autodoor light sensor questions

[AndyRoo]

Hello all,

This is a query for the green-fingered people of this forum.

I got given this aloe plant and it's all droopy. I admit that I'm not exactly a botany expert, but aren't the stems meant to be rigid and go straight up?

Is there anything I can do to help it? Or is it beyond saving?

Thanks,

Andy

[Willow]

That doesn't look great. How damp is it? It should dry out completely between watering so I wonder if it might have been overwatered? They tend to thrive on some neglect which is why I wonder if it's had the opposite.

Does it have enough light? It doesn't necessarily want to be directly in the sun in case of scotching but it needs quite a bit of light.

[AndyRoo]

The soil is a little damp, but doesn't seem sodden. It's not in a particularly bright area, so maybe I'll move it to a windowsill that gets more light.

[Patricia W]

I’m over run by them!  Benign neglect is my policy.  It gets watered when I remember.  However, it is in a bright place but not in direct sun.  

[Willow]

1 hour ago, AndyRoo said:

The soil is a little damp, but doesn't seem sodden. It's not in a particularly bright area, so maybe I'll move it to a windowsill that gets more light.

As well as moving it to more light try not watering until the compost is dry. Trouble with plants that droop when too damp is its counterintuitive & we water them even more

[Beantree]

Ours grow outside AndyRoo, but what is relevant is we had to move them as they were not growing well. They were in a well fertilised shaded spot at the bottom of a bank, so they didn't get enough light and the soil was, at times, too wet. They were moved to poor quality soil in a well drained sunny area and the change was immediate; went from 3 droopy leaves before they rotted, to 8 upright leaves and the colour changed from green to a pale blue. Your leaves do seem very thin and droopy buy I suspect lack of sunlight is the main problem.

[AndyRoo]

Thanks all. I'm going to put it into a different pot and try and move it to a sunnier windowsill.

[soapdragon]

I think this could be overwatering.......if you re pot it don't use anything that's too rich. From memory, it will naturally grow on poor soil so over feeding it by using nutrient rich compost might not help it's overall health. A sunny windowsill would be a good place....I kept mine on the kitchen windowsill so as to be handy for burns!!!

[soapdragon]

How is the plant looking now, Andy? Hope it has perked up! 

[AndyRoo]

2 hours ago, soapdragon said:

How is the plant looking now, Andy? Hope it has perked up! 

Unfortunately not... several of the stems turned to brown sludge, so I put it out to pasture.

But I did buy a new aloe plant in its memory and that one is going ok; it's sitting happily on the kitchen windowsill and currently has all of its prongs pointing skyward, so I am tasking that as a good sign!

[soapdragon]

Oh dear! Hopefully your new aloe will be fine......fingers crossed! They are brilliant for kitchen first aid.

[Patricia W]

Andy Roo, remember benign neglect is the answer!  Good luck! 

[AndyRoo]

1 hour ago, Patricia W said:

Andy Roo, remember benign neglect is the answer!  Good luck! 

I'm treating it as one of my cacti from now on.