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Posted By: nancyb Frozen Aloe Vera - January 16th, 2007 at 07:30 AM
Help - this year it has gotten real cold, as in below freezing in Southern California. I have lots of Aloe Vera planted outside, and it doesn't look well. Kinda turned to gel. Any ideas on what I can do? Will some of it recover?

thanks, Nancy
Posted By: badplanter Re: Frozen Aloe Vera - January 16th, 2007 at 08:28 AM
Just cut off the parts that got really damaged--to prevent any rot. It/they should be fine.. thumbup

--Mark--
Posted By: nancyb Re: Frozen Aloe Vera - January 16th, 2007 at 11:52 AM
Do I need to wait until it quits freezing every night? That would be my assumption.

I also want to try scraping the gel off the leaves and see if I can keep it. I read somewhere that it might last okay in the freezer and then be usable as a salve on burns mostly. Anyone tried this?

Nancy
Posted By: badplanter Re: Frozen Aloe Vera - January 17th, 2007 at 05:37 AM
Quote
I also want to try scraping the gel off the leaves and see if I can keep it. I read somewhere that it might last okay in the freezer and then be usable as a salve on burns mostly.
It might work! thumbup

Although I've tried it once, and it didn't work out very well...
Posted By: margaret e. pell Re: Frozen Aloe Vera - January 17th, 2007 at 08:06 AM
Hi. Aloe Vera cannot sustain freezing temps. If only the leaves got frost bitten the roots will recover. Take off the damaged leaves and concerve whatever gel you can get from them asap. That will be fine. Now for the plant(s). As soon as you can take some offsets indoors to save the plants against future deeper frosts. For those that remian outdoors, mulch deeply to protect them against deeper frosts. Unfrozen roots will regrow. Frozen roots have died. My best to you. This winter is undoubetly weird. Here, in zone 4/5 NY, we've had frost, but not 24 hours below freezing. This just isn't right!
Posted By: gardeningmomma Re: Frozen Aloe Vera - January 17th, 2007 at 01:04 PM
Well, Margaret - you had to go and say that... it's -5 here in Rome tonight. yuck! How long until Spring? lala
Posted By: Bill Re: Frozen Aloe Vera - January 17th, 2007 at 01:09 PM
Quote
Originally posted by gardeningmomma:
Well, Margaret - you had to go and say that... it's -5 here in Rome tonight. yuck! How long until Spring? lala
Only 62 days 2 hours and 54 minutes left
until Spring!!!
Posted By: 1978LespaulCustom Re: Frozen Aloe Vera - January 17th, 2007 at 11:45 PM
Ughh woke up this morning it was 2 deg. out. Still no snow to speak of. Not sure I should complain about that or not. Just plain weird. Sorry to hear about your Aloe plant, I hope the lill fellar makes it. I doubt the roots would be frozen. Hasn't been cold in Cali to get into the ground. Thes plants are tough lill Ba$!ar*S! They take a lickin and keep on tickin. Good luck!
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