A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 aloe plant

i have a very big aloe plant that seems to be dying from the bottom up....the leaves start to get ridges on the bottom, then they turn brown from the tips in, and dry up.....am i watering it too much, or not watering it enough? my guess was i was watering it too much, since it really doesn't need a ton, but it seems strange the leaves would dry up from too much water...help please!!!!!

Hi,
You may be overwatering it, causing root rot. You can check the roots. Usually dead roots are brown, rotten, and mushy. :p How often are you watering it? Make sure you have a good, well-draining soil and a pot with holes. You should let the potting mix dry slightly before you water. Water sparingly during winter. Also, cool and damp air also can cause stem and leaf rot. So what are your conditions in which the plant has been growing in?

Good luck!

hi, thnx for replying.....i was watering it about once a week, but have since cut down with cooler weather starting. i have it placed in a sunny skylight in my kitchen, which is usually pretty warm and dry. is it possibly a natural occurance for an aole plant to shed it's lower leaves as it grows new ones (cuz the leaves on top are still firm and healthy)?

If the leaves are turning brown and dry starting at the tips and moving back, it's more likely that you might be underwatering your plant. (I have that problems in the office I'm at right now.) Overwatering causes black spots on the leaves.

The other things to check for might be mealy bugs, maybe? I know root mealy bugs like aloes, but I've never had a problem with that.

And I do have several aloes that 'shed' their bottom leaves. Part of that was the leaves got too large and heavy, and cut themselves on the edges of the pots they were in. (Does that make sense?)

I hope I helped, if not, just ignore what I said!

Reu

i'm hoping that it is just shedding it's bottom leaves, because it is a large plant, and the bottom leaves rest themselves on the edges of the pot.is there any way that i can support it somehow to keep this from happening? and how would i tell if it has root mealy bugs? would insectacidal soap cure this?