We have very large Aloe plants in the back yard, growing for several years. Our winters are mild in San Francisco and there is not a lot of sunshine in the Sunset District, so these plants are very very happy.
The problem is that one of them is so big it is leaning over and has to be propped up with a big piece of lumber. The posts I've read about this all seem to involve potted Aloe plants. How best to prune it?
https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/vi ... 38&t=33190
Try that link there. It's the best I can do, and you're lucky to have such large aloe
.
Try that link there. It's the best I can do, and you're lucky to have such large aloe
.Thank you all for the replies and the steer to the 2011 comments on Aloe plants. I am attaching a picture of my plants taken three years ago, in case they are not real Aloe plants... since nobody has ever seen Aloe this size. They are about a foot taller now. Let me know if you think these are another kind of plant.
- Attachments
-
-
ElizabethB
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2105
- Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:53 am
- Location: Lafayette, LA
Carrie - I checked on line and it looks like you have an Aloe Ferox. I tried several different queries and found lots of information on planting, caring for and propagating but nothing on pruning.
You can try Imafan's suggestion and cut off the top and pot it. Is that a second "head" growing just below the bent portion of the trunk? If so cut the trunk just above the junction. Cut the curved portion of the trunk from the top. You do not want your new plant to start with a curved trunk. The head is large so you need a very large pot with good drainage. Use cactus mix or add a good bit of coarse mason sand to potting soil. If the plant is in bloom cut off the blooms. Also cut off the dried leaves. Be careful with watering. The soil needs to be moist but not so much that it causes the base to rot. If the top roots leave it in the pot for a year so it is well established before planting in your garden.
Another option is to bury a tall post on the left side of the plant and use a strip of soft cloth (t-shirt) to secure the plant to the post. You can't straighten it but you can keep it from falling over. Use a wide strip of cloth. It needs to be more of a sling than a tie. A thin strip will cut into the trunk. Loose not tight. To keep the fabric at the right height staple it to the post.
Good luck
You can try Imafan's suggestion and cut off the top and pot it. Is that a second "head" growing just below the bent portion of the trunk? If so cut the trunk just above the junction. Cut the curved portion of the trunk from the top. You do not want your new plant to start with a curved trunk. The head is large so you need a very large pot with good drainage. Use cactus mix or add a good bit of coarse mason sand to potting soil. If the plant is in bloom cut off the blooms. Also cut off the dried leaves. Be careful with watering. The soil needs to be moist but not so much that it causes the base to rot. If the top roots leave it in the pot for a year so it is well established before planting in your garden.
Another option is to bury a tall post on the left side of the plant and use a strip of soft cloth (t-shirt) to secure the plant to the post. You can't straighten it but you can keep it from falling over. Use a wide strip of cloth. It needs to be more of a sling than a tie. A thin strip will cut into the trunk. Loose not tight. To keep the fabric at the right height staple it to the post.
Good luck
Return to “Cactus Forum - Cacti Including all Succulent Plants”