Need advice for sick aloe vera!
Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2021 11:41 pm
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:
Taken today, Apr. 27:
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:
Taken today, Apr. 27: