Aloe Time

I finally have managed to get all my aloes out onto the deck.  There are thirteen pots, maybe fourteen; I've lost count.  Many of the pots have multiple plants.  When I start a new plant I just cut off the top, peel away a few leaves and stick it in some potting soil.  The root I repot.  It always put at least three pups sometimes more.  I seem to be totally unable to toss anything resembling a plant that might grow.  I only discovered a few years ago that roots will grow when I left a cut off stem in the pot and it began putting out pups

 I blame my success on benign neglect.  They get sun and minimal amounts of water over the winter.  This also seems to encourage flowering which is strange and wonderful.  Only began happening a few years ago.

Yes, we are having hot weather, but really it's in the 80ºF. with lots of humidity.  I stay outside on the deck under my umbrella, with iced tea, and a fan.  Actually got a heat advisory warning from the local police saying to say hydrated etc and listing cooling places. 

Mostly I want to say, "Use the wits you were born with. Stay out of the direct sun, wear sun block, hat and sunglasses.

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun.    Noel Coward

As always, take care and thanks for stopping by..............*s* 

Aloes

 My aloe farm:  

Two years ago my first aloe had babies. So I carefully potted them up.  Then my original plant got so unwieldy that I cut it off, trimmed it down and gave it a new pot.  I forgot about the stump until it started sprouting new growth.  Originally there were five; one fell off so it too got a new pot.  This summer what were the original five baby plants became too rambunctious so they each got a trimming and repotting.  There were also new babies which I potted up.  I stuck all the old stumps in a large pot…..just because.

The upshot is That I now have an aloe plantation.  I will probably move some of them to  my bedroom when I bring more plants in.

We’ll see, grasshopper…….we’ll see……..

As always stay safe, and thanks for stopping by………..*s*

Aloe #4

The aloe stump is putting out a fourth sprout. I thought at first it was a rootlet, but after a week it has begun to look like a sprout. 

Even though I may be living in a jungle of aloes, palms et al by spring, I get a lot of pleasure out of the way plants survive and flourish. There should be many plants to go out by the pond come warm weather.

After a few days of sun and warmth it looks like we are in for a week end of wind and chilly rain. 

As always, stay safe, and thanks for stopping by...........*s*

 

Something Neat

I am becoming an aloe hoarder!  The aloe in the first picture is the top of my big aloe which was looking very sorry indeed.  I find that if I stick a few inches of stem into a pot, it will grow a new plant.

I left the old cut off plant in a corner of my deck. Last week when I was bringing plants in I found this, so of course it has to come in too.  In addition I have five that grew from babies off this plant. They are big enough to be putting out babies of their own.

 It always amazes me how plants will survive under the most adverse circumstances. 

As always, stay safe, and thanks for stopping by..............*s*