A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2005 Aloe plant

WE have a big aloe plant that has been outside on a sunny deck all summer. One day it received too much direct sun and looked to be burned. Many of the lower leaves turned brown, got mushy and then dried up. ( we moved it that day but the damage was done) now the middle of the plant looks healthy again but the brown,shriveled leaves are still there. Can I cut or break them off without hurting the plant. We are getting ready to bring it in for the winter and it looks BAAAAD.

I don't think it will hurt the plant to cut the yucky stuff off. It will probably thank you. :rolleyes:

No problem, you should cut those parts off. Hope you have much joy of all your houseplants all fall and winter long.

If the leaf is ok at the stem and you can take it off right at the stem, you can cut the damaged part off, set the leaf on damp sand, vermiculite, or a mixture of both, and it will grow a new plant from where the leaf met the stem. Have fun.

Aloe is one of the more ahrdy plants around,

cut if off like Margaret said and you will get new plant!

Aloes (and many succulents) take time to adjust to changes in light. I had a massive aloe plant that lived inside for a year and then was moved outside to a shady area. It did get a bit brown but eventually grew out of it. As the above posts said, cut the nasty parts off. They just drain the plant's energy and hinder the growth of healthier parts.