Aloe Vera plant advice - photos

Pixiechic

I have an aloe vera plant that sits on my desk by a south east facing window. I have had one of those drop by drop feeders in it and I don't water it very often. It's in the right size pot I believe and it was potted with the right compost for aloe, succulents, cacti.

I've noticed though that one leaf has drooped and then I noticed that on the back of one leaf it's cracked and seeped a bit. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?











I'm not sure if the pictures are great but if you know anything about aloe plants and could advice i would be grateful!





One photo, if my photo adding skills work, shows the bent leaf and the other shows the crack. I hope!

Pixiechic

Also, in the last pic, can you see a little shoot coming up in the middle? Is that the bit that you can cut off and pot to grow a new aloe plant?

It seems healthy except the dropped leaf that's in the pics to the left, the drooping one and the cracked weeping leaf. I wonder if its in too sunnier spot maybe?

Badrick

Aloes will happily sit outside in full Summer sun, but do better indoors in a bright position, out of direct sunlight
The little shoot is a growing point, you'll get little plantlets (known as pups) growing around the parent plant, which you can dig out and pot up when they're a couple of inches high.
The bent leaf is just how lower leaves grow as they mature and the cracked leaf has probably had a knock by someone who hasn't owned up.

Ectophile

I think you're worrying too much.

In my experience, they are pretty tough plants, and very difficult to kill. The leaves may get damaged from time to time, but usually that leaf just shrivels and dies back, and the rest of the plant just carries on growing.

Mollymoonlight

I had an aloe Vera cutting I got from someone at work. I planted it and forgot about it and when I came across it again, it looked nearly dead! The leaves were brown and floppy. I sat it out in a south facing walled courtyard during summer and within a couple of weeks it was thriving. It's never looked back, it's a complete monster!

Pixiechic

Thank you!

Thanks for the advice and info, especially the 'pups' terminology, I can google it now so I know when and how to start a new plant! Thanks Badrick, great info

Thanks again, I won't worry so much now!

sammyroser

Yep tough little plants. One of my cats enjoys attacking plants so mine has plenty of cracks and snapped off bits and yet still grows really quick and healthy