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| Rudi's blog - How I resurrect that rotting aloe This is how I go about resurrecting aloes which rot at the base. I have had great success and would like to share my experience. To remove the dead material the cut has to be clean and preferably square i.e. at right angles to the trunk or stem. A little brown discoloration on the fibrous core of the trunk is of no consequence as long as the outer hard rim is clean and firm. Next, a coat of Prune Wound Sealer is applied to the cut surface. This will inhibit fungus and bacterial infection. The plastic film that forms when the sealer dries will also prevent excessive loss of moisture. This commercial Prune Wound Sealer is obtainable at farmers Co-ops and nurseries. I always apply three coats of sealant, letting the plastic film dry thoroughly each time. Take an empty tin and punch it full of holes - bottom and sides! The treated aloe is placed in the tin and supported in an upright position with stones(roughly the size of golf balls) No soil. Place it in a protected area out of sun and rain and forget about it for six to eight weeks. No water. The patient can be inspected by removing some stones . Soon the first stubby yellowish roots will be noticed, protruding through the plastic film cover at the base of the trunk. Now is the time to plant the aloe in it's permanent position, before the root system fully develops. If the roots are left to grow longer they damage very easily and rot might set in. Some three years ago I bought a cutting from the giant Aloe dichotoma x Aloe barberae hybrid at Worcester N.B.G. The curator, Mr. Ian Oliver personally got on the stepladder and sawed off a truncheon, 30cm long and about 5cm in diameter, with a tuft of typical Aloe dichotoma leaves. After the prescribed treatment I put it in a protected place, which is under the working table, and completely forgot about it. The leaves had almost all withered away when after 5 months I looked at it again. Lo and behold, the truncheon had rooted ! It is now a handsome plant, 1,4 meter tall with a trunk 13 cm in diameter at the base. Two heads have already developed but the leaves are still in the long-leaf juvenile stage. In another couple of years this will be one monstrous tree aloe. Two Aloe africana with 30cm high stems started to rot. One plant had to be amputated about 12 cm above ground level. After proper treatment they both recovered fully and are now thriving. Other miraculous resurrections in our garden make me think that my treatment is the right one. more information on aloes |
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