Problem with aloe plant
Pink Moon
to have broken off from the roots, and are just sitting in the plants.
I dug around a little in the soil, and the outside leaves are all
falling over because where they meet the soil, they are all brown and
mushy. What's happening? Is there anyway to save this outer leaves?
Thanks!
Cat in the Hat
time. I'd be greatly surprised to find any live roots attached to any live
functioning leaves. Better luck next time! Try a lot less water and a lot
more light.
"Pink Moon" <PinkMoo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:164eebfd.04022...@posting.google.com...
Pink Moon
Thanks for the info. Part of my problem is I live in a dorm room and
it gets very dry in here... I've been watering every few weeks.
Should I cut back more?
Cat in the Hat
possible. ONLY water again when it is powder dry.
PS- What is Pink Moon Island? I live on Roanoke Island.
"Pink Moon" <PinkMoo...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:164eebfd.04030...@posting.google.com...
Michelle
it helps
M:
Succulents are survivors, so I think this is not yet a lost cause.
First, let's start all over. Drench the with water and a bit of dish
soap.
Let the plant sit a bit. Loosen the soil from the pot with a number of
sharp
slaps on the pot. Hold the plant upside down and give a few more slaps
on
the pot.
The plant and soil should come out. If the soil adheres to the pot and
the
plant won't release,
take a butter knife and gently follow the inner contour of the
plant/pot
interface. Hopefully,
you won't have to use the knife as some root damage may occur. Let's
reason
that you won't
have to use the utensil--if you do, look for the root damage described
below.
Examine the soil on the plant. Look for the aforementioned white
cottony
tufting. If you see that
you have mealy bugs. If you have mealy bugs, get some Diazanon and
follow
the mixing directions,
again adding a bit of dish detergent to get some penetration of mealy
bugs'
protective coating. Soak the
plant and soil in the mix for 5 minutes. Rinse off the plant and clean
the
roots gently with running water until
you have dismissed the old soil. Set your plant aside in a cool, low
light
place for a day. Go get Supersoil
at the big box store. If you can find perlite, pumice or vermiculite,
get a
bag and mix it 50-50 with the Supersoil.
Look in the building supply area or other convenient place for pea
gravel.
Repot your plant in the mix. Cover
the top layer of soil with about 3/4" of the pea gravel. Let the plant
sit
unwatered for a week and then resume watering.
If you discovered any necrosis or soft, orange infection on the plant
roots,
you will remove that gently and use Rootone as below before the
repotting.
As well, any obviously dead roots that are limp and have no substance
should
be pulled off. Plastic or fully-glazed ceramic pots are what you want
to
choose. The terra
cota pots are porous and love to load minerals which hinders growth.
You
didn't say how big your plant is but I am
guessing an 8" tall pot should be of ample dimension. However, if you
find
the root ball has completely filled the old
pot, that instructs you toget a new and bigger one.
If the areas where you cut off the plantlets are soft or showing that
orange
bacterial infection, buy some Rootone
at your garden center. Don't buy the small packets--they are very
uneconomical. Buy the red plastic jar for an eternal supply. Moisten
some
of the rootone and daub it on the cut areas. Should the roots or plant
have
shown problems requiring cutting and Rootone, you will let the
specimen sit
for about a week before repotting.
Since you didn't tell me how often you watered and from your
description of
the plant's condition, I am going to
guess you may not have been watering enough or there is some
infectious
process running. Basically, during the Autumn to Spring growing season
for
such plants, I water fully with a half measure of Miracle Grow (or
Gro)
every 7 days, making sure the water runs freely from the drainage hole
on
the pot. That shows the soil is at saturation capacity and discharges
some
of the accreted minerals that may have precipated. Out of the growing
season, I water every 10 days in a clement greenhouse environment,
eliminating the fertilizer or cutting it back quite a bit, depending
on my
observations of the plant. A plant that gets sufficient water and food
will
take more light up to a point. You might want to experiment with your
cut
plantlets by putting them in pots (remember the Rootone) and
positioning
them differently, leaving light as the only treatment variable. Your
goal
will be to figure out the maximum light exposure for optimal growth of
the
species in question. The window position for your plant might be
agreeable
once it gets underway again but you may have to screen or lightly
whitewash
the panes if the light there proves too strong and you still want that
venue
for the plant.
Now--after all that--my confession is that landscape tree aloes are
much
more familiar to me. You may want
to search under some combination of terms like +aloe* +(culture OR
growing)
to see what others have to advise.
If you don't find anything after shaking the net as unlikely as that
is,
repost and I'll go after my reference books.
In the interim while web surfing, go to Google or other search engine
with
images and look at the range of
Aloes, not to mention the non-succulent members of the group. You
should be
entertained.
Let us know how your garden grows....
Regards,
Edward Hennessey
Cat in the Hat
is the same guy, he knows his stuff as well as I do. He was also kind enough
to loan me a book! How many folks do you meet on the net that will trust you
in real life???????
"Michelle" <belld...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:f0mq505646dpvd40t...@4ax.com...
Michelle
Although I went out on a limb with another gardener on another group
when I found out they were a fan of anne Mc Caffery I also love her
draggon riders of pern books she said she had lost her coppies so
I'm going to send her mine I'm loosing my vision and I can't read
them any more so I'd like them to go to a good hame and she said
she'd like them she offer to pay for shipping but I'm going to trade
her for gardening things like extra bulbs tubers and seeds from her
flowers she seems nice so I think it will work out well
michelle
Oh and it is good to see people posting here on the cactus group I
hope we get more members
On Mon, 22 Mar 2004 01:02:30 GMT, "Cat in the Hat" <n...@chance.mate>
wrote: