Need advice for sick aloe vera!

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smolderingskies
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2021 4:03 pm
Location: Florida - Zone 9b

Need advice for sick aloe vera!

Post by smolderingskies »

Hi there! This is my first post in the forum, I'm just starting out on my succulent/cactus hobby and I'm really excited to be here!

About three weeks ago my grandmother gave me some aloe vera plants that she had supposedly found on the side of the road with a sign that said "free, take one." Once I got them home it became really clear that these are not healthy plants. They're both dull in color and have several shriveled leaves on the bottom. I've already pruned back one set of dead leaves, so they've gotten worse. The photo with both plants was taken exactly one week ago - so you can see that the coloration has gotten worse, too.

The greener plant (with the rose quartz in the pot) has a terrible ant infestation, although they're both infested to some degree. They're medium sized black ants and are always crawling on the leaves. When I got the plants they had dishes - yesterday I watered them and removed the dishes to allow for drainage, and they were just totally full of scrambling ants.

The soil appears to be some kind of mix of potting soil and a fine sand (like play sand, maybe). But in the more orangey plant, the sand is definitely clumped up into balls below the surface, which I can't imagine is ideal.

I currently have them out on my porch because I really don't want the ants in my home, but I'd really like to fix both issues! Are these guys salvageable? Would there be any harm in replanting them (and transplanting those babies into new pots while I'm at it)? Would repotting them get rid of the ants? I have cactus potting soil, perlite, and coarse sand I could mix together for a new potting soil, but I've never had aloes and I don't really know what they need. I'm afraid if I move them I'll just stress them out and kill them.

Thanks so much in advance for any advice I get!!

Taken on Apr. 20:
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Taken today, Apr. 27:
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Jangaudi
Posts: 457
Joined: Sun Aug 04, 2019 2:21 pm
Location: Gent, Belgium

Re: Need advice for sick aloe vera!

Post by Jangaudi »

They actually don't look all that bad, shriveled lower leaves is part of the normal cycle, and the reddish hue could be from exposure to sun, if they have been in the shadow before that. You won't have any problems to salvage them I think. But yes, new soil would be best, some cacti potting mix, coarse sand and some perlite are ok, but I'd try to add a good load of gritty bits to it, small pebbles, pumice or crushed brick.
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anttisepp
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Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 12:00 pm
Location: Suomi - Finland

Re: Need advice for sick aloe vera!

Post by anttisepp »

Nice healthy plants. Reddish color due to sun after shade, not dangerous.
Give them bigger pots, more water and hold all year round outdoors (bring inside only when temps are subzero in C).
smolderingskies
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2021 4:03 pm
Location: Florida - Zone 9b

Re: Need advice for sick aloe vera!

Post by smolderingskies »

This is such a huge relief, thank you so much! I'm running out now to get them bigger pots - I definitely have some aquarium gravel I can rinse and mix in with the soil for some coarser potting mix, so that's easy peasy.

Are the ants not a concern at all then?
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greenknight
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Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 4:18 am
Location: SW Washington State zone 8b

Re: Need advice for sick aloe vera!

Post by greenknight »

The ants are a concern for you, not for the plants - you don't want ants in your house. You need to get rid of all that old soil anyway, you'll get rid of the ants at the same time. Take the plants outdoors, dump them out of their pots, and use a garden hose to spray the roots clean. Roots sunburn easily, so either work in the shade or remove the plants immediately from the sun.

I agree with anttisepp, they're healthy plants, one is bronzed from the sun. They're in bad soil, but this is a tolerant species.
Spence :mrgreen:
abhikjha
Posts: 292
Joined: Sun Feb 21, 2021 1:57 am

Re: Need advice for sick aloe vera!

Post by abhikjha »

Agree! Bronze color is not a problem at all. When I got mine from local nursery, it was all green. But when I put them in direct sun, within few days it turned bronze. I brought them indoor and kept for a week in bright indirect light, and it turned all green again. I again put them in direct sunlight and its doing fine with all green leaves with lots of pups.

Ants could be a major problem as others said. Aphids, mealybugs and nearly all critters attract ants. They have symbiotic relationship, ants protect them from good bugs and in return get honey like secretion from these bugs. To remove both of them, you can use neem oil with normal dishwasher soap in diluted water (will work effectively on bugs) and asafetida with dettol / savlon for ants(this works like charm on ants).
Tropical weather, no winters! :roll:
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