RaineyDay
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Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2013 4:15 am
Location: Richmond, VA

Aloe Vera plant

So I "saved" an aloe vera from Lowes today....brown spots on the leaves and at the bottom of one of the leaves was a bunch of black looking mold.....I pulled off the affected parts, (with the exception of one leaf that had a couple tiny spots that just looked dried out)- I'm curious, though...if it's okay to bring inside? I have a lime tree and lemon tree and an entire table of tomatos/peppers/flowers that I've started for this season and the last thing I want is any of that getting sick.

Help a girl out? ;)

valley
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Posts: 1335
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:25 am
Location: ranches in sierra nevada mountains California & Navada high desert

We have had one in the house for years, it lives and grows. I'm thinking of planting it outside this year, in the high desert. I'll check first with people on the forum who have them in the same conditions, it gets cold down there in winter but should love the heat and sun in the summer.

Yes, it should like a sunny window.

A friend's brother grows them in Texas as a cash crop. He told me, he has some big as a house, I've never been to his farm to see for myself.

Richard

sepeters
Senior Member
Posts: 266
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:24 am
Location: AZ, zone 9

As long as it gets lots of sun it should do fine indoors. Cut waaaayyyyy back on the watering though. I live in sunset zone 13 (very arid, AZ desert, in a valley) and if I water my outdoor aloe vera once a month, that is too much, especially in the winter. It rained 3 times last month and my aloe is currently limp and slightly yellow/brown from having wet feet. It will recover once it has dried out.

If the mold/fungus persists, try giving it a light milk/water solution once the soil has dried out. Should knock out the fungus. My second thought on the fungus is, it's probably in soil that is too rich and has organic matter mixed in. You want the most nutrient deficient, alkaline clay soil you can find. No organic matter or fertilizer should be added, and the soil needs to be well draining. Your native soil is probably too rich for it too, so, you may not want to plant in the ground, if at all possible.

This plant will grow progressively larger every year, and like valley said, can get as large as a house. They are native to my region and produce pups even in a cramped pot. I use it extensively for sunburns and still have to cut out huge sections to keep it manageable. If I put it in the ground it'll spread like crazy, both from seed after it flowers in the summer and budding off pups. If you do plant it in the ground, put a border around it, just in case. I don't know if it is hot/dry enough for an aloe to bloom in the south.

valley
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Posts: 1335
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:25 am
Location: ranches in sierra nevada mountains California & Navada high desert

sepeters, What is the lowest temp you get there? Thanks


richard

sepeters
Senior Member
Posts: 266
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:24 am
Location: AZ, zone 9

Richard, sometimes, it gets down to around 25F. But we're talking the very lowest lows during a cold snap, which never lasts more than a week. 35-40s are more typical night time lows, usually toward the end of what we call "winter" here.

This aloe was orphaned on my porch a few years ago and I am not particularly attached to it. I don't even cover it when we get light frosts and it seems to thrive in every condition, unless I over-water or fertilize it. I'd think it would do ok in the ground where you live, as long you don't have nice acidic soil, lol.

valley
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Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:25 am
Location: ranches in sierra nevada mountains California & Navada high desert

You're kinda in the banana belt, we get down to 0, sometimes colder. I think this year has been colder then normal, if there is a normal. Lot of mornings it was 8-11degrees. Almost time we can turn the outside water on. Looking forward to this season.
Do you happen to know what kind of low temp. aloe can take in the winter?

Richard



The weather has been going up and down since before recorded history, now they want to blame it on us.

sepeters
Senior Member
Posts: 266
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2013 10:24 am
Location: AZ, zone 9

Well, aloe will not withstand a hard frost or "freezing" weather in general. Sorry for the bad advice before, I didn't realize how cold it gets up there! I should have, since cactus won't even survive in Northern Arizona. It def won't live in 0 degree weather, I wouldn't leave it exposed to temps below like 25 for more than a week or it will not recover, particularly if there is snow and it has been watered any time in the past few weeks.
I don't know about the banana belt, lol. Phoenix is in the Sonoran desert, which is considered a very arid region. More like the dust belt! :>

valley
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Posts: 1335
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:25 am
Location: ranches in sierra nevada mountains California & Navada high desert

Thanks, that's what I thought. Have a great day.


Richard



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