Aloes. offset planting advice
- redsquirrel
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Aloes. offset planting advice
one for Smurnan or anyone else into these. got our first offset on a saponaria and am going to cut it off in the week if the time is right. Before i do,take a look and can anyone say yes do it now or leave it for a bit. first time this has happened here and would like to get it right. thanks
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Re: Aloes. offset planting advice
Thats pretty big Darren,
If you take it out of the pot it may have its own root structure. If so seperate it from the mother and leave it to dry for a few days so the wound heals over then just pot it on.
If it has no root, seperate it from the mother and wait for the wound to dry and then pot on in a coarse mix with some bottom heat. Keep it moist but not wet. I've just done this with a Doran Black that our cat kindly hit on the floor snapping the tiny offset away from the parent. It has 1cm of root after 10 days.
For agaves in a similar situation I use a rooting gel called Gel2Root. I get a clean small jar. Fill it to about 2cm depth put the unrooted offset in and replace the lid and within 1 - 2 weeks the agave will have rooted. I've saved some very small offsets this way and find it totally reliable whereas putting the offset into compost doesn't appear to work half as well.
Only problem is it just doesn't work for aloes. They just root off where as they are fine in the compost.
If you take it out of the pot it may have its own root structure. If so seperate it from the mother and leave it to dry for a few days so the wound heals over then just pot it on.
If it has no root, seperate it from the mother and wait for the wound to dry and then pot on in a coarse mix with some bottom heat. Keep it moist but not wet. I've just done this with a Doran Black that our cat kindly hit on the floor snapping the tiny offset away from the parent. It has 1cm of root after 10 days.
For agaves in a similar situation I use a rooting gel called Gel2Root. I get a clean small jar. Fill it to about 2cm depth put the unrooted offset in and replace the lid and within 1 - 2 weeks the agave will have rooted. I've saved some very small offsets this way and find it totally reliable whereas putting the offset into compost doesn't appear to work half as well.
Only problem is it just doesn't work for aloes. They just root off where as they are fine in the compost.
- redsquirrel
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Re: Aloes. offset planting advice
cheers Steve, it is one of those plants that has thrived on neglect.the odd water here and there in the summer and nothing else. with the main flower spike now coming,will it die afterwards?
mars ROVER broken down. headgasket faillure
Re: Aloes. offset planting advice
No Darren,
It won't die after flowering like an agave would. I've got aloes that have flowered repeatedly and are still going strong so it should be fine. Pity you haven't got another flowering nearby as you could have a go at hybridizing them.
It won't die after flowering like an agave would. I've got aloes that have flowered repeatedly and are still going strong so it should be fine. Pity you haven't got another flowering nearby as you could have a go at hybridizing them.
- redsquirrel
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Re: Aloes. offset planting advice
i will have a look on the bottom shelf,deb has a few different ones,surprisingly no casualties this year which is a first.
mars ROVER broken down. headgasket faillure
Re: Aloes. offset planting advice
I've just taken some offsets off of some of my aloes Darren but forgot to take some pictures of the way I do it
I was planning to post them so apologies. Let me know how it goes mate.
I was planning to post them so apologies. Let me know how it goes mate.
- redsquirrel
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Re: Aloes. offset planting advice
will do Steve, im hoping to get in there and chop it off sunday,then lower the plant down to let the flower have its day
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- redsquirrel
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Re: Aloes. offset planting advice
talking of aloes steve,some of ours are looking desperate for a drink,browning leaftips etc,the plicatilis is drying up quite a bit.i was advised strictly not to water until april at least.would you be tempted now?
mars ROVER broken down. headgasket faillure
Re: Aloes. offset planting advice
Darren,
If the tips are drying out that is a sure sign they need water. I don't subscribe to the point of view that you shouldn't water at all over winter and I lightly water mine but they are kept frost free as well. You shouldn't have any problems if you give them a light watering now.
If the tips are drying out that is a sure sign they need water. I don't subscribe to the point of view that you shouldn't water at all over winter and I lightly water mine but they are kept frost free as well. You shouldn't have any problems if you give them a light watering now.
- redsquirrel
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Re: Aloes. offset planting advice
i think the advice i was given has worked well as i rotted a few last year,none this year and all saw -5 but by jan when the real cold hit,they were pretty dry.
mars ROVER broken down. headgasket faillure
Re: Aloes. offset planting advice
Cold and wet they rot. Simple as Darren. However the heating & lighting mean I can do things slightly differently. If I had them in my cold greenhouse then I would definitely be keeping them on the dry side.