still my aloe vera is very much alive but it has become dried as certain places. The stems grew fast even though I pluck one each week to cut up and rub on my scalp.

 

[TexasGardenGirl]

I have an aloe that I got relatively small in the beginning of March. It was in a 4" pot. It's now bigger than yours, with a ton of baby offspring around it. I put it in a bigger pot with some potting soil that had fertilizer in it. Bag said feeds up to 6 months. I don't fertilize. I just stuck it on my dining room table as the centerpiece. It gets loads of sunshine. I don't even think this plant has ever seen outside. And the little "baby" that I took from it to grow a separate plant for my mom in law was itty bitty and is on the kitchen sink and is thriving as well. They really just need a sunny room, soil, and water when the soil is dry. To me, they're the most low maintenance plant I have.

Are those big stones around your plant? If so, in my opinion, I'd just stick the aloe in the pot with soil filling it and then put small stones around it for the decorative appeal/help with evaporation. They sell the kind of stones at hobby stores. Smooth, grey and such pebble type stones. I'd think that'd give it more room to breathe and shoot off lots of little babies.

Eta: also, I'd definitely just stop fertilizing for a bit. I know you said you don't do it often but I really don't think aloe actually needs it except maybe when potting up...

 

[Novelangel]

My mom gave me an aloe plant when I got married. I more or less just water it from time to time but otherwise almost ignore it. It has thrived to the point where it probably needs repotting because it's getting gigantic, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. One thing I do to it that it seems to like is I give it a dose of natural pond water every now and then. I keep a bowl filled with water and live snails near a window where it can get very green with algae. It fills up with snail feces and algae and I feed it to my indoor plants. They all love it and thrive on it. Also, I don't keep my aloe in direct sunlight. I have it located rather high up on a shelf near my living room window where it gets filtered sunlight. That's it. That's all I do and the aloe seems to love it here.

 

[IcyBC]

I am also growing a baby aloe vera at the moment, and mine turned yellow because I left it outside on the deck with full afternoon sun. It also had way too much rain water in the pot, so I took it inside and put it on my kitchen window sill, and haven't water it for two weeks. It is slowly turning green again and looks as it should