Aloe clipping from grandma

[serial_killer]

Today my wife and I were at my grandmothers and I noticed she had a very sad looking Aloe plant and I asked if I could have it to try to save it. She said it was actually just a clipping from her sisters plant and that she didnt know what to do with it so she just stuck it into some dirt about a month ago and it was drooping and coundnt stand up on its own and the "leaves" were kind of wilted.

I have repotted it to a smaller pot, the one it was in was huge, and I used cacti dirt. I don't have much expirience with growing in soil (or cacti at all) as I am an avid hydro grower. I have it in the shade and didnt give it any water after the replant, I also staked it up. The roots were starting to grow, they were about 1/4-1/2" long. What else can I do for it?

[Kisal]

I think you should continue to let the roots grow. Since it has some roots, you need to give it some water. I recommend placing it, pot and all, in a watertight container, then filling the container with water to the top of the pot rim. Let it soak until no more air bubbles break through the surface of the soil. You may need to use something like a couple of small rocks to weight the pot down, so it doesn't float in the water.

Let the soil drain thoroughly before you place the pot back in its saucer. Allow the soil to become fairly dry before you water it again.

You can give it bright indirect light now, and over the next couple of weeks, slowly move it into direct sunlight.

[serial_killer]

Okay well I watered it the way you suggested when I woke up today, but now the tips of the leaves are turning yellow. What are they considered of an aloe plant, leaves or pedals or some other term?

Should I just leave it alone for awhile? I'm sure its going threw some stress right now.

[Kisal]

If you watered it, and the leaves began to turn yellow on the same day, then the yellowing of the leaves is most likely unrelated to the watering. I would just allow the plant to rest for awhile now. Let it get settled in its new home. It wasn't doing well when you found it, and it is unlikely that it will instantly perk up. Give it a little time.

You have done good things for it, giving it the right sized pot, the correct type of soil, some water, and the proper light. Now it's a matter of time.

(The answer to your question of what "they" are called is "leaves. )

[serial_killer]

Today its doing a little worse but not much, the color did return to the tips of the leaves but they lost a lot of mass and look "deflated" 2 of the largest ones even folded in half and are hanging. Should I still wait it out or perhaps prune a leaf or 2, so that it doesnt have to support as much

Thanks so far.

[Kisal]

It's hard to say whether you should prune, without actually seeing the plant. It would help if you could post a pic of it.

If the leaves are in such bad shape (yellowed & dried out) that they aren't able to contribute to the health of the plant by making food (photosynthesis), then it's better to remove them, so they don't sap the plant's energy. If they aren't that far gone yet (still mostly green), it would be better to leave them on, even if they detract somewhat from the appearance of the plant. They can always be removed later, but right now, the plant needs all the help it can get.

There isn't really a specific yes or no answer to the question. It's a judgement call you have to make based on the overall condition of the plant as a whole. That's my opinion, anyway.

[serial_killer]

Here are 2 pics, you can see the leaves are green again, the yellow that starting to show at the tips went away thankfully. The leaves bending over are thinner and mushy at the bends. Looking at it now I think that they are still being usefull unless the bending like that is something bad I don't know about.

What about artificial light? I have a grow table setup for my hydro garden and I could put this little aloe plant under the lights or at least in the room so it was getting some indirect artificial light.

thx

[Kisal]

I think I would remove any mushy parts, because they can invite rot. Leave as much of the leaf as you can, cutting just below the soft area. Be sure to use a clean blade. Sterilize it beforehand, if possible. You don't want to introduce any bacteria into the cuts you make.

I don't know anything about hydroponics. I imagine, however, that if the light is bright enough to mimic sunlight to the extent that plants can produce fruit, it might be too bright for the aloe at this time. I don't know whether just placing the aloe near the setup would give it enough light, though. Try to position it so it gets light similar to that which it would receive if placed beside -- not in front of -- a south or west facing window. That's what I'd do, at least. Then, over the next 2 weeks, you can move it every day or two so that it gets brighter and brighter light. Eventually, you want it to get full sun. That's about the best I can tell you. Hope it helps a little.