Help! I think my pink aloe is dying
This is my pink aloe blush, which was all healthy 5 months back. Now it has lost its pink, its become thin, the leaves are curling up and it has lost a fee leaves as well. I don't know how to fix it. Please guide me. #aloevera
3” pot with drainage
Last watered 2 years ago
16
Best Answer
Hi! I accidentally lost all my aloe roots from root rot when I was new to succulents. Cut all of them off and wash like everyone said. It will be fine air drying for a few days, they are tough. You can do what everyone is saying and use a very gritty mixture—now that I’m experienced, I use about 10% succulent soil I got at Home Depot, and then the rest I do equal parts perlite and small rocks. You can find succulent rocks on Amazon but I get mine at Dollar Tree in the fake flower section—I get the decorative pebbles that look like aquarium rocks. They work just as well and are a fraction of the price. Wash them and let them dry before using. Then mix them with the perlite and a little bit of succulent soil. You can use some coarse sand too (not fine sand, like beach sand, that is too dense and can suffocate the roots). Once your aloe is cleaned up (I would also recommend using peroxide to disinfect the bottom and use it when you water for a few months—it helps oxygenate the roots), you can place it in this mixture and water sparingly. I water once every two weeks or so, but I use a chopstick to make sure the soil is bone dry first. If any dirt comes out on the chopstick, it’s too early to water. Roots will slowly grow back over time. However if you want to speed up root growth, then before you replant it, you can do what I did and suspend your newly cleaned up, rootless aloe over water—do not let the bottom of the plant touch the water, just barely let it hang above it. I used a jar with a small mouth so the leaves would hold it up but you can also use rubber bands over the mouth of the jar if it’s too big. You don’t want the aloe to fall in. Being suspended just above the water, it will quickly (in a couple weeks) start to grow new, healthy white roots. They will be reaching for the water and that’s good. Let them grow into the water but again keep the plant itself from touching the water or it will rot. Change the water every few days to prevent bacterial buildup. It took me about 3-4 months to grow beautiful, long, healthy roots this way. I just replanted it last week and it’s doing great. It’s really fun to watch the roots grow too. While this is all happening you will also notice your aloe growing and becoming healthier. Every week, while changing the water, remove the aloe and check the bottom and if there is any moisture on the base wipe it off with a paper towel. Use peroxide liberally throughout the process, it is wonderful at keeping disease away. If you have any questions let me know! Everyone here have great advice but I thought I’d share what I did in case you wanted to try it! I can send pics too to illustrate if you want. Good luck with your baby! 💚
@amnabilal whatever it is in remove it from there
Wash off all the roots and let it dry out
Then get suitable soil for aloe like cactus soil
This looks like mush
Aloe definitely does not need lots of "care" nor watering
Let it dry out between watering
Wash off all the roots and let it dry out
Then get suitable soil for aloe like cactus soil
This looks like mush
Aloe definitely does not need lots of "care" nor watering
Let it dry out between watering
Hey, yes as @LaBori276 says it looks like that soil is holding far too much water i would get either some succulent soil or bulk it out with grit/perlite/fine gravel. I would also look at the roots while you change the soil and remove any black ones.
Aloes like soil that doesnt hold onto water and drains well. As well as being neglected they can tolerate quite long periods without watering (depending on sun and temperature).
You can give it a water after new soil but then leave it to completely dry out before watering again.
Aloes like soil that doesnt hold onto water and drains well. As well as being neglected they can tolerate quite long periods without watering (depending on sun and temperature).
You can give it a water after new soil but then leave it to completely dry out before watering again.
Looks like it planted in mud and that will only suffocate the roots. You need a succulent soil mix like more chunkier soil the air gets through and water drains fast. A good DYI succulent soil mix uses only four ingredients (parts are by volume, not weight):
1 part coconut coir
1 part commercial potting or gardening soil. Get the cheapest you can find; typically it’s composted forest products and maybe a bit of manure.
2 parts pumice
Balanced slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food
A GOOD succulent mix has several basic but vital benefits:
It allows water to drain quickly, yet it retains enough to keep plants hydrated for a week or two.
It allows plenty of oxygen in the root zone. Succulents die because water displaces oxygen around the roots.
It provides enough nutrients without but doesn't weigh the mix down with too much organic matter.
1 part coconut coir
1 part commercial potting or gardening soil. Get the cheapest you can find; typically it’s composted forest products and maybe a bit of manure.
2 parts pumice
Balanced slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote Smart-Release Plant Food
A GOOD succulent mix has several basic but vital benefits:
It allows water to drain quickly, yet it retains enough to keep plants hydrated for a week or two.
It allows plenty of oxygen in the root zone. Succulents die because water displaces oxygen around the roots.
It provides enough nutrients without but doesn't weigh the mix down with too much organic matter.
Hi, Amna! Welcome to Greg!!
If you are going to get the soil from outside, I would recommend looking where you see other plants growing well. You'll want a bit sand, tiny rocks, a little bit of dry dirt, and some organic matter like small sticks and decaying leaves. Looking under large stones can expose some good organic matter. (:
If you can find ground that is more black-brown in color than brown in color, that might be helpful.
You'll want to stir them all up together becuase when you water your aloe, you'll want the water to flow through the mixture.
When you water your aloe, you'll okay want to give it a kiss of water. Not too much. (:
If you are going to get the soil from outside, I would recommend looking where you see other plants growing well. You'll want a bit sand, tiny rocks, a little bit of dry dirt, and some organic matter like small sticks and decaying leaves. Looking under large stones can expose some good organic matter. (:
If you can find ground that is more black-brown in color than brown in color, that might be helpful.
You'll want to stir them all up together becuase when you water your aloe, you'll want the water to flow through the mixture.
When you water your aloe, you'll okay want to give it a kiss of water. Not too much. (:
@TheLonelyDaff I checked the roots and all of them are black so should I remove them entirely? Would that not kill the plant?
@amnabilal remove the softest squishy roots, leave the ones closest to the plant, put it in a dry sunny place to let it dry out, repot with succulent perlite mix, maybe even some moss/coco coir too
@amnabilal yes you can cut them off and let the cut area dry out thats root rot. The aloe should start to grow roots where it was cut and grow back. You can also cut the stem further up if looks rotten and it do the same as above. But this will take some time so be patient.
Aloes are pretty hardy and tough
Aloes are pretty hardy and tough
I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize you were not in the US 🤦🏻♀️ Silly of me! You can still find small pebbles and like @sarahsalith said, it’s easy to find things in nature to use ♥️
@amnabilal yes I would do exactly that. That’s what I did with mine when they got soaked. Just two or three days should be enough to dry it out and gently brush the roots to get rid of rotten ones, then repot in a succulent mix. It should do much better after that.🍃🌿🌴