suffering aloe

[beba]

Hello!

I have an aloe vera who was watered too much (by a friend who was housesitting) and now, after I repotted it, it is loosing its outer leaves one by one.This is the third.



Do you think that my plant is going to die? It looks like this at the moment. Anything I can do to make it better?



I was also wondering if aloe vera can by increased by catting leaves (they seem very healthy apart from the bottom) into pieces, as Sansevierias do? Has anyone tried it?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Barbara

[nachtkrabb]

Hi, Barbara,
if your Aloe was overfed, give it a long, nice diet. And maybe some fresh soil? (What kind of soil does it have? Well draining with lots of little pepples or the like?) After too much water, sometimes the acidity of the mould and the microcosmos in it are changed, possibly for the worse for a succulent.
By the way you could check the roots, whether they are rotting. If so, let the plant rest & dry without soil in the shadow for some days.

I would not expect the leaves of an Aloe to root, but why don't you give it a try? Normally they produce offshoots.

Aloe are very tough, so you stand good chances that she pulls through!
Ruth

[beba]

thank you Ruth for your reply,
today I checked the roots of my Aloe Vera and... it didn't have any!
I suppose this is it. Very sad.

[Buck Hemenway]

Beba,

You should be able to save it. Peel all of the older leaves off of the plant, leaving only the four or five youngest ones. Then plant it very shallow in dry cactus mix. In a few weeks, it will begin to put down roots. You can pull it out of the mix occasionally to see if the rooting has started without further damage to the plant. Once the rooting has started, one root is enough, you may start to water it.

Water about 1/3 of what you used to. your plant has been overwatered.