should I water my aloes?
The soil is bone dry, but my house gets very cold at times, because we use propane heat, and the heat can not be left on when we are not home. My aloes have just recently recovered from some over watering, and root rot. Is it OK to leave the soil bone dry for a week or two? Or should I give them a little water to moisten the soil? Or should I give them a decent saturation, and then let them dry out again. Oh, and by the way, the aloes look great with the bone dry soil. They are nice and green, and plump. I'm only asking because my house gets so cold at times that maybe a good saturation would not be good? Does anyone have any tips please?
You don't give your location, so I'll give you a somewhat generalized answer. 
First and foremost, you say your house gets cold. I think it's important to keep in mind that Aloes won't survive temperatures below 50º F, so you'll want to be careful about letting it get too cold.
If your plant is getting a lot of light, I.e. you live in an area that receives a lot of sunlight this time of year or you have it under appropriate grow lights for sun-loving plants, then by all means, give the plant some water. I would soak it well, then allow it to dry to a depth of 1 or 2 inches down below the surface of the soil. The soil can be dry to a greater depth (2") if the plant is in a relatively large container ... more than 8" in width across the top. (Dig your fingers into the soil to check the depth of dryness.)
If you live in a typical northern U.S. area, where even direct sunlight is comparatively dim during the winter months, and you do not have grow lights on the plant, then your plant won't need as much water. It will need more water when active growth begins in the spring. Right now, it is likely dormant. Even so, it should have some water. I would water it well at least once every 4 to 6 weeks.
When you say the plant is "bone dry", are you sure it's dry down below the halfway point in the container, or is it just very dry on the surface? You can gently slip it out of the container and look at the roots. Do it while the soil is dry.
Succulents, especially desert plants, can survive relatively extreme "drought conditions" for quite a while and continue to look just fine above the soil. Eventually, though, the roots can die back from lack of water, and the plant ultimately dies, just as it does when the roots rot from overwatering. I have had desert cacti survive up to a year without water. I certainly don't recommend that, however, and the above ground parts of the plants I have done that with have always shown some damaged dry-looking spots. It doesn't make for the most attractive specimen, in other words.
I have never pushed any Aloe species to that extreme, so I don't know how long one might survive without water. It would certainly show some browning of the tips of the leaves, though, long before the entire plant died. In my view, that would be a significant detraction from the attractiveness of the plant.
First and foremost, you say your house gets cold. I think it's important to keep in mind that Aloes won't survive temperatures below 50º F, so you'll want to be careful about letting it get too cold.
If your plant is getting a lot of light, I.e. you live in an area that receives a lot of sunlight this time of year or you have it under appropriate grow lights for sun-loving plants, then by all means, give the plant some water. I would soak it well, then allow it to dry to a depth of 1 or 2 inches down below the surface of the soil. The soil can be dry to a greater depth (2") if the plant is in a relatively large container ... more than 8" in width across the top. (Dig your fingers into the soil to check the depth of dryness.)
If you live in a typical northern U.S. area, where even direct sunlight is comparatively dim during the winter months, and you do not have grow lights on the plant, then your plant won't need as much water. It will need more water when active growth begins in the spring. Right now, it is likely dormant. Even so, it should have some water. I would water it well at least once every 4 to 6 weeks.
When you say the plant is "bone dry", are you sure it's dry down below the halfway point in the container, or is it just very dry on the surface? You can gently slip it out of the container and look at the roots. Do it while the soil is dry.
Succulents, especially desert plants, can survive relatively extreme "drought conditions" for quite a while and continue to look just fine above the soil. Eventually, though, the roots can die back from lack of water, and the plant ultimately dies, just as it does when the roots rot from overwatering. I have had desert cacti survive up to a year without water. I certainly don't recommend that, however, and the above ground parts of the plants I have done that with have always shown some damaged dry-looking spots. It doesn't make for the most attractive specimen, in other words.
I have never pushed any Aloe species to that extreme, so I don't know how long one might survive without water. It would certainly show some browning of the tips of the leaves, though, long before the entire plant died. In my view, that would be a significant detraction from the attractiveness of the plant.
Great reply Kisal! I monitor the leave tips daily for ANY signs of browning. That is really the only tool I have to work with (also, how dry the soil is). I do live in the north eastern USA. Pennsylvania to be exact, and the winters here are tough on my plants. The house isn't heated all the time, and the temp does drop below 50 somewhat often, but I know the aloes can take it. I know this because I've overwintered my first aloe last year. When I say "bone dry" I mean dry all the way down. I do check the moisture content at depth. There is no artificial lighting in my setup, and the amount they do receive leaves something to be desired. I give them the best light possible, by moving them to 1 of three different windows, depending on the time of day. I suppose I will treat them as they are dormant, as you said, and water just enough. Maybe once a month or so. That seems to be my best tactic considering the conditions and climate. I will do the best that I can for my plants. It's just hard to do in the environment that I'm in, but I'm getting better at it. Oh yea, and by the way. I have one jade plant that I think likes the cold the least out of all my succulents (cacti, aloes, sansevieria). It's been dropping leaves, and I think it's because of the cold. There's not much I can do about it though, but just keep plant's that can tolerate these conditions. Succulents Rock!! Thanks for the reply Kisal!
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