Renewing an Aloe Plant

My mother was a big succulent enthusiast and I got one of her aloe plants after she died - I moved it to my home in the middle of winter and it went through some shock getting accustomed to the change in growing conditions. Many of the 'leaves' or whatever you call them sort of withered on the ends and I finally cut them off. I recuperated and the growth above this point is lovely. It finally leaned over to one side and now there are some fresh new baby plants coming up from the soil in the pot while the original stem is now attempting to grow back up vertically after the lean.

Is there anyway to 'renew' this plant? I wish I could keep the top part of the original plant that looks wonderful and ditch the lower part that went through terrible trauma with my leaf amputation.

It is meaningful to me since it was my mom's and I'd like to see it flourish. It's already been at my home for 3 years now.

I hate to say this.;;;;;;; but you could top it. Be sure to save the top and let it dry out thoroughly. Wait until you see some sign of roots before you even think of putting it into soil again. Then water and fertilize.

Now you have two shots of saving the plant, new shoots should come out of the bottom (base) where you cut it off. You still have the babies which are really the same plant, just identical clones. It may be toppling over due to lack of light, it must grow in very good light. Be sure not to overwater, this could also cause the plant to stretch out.
Best of luck, I know how you feel about this plant, I still have one from Grandma. Norma

I have been tempted to do that - how much would you take off to 'top' it? There is probably at least 8" of nice growth. It just got so tall - it's in a very bright room with skylights in the southeast corner of the house so I don't think the light is the problem - I try to water sparingly every couple weeks but it is in the original pot my mom had it in - a lovely patterned one but with no drainage holes so I have to be careful. She had it in a sandy container mix.

Thank you so much - yes it is most meaningful to me and I think of mom everytime I look at it. She had these things in all the windows.

I have cut them off just below the bottom leaves and put the plant on top of a flat of soil. I have cut them off, leaving about 4" of stem set aside in a shady, dry place until you see roots which may take 6+ weeks, don't worry about the lower leaves, it doesn't hurt the plant to cut them off if unsightly. Most of them dry up anyway. The soil should be very porous, and it should be changed about once a year. After it gets roots be sure to fertilize regulary when the plant is in growth, we do it once a week after we water thoroughly. The big Aloe are in full sun, the miniature Madagascar plants are in partial sun and are in flower most of the year. If you have more questions don't hesitate to email me privately. P.S. My grandma died the day man set foot on the moon. Norma Lewis

Hi Cindy,
Yes, you must definitely top it. Some Aloes do grow in this fashion - with long stems and branching out from the base, and these naturally loose the lower leaves over time. But once it leans it is better to cut it off and re-root it.
Where you cut is a matter of taste. The stump will make new shoots, so you don't want to cut it too high on the stem.
I would repot the base (or the top, once it has roots and is ready to be planted) into another pot with a drainage hole and then put it back loose into your nice hole-less pot, using it as a cache-pot. It is better to water Aloe very generously when they are in growth, and then let it dry out between waterings. The soil must be well-draining, make sure you empty the cache-pot after watering.
You are going into winter now, so wait with doing all this until new growth starts and light levels increase in spring. It should not do much growing in winter, most Aloes are dormant then. Keep it dryer, and you may also keep it cooler during dormancy.
maddy

Let me be sure I have this right - I cut off the top that is looking good - do I leave several inches of 'stem' for the roots to form on or do they come right out from the top? Then on the bottom part that is still left from the main plant, do I cut that off toward the soil line or leave the leafless stem up several inches? I just set that piece off in the shade with now soil and the roots will form? In any case I will repot the bottom part with the new babies coming up nearby as you suggest - I have lots of small plastic pots and should be able to find one that will work. And then there will be (hopefully) two aloe's from mom!

I am actually a knowledgeable gardener about other things - isn't it amazing how so many different plants need different handling. I'd be thrilled to see it bloom - I don't know a thing about varieties but thius is a large leafed one that I would call a medicinal type but then I really know nothing about them. I can tell from browsing through the posts here that lots of you know a lot!

Well I did the deed! The top is cut and setting off to the side and I removed the dead leaves from what was left of the stump - there are the two small starts coming up in the soil to the side of the main plant. This weekend I'll get that part repotted with fresh soil and I've made a mental note to hope for roots by the end of November. Hope good thoughts for mom's aloe!