rookiegreenthumb99
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webs on top of the dirt.

Hello all, I am new to this site and want to know what I should do with my new Aloe Vera plant I just noticed after watering the new Aloe and once the sun was hitting it I noticed what looks like small webs on top of the dirt, I don/t see anything crawling around but I am concerned that this new Aloe I just bought from a nursery is sick and mite get my other plants sick but they are all in a different room than this plant, I read that you can make a homemade mixture of a gallon of water with, 2 tbs of dish detergent , 1 tbs of Vegetable oil shake well and then add 1 tsp of rubbing alcohol. in a squirt bottle..I am not sure how many times I use this and should I transplant the plant or can I leave the Aloe in this pot.

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applestar
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Before using anything, try just stirring up the surface of the soil with ...back of plastic fork, let’s say — not deep, not with point. See if those webs come back. Also observe the aloe to see if there are signs of sucking insect infestation like pale color or tiny sunken or brown spots. Take photos and post suspicious areas if you’d like us to look with you.

If you just watered, you shouldn’t need to water for about/at least a week, I would think.

imafan26
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Hello, welcome to the forum. Posting a picture would help. From your post, this plant is indoors?
The biggest problems with indoor plants are getting the water and light right.
There are a few things that can cause what looks like webbing on the soil.

If there are no insects on the plant itself and the plant is firm and healthy, then spraying the plant probably won't help.
If it is a soil issue, then you have to take a closer look at the soil.

1. Over watering: If you are using a saucer, is there standing water in it? It is better to water plants thoroughly in a sink or with a hose and drip dry them before putting them back in place. Check the soil with your finger to see how moist the soil is. If the soil remains wet for more than 5 days, I would make sure the plant is also getting enough air by an open window or fan. Soil that stays wet for a long time, almost always will cause problems.

2. Rotting and dead roots: Often a consequence of either over watering rotting roots and the fungus that lives on the decaying matter. Under watering kills roots and the fungus grows on decaying matter.

3. Over potting and not having the right kind of soil for your conditions:

Often people will get a new plant and pot it up to a bigger pot with a bagged soil soon after they get it. If a plant was happy and healthy in its original pot, just check the root system. If it is healthy and not over grown, it does not need to be re potted again. If the plant is root bound or roots are coming out from the bottom of the pot, then a plant does need to be re potted. You should only pot up to a pot type and size that allows for only a couple of years growth and porous enough to be able to dry out in 2-3 days especially if it is a plant that likes to dry between watering. If the plant was happy in the media it was in, use the same kind of media. Most plants don't like their soil types to be changed. If you live or your cultural habits are to water more, remove the old media if possible or mix the new media with the same material but adding additional drainage elements like activated charcoal, cinder, or perlite or use a porous pot like clay that dries better and don't let any water sit in a saucer. The first thing I do when I get a hanging basket, is lose the saucer. I don't normally buy any pot with a built in saucer and I only use saucers upside down as plant stands.

4. Air and Light: Air and light are often forgotten, but it is a plant need. Aloes and cacti have high light requirements and all plants need good air circulation either from an open window to provide a breeze or with a circulating fan.

5. The Living Soil: Remember that there are millions of microorganisms, most of which we don't even see and some other denizens we do, that normally live in every teaspoon of soil. A living soil is a healthy one. It should smell fresh and "earthy", it should not have overgrowth of algae, mold, and the pot should not have excessive calcium deposits. It should drain well and be loose and not water logged. It should not smell bad. When the soil is balanced, the microorganisms live in harmony. However, if conditions are not balanced then there will be an overgrowth of some organisms like molds and fungi. These normally promote the decay of dead matter (it is essentially what is happening in the compost pile). However, if there is a lot of decaying matter and there is insufficient air space in the soil, the bacteria that consume the fungi will die and the fungi will predominate and over grow. Then you will see not only cobwebs on the soil, but in a big enough pot, you might also see mushrooms and fungus gnats that feed on the fungi. In the soil, you will see white "stuff", around usually dead roots. When it gets like that, it might be possible to save the plant if it is not too far gone, but if most of the roots are affected and the plant looks unhealthy, it may be too late.

rookiegreenthumb99
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]here are the pictures that I took of my new Aloe that I found the webs on top of the dirt. hope these pics are ok took a bit to get them to upload with having to shrink and all..[attachment=0]20200402_091234.jpg[/attachment
Last edited by rookiegreenthumb99 on Thu Apr 02, 2020 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.

rookiegreenthumb99
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rookiegreenthumb99
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so what should I do with this plant should I just fork n fluff the top and see if these webs come back or should I transplant into a new pot and soil? you can see white on the right not sure what this is but I used normal tap water that sat for 2 days then used on the plant.

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applestar
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I meant to reply sooner... to me, the potting mix looks peat or coir heavy — I would have expected to see more perlite, sand, or gravel. That white patch looks like typical benign fungal hyphae that occurs in woody mix.

If this was a common leafy houseplant it wouldn’t be a concern, but because this is aloe, I would be concerned that it is too moisture holding. It also might indicate that the plant needs more exposure to direct sun (but be careful since aloe can sunburn and need to be gradually introduced to longer exposure time)

- yes forking and scattering the white matter will break up the delicate fungal mass, but you may have to consider repotting.

I’d like to see cacti/succulent experts weigh in since my care technique for them are limited to planting with 1/3 sand mix and not watering them until nearly completely dry. I also usually (but not always) use unglazed clay pot.

rookiegreenthumb99
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the lady where this plant was bought at the nursery said that this is cacti store bought soil mix which she also recommended the person who bought the plant for me was supposed to get me sand with the mix but because the lady at the store said what she said they went with that, I don`t water these plants till the soil separates from the side of the pot, and feels very light , you would think coming from a nursery these plants would be kept to how they are supposed to be but this plant makes me nervous. they are not cheap either! how long does a person have to cook sand from outside to kill the parasites and germs that can harm the plant because I have a river beside me where I live and there is a lot of sand...

imafan26
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Cacti do like to dry out between watering and "weighing" the pot is one way to do that. I also think that the mix is too organic (wet) for cactus. If the plant was kept outside it may have been less of a problem. Besides watering when the media is almost dry, you want to try to get the plant to dry out in 3 days not 10 days. Outside plants get more air circulation than indoor plants.

Commercial potting mixes are sterile. You can sterilize soil in the oven. But, having done that once, I won't do it again. It stinks. Dirt is not always recommended because depending on the plant, dirt and sand you pick up from the ground may have other living organisms in them. If you are not watering your plants with distilled or boiled and aerated water, or rain water, there are alga and some bacteria and water molds that live in water as well. Most of the time it is not a problem as long as the water is not sitting around for long periods of time.

I live in a wet place. I have mostly succulents and only a very few true cacti. My true cacti are planted in cinder in clay pots. Most of them are either 2 or 3 inch clay pots. They are kept in a covered entry way that is open on the sides. They do get southern exposure so they can get 4-6 hours of sun and lots of air circulation. They don't get any water unless the rain is blowing into the entryway and I only water them about once a week. Humidity here is 80% or better most of the time. The small pots are in a couple of baskets but they have no saucers. My succulents can handle more rain. They are either hanging by wires on the fence. In an empty basket on a tree. The larger ones are in pots and the pots are mostly cinders. The pots are only big enough to contain the roots, so they are intentionally tight. Even if these get watered everyday they will be fine, unless it rains for more than 2 weeks. Then, I would have to bring them in under cover.

I have a patch of aloe that is about 40 years old. It has been moved but it has been in a corner of my raised bed garden for at least 15 years. The soil is basically clay, but the garden has plenty of organic matter. I don't really water the aloe, it mostly lives on rain and whatever water the plants nearby get. My garden needs to be watered every 1 to 3 days depending on how much it rains.

I would also consider repotting to a drier mix, but also keeping the plant outdoors for most of the time if possible.

If you don't have cinders, #3 rock or Pea gravel will do. You can usually get that at a building supply. You can add a little bit of organic matter 20% of the entire mix. Cactus will do well with a slow release fertilizer every 6 months or so. Make sure the plant is in the smallest pot that will contain the roots, with lots of drainage holes. If you must keep it indoors. No saucers and make sure the plant gets good air circulation so it can dry out in about 3-4 days. Sand drains well, but it has a small particle size. Larger irregular shapes will have bigger air spaces and dry out faster.

rookiegreenthumb99
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the Aloe is indoors at the moment but will put the plant outside during the day and possibly all night once it warms up a little more, should I slowly put the Aloe outside starting at an hour then everyday increase the amount the plant is outside? the pea gravel sounds like an awesome idea , would fish tank gravel work also? I have never bought pea gravel but will be investing in some if my aloe will do better and just a little soil added to the gravel.. thank you I have one more question to propagate an Aloe I just cut the leaf , let sit for a week or so then I just plant into a 4 inch clay pot?

imafan26
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Acquarium gravel does work for drainage, but it is a bit expensive. Use non-clumping clay cat litter instead. It is usually readily available and cheap. It is similar to turface, at a fraction of the cost. Rinse the cat litter first to get rid of some of the dust. Do not use scoopable litter, it is not the same thing. Acquarium gravel allows for drainage and people do like it as a top dressing for aesthetics. It cannot hold water or nutrients. Clay will absorb some water. You can still add about 20% organic matter and fertilizer. The organic matter will hold additional water and bind with the fertilizer.

It is better to harden off any plant to slowly transition from inside to outside.

Aloe can be propagated from stem or leaf cuttings. Cuttings do need to callous off for about a week, then you can stick the stems in a pot with a well drained mix or perlite. Select your pot based on the size of the cutting.
I start all of my cuttings in perlite in a bulb pan. Many succulent leaves can just sit on top of the perlite until they form plantlets and root. Stem cuttings can be inserted into the media. It takes up too much of my space to plant one cutting in a pot, I usually plant a bunch of cuttings in a container and do a two step transplant once the roots are well established.

rookiegreenthumb99
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when you say organic matter do you mean normal planting soil or chunks of wood? when I put rookiegreenthumb as my nickname I wasn`t joking. I am totally new to this hobby with some ideas that my grandma gave me! So just the clay cat litter not the clumping kind, what kind of organic matter should I invest in to go into the pot with the cat litter?



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