Aloe Hercules

[Jonah B]

Hello!

New to this..I just recently bought a beautiful 5 gallon aloe hercules. I would love for it to thrive and not kill it lol. What brand soil do you suggest I use for it? I plan to keep it in a pot for now. I've heard mixed reviews about the cactus and palm mix from Kellogs which I have.  I've also heard it's best to add pumice or perlite to the mix.  Also can anyone give me advice on which size pot to get? how often to water and best place to let it hang out outside? Thanks!

[Silas_Sancona]

14 minutes ago, Jonah B said:

Hello!

New to this..I just recently bought a beautiful 5 gallon aloe hercules. I would love for it to thrive and not kill it lol. What brand soil do you suggest I use for it? I plan to keep it in a pot for now. I've heard mixed reviews about the cactus and palm mix from Kellogs which I have.  I've also heard it's best to add pumice or perlite to the mix.  Also can anyone give me advice on which size pot to get? how often to water and best place to let it hang out outside? Thanks!

Jonah B Welcome to the forum,

Would suggest mixing your own soil rather than using the bagged " stuff " I myself use a mix of Pumice, Turface ( MVP.. Most Lawn/Irrigation Supply places carry it ) and grit.. and something like Coco peat for the organic component. Have noticed they grow better in that rather than " Cactus Mix " and it drains well also.

Depending where you are/ how long you'll be keeping it in a pot would probably go from the 5gal it is in to something like a 10 or 15gal.. Sounds big but these things grow BIG/ fill the container in a relatively short amount of time. Will get quite heavy as they grow also.

As far as watering? Haven't watered mine ( are all in pots atm also ) since November. In Summer, i water once or twice a month.. That may vary depending on your location.. Heat/ very low humidity here means my soil dries fairly quickly. These things can go longer w/out much water, esp. once in the ground.  Which ever pot you plant it in, be sure it has drainage holes..  Don't want water to sit around the roots, ever.

Hope this helps..

Edited January 14, 2021 by Silas_Sancona
edit

[Jonah B]

Thanks Silas! I live in So Cal - Redlands. Weather right now is fluctuating between 60s-low 80s. Summers are dry and hot. So even bi weekly watering isn’t good for now? I will look into your soiL mix. What kind of grit like sand or perlite? What is the ratio of ingredients? Sorry still learning. And no fertilizer, right? Also do you find they are easily prone to bugs or pests? If so how do you deal? TIA!

[mnorell]

Jonah--

Silas very much knows what he's talking about, the commercial "cactus mix" bags you'll find at the big box stores are junk. They are just typical peat-based mix with a tiny bit of perlite thrown in. A real cactus/succulent mix (this is also a good mix for most plants!) should be more mineral-based than organic, so pumice (you can buy it in nurseries or online by grain-size, bigger is better...you can also get calcined clay which I think will work similarly to the Turface if you can't find it; black lava rock (HD carries bags of it here in the Coachella Valley), some decomposed granite, coarse sand, just get a good gritty mix with very little in the way of fine organics. And I have found that coco coir CHUNKS (rather than the standard pulverized coir) really help because the chunks are so absorbent, it will act like a sponge to hold water and release it as necessary to the roots while maintaining the vitally important air spaces. You can buy dehydrated blocks of it on Amazon. If you must add in a little commercial "cactus mix" as "soil," I have found the Kellogg's Organic Cactus mix is a much better starter to mix in with all of these things than the Miracle-Gro "what a joke" cactus mix. Also, don't put rocks in the bottom of your pot, you will wind up with a very wet 3" area above your rocks that can rot your roots and you will have no idea you have overwatered it (this phenomenon is called a perched water table). Use the same mix throughout, from top to bottom and once you have really watered it, just wet down the top material as it dries out, don't let the hose linger too long at all. I almost lost my 'Hercules' aloe (and I did lose a large Furcraea Macdougalii) last summer by accidentally overwatering in the intense heat. I have learned my lesson and that hercules is now growing back well with NO water at all.

[Jonah B]

23 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Jonah B Welcome to the forum,

Would suggest mixing your own soil rather than using the bagged " stuff " I myself use a mix of Pumice, Turface ( MVP.. Most Lawn/Irrigation Supply places carry it ) and grit.. and something like Coco peat for the organic component. Have noticed they grow better in that rather than " Cactus Mix " and it drains well also.

Depending where you are/ how long you'll be keeping it in a pot would probably go from the 5gal it is in to something like a 10 or 15gal.. Sounds big but these things grow BIG/ fill the container in a relatively short amount of time. Will get quite heavy as they grow also.

As far as watering? Haven't watered mine ( are all in pots atm also ) since November. In Summer, i water once or twice a month.. That may vary depending on your location.. Heat/ very low humidity here means my soil dries fairly quickly. These things can go longer w/out much water, esp. once in the ground.  Which ever pot you plant it in, be sure it has drainage holes..  Don't want water to sit around the roots, ever.

Hope this helps..

Hi so I’m having trouble finding pumice and turf ace. Will perlite be a good sub for pumice? And will this be an OK sub for turface? 
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/ep-minerals-safety-absorbent

I found sphagnum peat moss at a local HD will that work instead of cocoa peat? 
 

thanks! 

[Silas_Sancona]

2 minutes ago, Jonah B said:

Hi so I’m having trouble finding pumice and turf ace. Will perlite be a good sub for pumice? And will this be an OK sub for turface? 
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/ep-minerals-safety-absorbent

I found sphagnum peat moss at a local HD will that work instead of cocoa peat? 
 

thanks! 

Turface ( MVP.. other Turface products are too soft/break down quickly ) should be available from any Irrigation/ Turf management supply store.. Is often used on Baseball fields. The "absorbent" stuff from Tractor Supply will stay too wet/ turn to mush in a pot in time.

Would avoid both Sphagnum and Perlite.. Sphagnum will stay too wet/ deteriorates quickly, Perlite floats up ( and out ) of the soil mix over time leaving air pockets, and allowing finer silt/clay/organic materials to compact and become overly saturated for too long.. Horrible stuff..

As mentioned in your comment in the " For Sale " section, look for something called " Chicken Grit ", esp. if you are located somewhere where you can't find Pumice. In Florida, if that is where you're located.. there's a product the big box stores sell called Paver Base.. is essentially broken up Limestone. Will work as a substitute for pumice as well.

Coco peat can be found at places like HD, Pet stores( used for Reptile Bedding ), Hydroponic supply stores..  Is often sold as a dry brick you soak and break up. One brick of it will easily fill a 5gal bucket ( or two ) once expanded in water.

[Jonah B]

2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Turface ( MVP.. other Turface products are too soft/break down quickly ) should be available from any Irrigation/ Turf management supply store.. Is often used on Baseball fields. The "absorbent" stuff from Tractor Supply will stay too wet/ turn to mush in a pot in time.

Would avoid both Sphagnum and Perlite.. Sphagnum will stay too wet/ deteriorates quickly, Perlite floats up ( and out ) of the soil mix over time leaving air pockets, and allowing finer silt/clay/organic materials to compact and become overly saturated for too long.. Horrible stuff..

As mentioned in your comment in the " For Sale " section, look for something called " Chicken Grit ", esp. if you are located somewhere where you can't find Pumice. In Florida, if that is where you're located.. there's a product the big box stores sell called Paver Base.. is essentially broken up Limestone. Will work as a substitute for pumice as well.

Coco peat can be found at places like HD, Pet stores( used for Reptile Bedding ), Hydroponic supply stores..  Is often sold as a dry brick you soak and break up. One brick of it will easily fill a 5gal bucket ( or two ) once expanded in water.

Hi Silas,

I was able to get Turface and coco peat in the form of this https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zoo-med-eco-earth-compressed-coconut-fiber-expandable-substrate-905771?cm_mmc=PSH-_-GGL-_-CCY-_-CCO-_-PET-_-AQU-_-0-_-PM_GGL_FY20_SBU05_CompanionAnimal_BOPIS_NewCust_LIA-SMRT-_-0-_-0&gclid=CjwKCAiAl4WABhAJEiwATUnEF6TH3XtVzISuNCir5SLMjdJ_BDooMQy6boZKlIxyaP7ucm9j6mjy4BoCGJEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds hope it’s the same thing. I also got chicken grit. Should I include a little of bit of the Cactus mix That I have into the mix for nutrients or slow release fertilizer? Also how many parts of each should I use? I’ll be putting my aloe in a 15 gallon pot. Also is this mix good for other aloe/succulent plants if I want to plant them in the ground? Thanks so much guys for all the advice! 

[Silas_Sancona]

10 minutes ago, Jonah B said:

Hi Silas,

I was able to get Turface and coco peat in the form of this https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zoo-med-eco-earth-compressed-coconut-fiber-expandable-substrate-905771?cm_mmc=PSH-_-GGL-_-CCY-_-CCO-_-PET-_-AQU-_-0-_-PM_GGL_FY20_SBU05_CompanionAnimal_BOPIS_NewCust_LIA-SMRT-_-0-_-0&gclid=CjwKCAiAl4WABhAJEiwATUnEF6TH3XtVzISuNCir5SLMjdJ_BDooMQy6boZKlIxyaP7ucm9j6mjy4BoCGJEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds hope it’s the same thing. I also got chicken grit. Should I include a little of bit of the Cactus mix That I have into the mix for nutrients or slow release fertilizer? Also how many parts of each should I use? I’ll be putting my aloe in a 15 gallon pot. Also is this mix good for other aloe/succulent plants if I want to plant them in the ground? Thanks so much guys for all the advice! 

Perfect..  If you add any of the bagged Cactus Mix, keep the %'age in the mix below 10%.  For this guy, and your other Aloe/ Succulents, would mix a ratio similar to this:

40% Turface
30 ( or 40 ) % Chicken Grit ( and or Pumice/ other gritty/ gravely material you'd add for drainage )
10 or 20% Coco Peat ( 10% if you add some of the bagged cactus mix )

You want the soil to be quite chunky and drain off excess water applied quickly. Both the Turface and Coco Peat will retain more than enough moisture for the plant.

Here's the basis for most of my mixes for a majority of my Cacti/ Succulents ( and other stuff like Caudex forming trees/ Pachypodium, -if you grow any-.. Desert Rose, many Cycads, ..etc stuff that needs well drained soil ) Can add in X %'age of coco peat for stuff that wants more organics in the soil..  Takes a little playing around with the ratios, but pretty easy to figure out. I started sifting the soil mix from stuff i've lost recently to recycle the Turface/Pumice, etc components. Beats tossing it and wasting money on buying more.


The main ingredients i use: "Black stuff/tan stuff " in this pic. is the organics/ fine sand you don't want in your soil mix ( unless it is something that can tolerate heavier soil. )


What grit should look like ( Chicken Grit/ Decomposed Granite Grit, etc ) The stuff pictured below i collect from a local Wash.


In the ground, you often don't have to worry as much about the soil ( unless yours is really heavy clay and doesn't drain well ) In such cases, yes, adding stuff like Turface, Grit/Gravel/ Pumice/ crushed Lava rock will help w/ drainage.

As far as fertilizing.. Not really necessary for succulents/ cacti but, if you do.. go organic and go higher on Potassium rather than Nitrogen or Phosphorus.. Lots of great options out there to research. Great for anything else you're growing too.  Spreading around crushed Egg Shells is a GREAT way to add Calcium to the soil ( potted stuff/ things in the ground ) I'll add some to the soil mix i plant certain types of Cacti in.

[Jonah B]

Wow this is a lot of great information. Thank you so much! I noticed your drainage hole in the pot is big. The pot that I bought comes with a smaller hole. Should I dig up more holes? I wish I saw this site sooner. I just potted a nice Mexican grass tree and crassula blue wave in nothing but Cactus mix last week. Now I know better! 

[Silas_Sancona]

14 minutes ago, Jonah B said:

Wow this is a lot of great information. Thank you so much! I noticed your drainage hole in the pot is big. The pot that I bought comes with a smaller hole. Should I dig up more holes? I wish I saw this site sooner. I just potted a nice Mexican grass tree and crassula blue wave in nothing but Cactus mix last week. Now I know better! 

Just used the Pot ( w the gravel on it ) as a prop.. I use regular black plastic pots for most things, at least until i move.. Have a habit of breaking nicer pots, lol.

The Crassula should be fine, just don't water too often. They, and some other succulents aren't as particular about the soil they grow in. Grass tree should also be ok..

Should mention, if you haven't planted it yet, use some screen over the drain hole/ holes in the pot.. will help keep out soil dwelling bugs/ keep the soil mix in the pot. 

[Jonah B]

How high from the base of the pot should I plant it? 
 

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, Jonah B said:

How high from the base of the pot should I plant it? 
 

You want the top of the root ball to be no lower than about 3" below the rim of the pot. 

[Jonah B]

Do I need to do any sifting of the mix?

[Jonah B]

21 hours ago, mnorell said:

Jonah--

Silas very much knows what he's talking about, the commercial "cactus mix" bags you'll find at the big box stores are junk. They are just typical peat-based mix with a tiny bit of perlite thrown in. A real cactus/succulent mix (this is also a good mix for most plants!) should be more mineral-based than organic, so pumice (you can buy it in nurseries or online by grain-size, bigger is better...you can also get calcined clay which I think will work similarly to the Turface if you can't find it; black lava rock (HD carries bags of it here in the Coachella Valley), some decomposed granite, coarse sand, just get a good gritty mix with very little in the way of fine organics. And I have found that coco coir CHUNKS (rather than the standard pulverized coir) really help because the chunks are so absorbent, it will act like a sponge to hold water and release it as necessary to the roots while maintaining the vitally important air spaces. You can buy dehydrated blocks of it on Amazon. If you must add in a little commercial "cactus mix" as "soil," I have found the Kellogg's Organic Cactus mix is a much better starter to mix in with all of these things than the Miracle-Gro "what a joke" cactus mix. Also, don't put rocks in the bottom of your pot, you will wind up with a very wet 3" area above your rocks that can rot your roots and you will have no idea you have overwatered it (this phenomenon is called a perched water table). Use the same mix throughout, from top to bottom and once you have really watered it, just wet down the top material as it dries out, don't let the hose linger too long at all. I almost lost my 'Hercules' aloe (and I did lose a large Furcraea Macdougalii) last summer by accidentally overwatering in the intense heat. I have learned my lesson and that hercules is now growing back well with NO water at all.

For reference, how much did you overwater it? 

[Jonah B]

11 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

You want the top of the root ball to be no lower than about 3" below the rim of the pot. 

Thanks also sorry for all the questions but should I remove the old soil before potting it? 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, Jonah B said:

Thanks also sorry for all the questions but should I remove the old soil before potting it? 

No worries... Better to ask than not.. 

Not necessary to remove what it was potted in. Roots will grow into the newer stuff.  You could lightly brush the edge of the root ball with your hand when planting, but no need to break it up, like people do when planting things like Annuals/ Veggies..

No need to worry if some of the soil comes off when moving between pots.. just make sure there aren't any air pockets when setting in the bigger container. I'll usually slowly add in the newer soil,  then use something to be sure it fills any gaps, then continue adding more until the space between the bottom/edge of the new pot and the root ball is filled in to the right depth. ( never deeper than the top of the root ball/ base of the trunk. Some people will wet the soil as they mix it in to help eliminate any air pockets/ settle the soil better. 

If you decide to, you can add a 1/2-1" layer of decorative gravel/rock ( say 1/2" -3/4" size ) to the top to make it look more attractive/natural, ..give it a "finished " look, as some people would say... Won't hurt the plant.

[mnorell]

10 hours ago, Jonah B said:

For reference, how much did you overwater it? 

I can't exactly say, but I was doing a daily watering around the yard, and some of those days I would hit the Aloe with a bit of water, it is in a 15gal container by our pool, in morning sun only, in Rancho Mirage. Last summer was a record-breaker day after day, and hit 121/122 a few times. Toward the end of the year the leaves started blanching/burning/drying and collapsing and I knew something was very wrong (and I assume this hybrid should be able to take the desert heat). I immediately though about overwatering...luckily the tiny new bud/meristem-area leaves were still firm...and halted all watering for several months; and around November new growth was expanding quite nicely at the top. My two Furcraeas were in worse condition. They both started into growth but the smallest (3gal) collapsed/rotted a few weeks ago; and the larger 10-gallon that had suffered the same initial collapse has several new leaves and continues to grow. I "thought" I had watered those less, as they were a little farther from the hose, but I also thought they could handle more summer wetness since they are from a dry tropical/monsoon habitat (Oaxaca).

Now that I examine the substrate (and at least one of them, I think all three, were grown by Rancho Soledad, since potting medium is identical), I see they are planted in a mixture of pumice and fine peat or coir-dust, with a few coco-peat "chunks" scattered through as well. To me, and knowing what I know now, that mix is far too heavy on fine peat for my own watering tendencies. My error was largely that I didn't bother to investigate the soil composition. Meanwhile I had carefully managed a baby Aloe dichotoma, which I had planted in very coarse gravelly rock in a small pot on the pool-patio in almost full sun (only the roots protected from scorching heat by surrounding plants), and only glanced it with water once a month or so. It did just fine, and should be infinitely more touchy with moisture than Aloe 'Hercules.' 

All I can say is that I should have repotted the 'Hercules' and the Furcraea macdougalii into a mix leaning much more toward pure rock/gravel (and I will once they've recovered). If I had, I'm sure I wouldn't have gone through this even with my overwatering. But again, depending on whether you have more or less watering self-control, you can probably get away with something heavier or lighter on rock/gravel vs. coco-peat dust or chips. Investment in a good moisture meter (I have now done so) can also help to track the condition around the root-zone.i

[Jonah B]

2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

No worries... Better to ask than not.. 

Not necessary to remove what it was potted in. Roots will grow into the newer stuff.  You could lightly brush the edge of the root ball with your hand when planting, but no need to break it up, like people do when planting things like Annuals/ Veggies..

No need to worry if some of the soil comes off when moving between pots.. just make sure there aren't any air pockets when setting in the bigger container. I'll usually slowly add in the newer soil,  then use something to be sure it fills any gaps, then continue adding more until the space between the bottom/edge of the new pot and the root ball is filled in to the right depth. ( never deeper than the top of the root ball/ base of the trunk. Some people will wet the soil as they mix it in to help eliminate any air pockets/ settle the soil better. 

If you decide to, you can add a 1/2-1" layer of decorative gravel/rock ( say 1/2" -3/4" size ) to the top to make it look more attractive/natural, ..give it a "finished " look, as some people would say... Won't hurt the plant.

Thank you. All great advice. I agree putting gravel on as a dressing enhances the look. I did that with my dasilyrion. Im letting my peat dry outside for now. How long before I can start to use it?  I’ve attached pics of what they look like currently and pic of the Hercules. I have a couple of aloe Cameronii that has been distressed when I bought it. I am not sure if I want to grow it in a pot or ground as I heard they can grow messy. I figure if I grow in a pot it would be easier to maintain? Thoughts? 

[Silas_Sancona]

3 minutes ago, Jonah B said:

Thank you. All great advice. I agree putting gravel on as a dressing enhances the look. I did that with my dasilyrion. Im letting my peat dry outside for now. How long before I can start to use it?  I’ve attached pics of what they look like currently and pic of the Hercules. I have a couple of aloe Cameronii that has been distressed when I bought it. I am not sure if I want to grow it in a pot or ground as I heard they can grow messy. I figure if I grow in a pot it would be easier to maintain? Thoughts? 

As long as the Coco peat isn't sopping wet, you can mix it w/ the other components when you're ready to re pot.

As for the other Aloe, these do look good in pots ..or in ground  though, as you mention, they can get a little messy after awhile. in a pot you can keep it tidied up better. Coloration on it looks normal, at least from others i've seen, for the time of year.. That one you might consider carefully  removing some of the soil from the root ball when you repot or plant ( if you decide to ). Used to sell lots of these back in CA. and they often were planted in too soil mix that was rich/ water retaining  by the growers the nursery i'd worked for bought from.

 

[Jonah B]

6 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

As long as the Coco peat isn't sopping wet, you can mix it w/ the other components when you're ready to re pot.

As for the other Aloe, these do look good in pots ..or in ground  though, as you mention, they can get a little messy after awhile. in a pot you can keep it tidied up better. Coloration on it looks normal, at least from others i've seen, for the time of year.. That one you might consider carefully  removing some of the soil from the root ball when you repot or plant ( if you decide to ). Used to sell lots of these back in CA. and they often were planted in too soil mix that was rich/ water retaining  by the growers the nursery i'd worked for bought from.

 

Ok so I have clay soil, I’d like to try planting a blue glow agave and aneonium and see how it goes. Do I need to try amend the soil or can I just dig a hole and put the plants in with gritty mix? 

[Silas_Sancona]

16 minutes ago, Jonah B said:

Ok so I have clay soil, I’d like to try planting a blue glow agave and aneonium and see how it goes. Do I need to try amend the soil or can I just dig a hole and put the plants in with gritty mix? 

Dig your hole ( for both ) a few inches wider/ deeper than the width/depth of the pot and mix the gritty stuff w/ the native soil say at a ratio of 60/40. Both of these tolerate normal soil well so you shouldn't have any issues but adding chunky stuff will definitely help w/ drainage if you get a lot of rain/ are heavy handed on the water in that spot.

Assuming you're out in California, you really shouldn't have to water much after getting them settled in after planting. Maybe once or twice until March.. Once established, Blue Glow can survive on a good soaking every month during the summer, ..less or none through the winter.  The Aeonium should be fine given a good soak every 2 or 3 weeks. 

[Jonah B]

Thank you for taking the time to answer all of my newbie planting questions. I truly appreciate it. You are a wealth of knowledge. Curious...You mentioned you sold plants in California? Do you have a nursery or are you in the business? Should I worry about pests and insects with these plants? If so, any way to prevent or treat them? I noticed a bunch of aphids in my potted pansies today and gave them a good soak with soap and water. Hoping it took care of it. 

52 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Dig your hole ( for both ) a few inches wider/ deeper than the width/depth of the pot and mix the gritty stuff w/ the native soil say at a ratio of 60/40. Both of these tolerate normal soil well so you shouldn't have any issues but adding chunky stuff will definitely help w/ drainage if you get a lot of rain/ are heavy handed on the water in that spot.

Assuming you're out in California, you really shouldn't have to water much after getting them settled in after planting. Maybe once or twice until March.. Once established, Blue Glow can survive on a good soaking every month during the summer, ..less or none through the winter.  The Aeonium should be fine given a good soak every 2 or 3 weeks. 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

1 minute ago, Jonah B said:

Thank you for taking the time to answer all of my newbie planting questions. I truly appreciate it. You are a wealth of knowledge. Curious...You mentioned you sold plants in California? Do you have a nursery or are you in the business? Should I worry about pests and insects with these plants? If so, any way to prevent or treat them? I noticed a bunch of aphids in my potted pansies today and gave them a good soak with soap and water. Hoping it took care of it. 

 

Appreciate the thumbs up.. Just like helping people whenever/where ever i can..  Besides, i was a newbie myself.  Still learning as well.

Used to work for a well known Nursery company in San Jose, if you're familiar w/ that part of the S.F. Bay Area.. and another nursery in the same general area before i left California.  Officially, been " in the business " since about 2000, both in San Jose/ CA., and 4 other states. Beyond that, have been growing/ studying everything/anything plants for a "bit" longer. ..Pretty much born with a hand full of seeds to plant, lol..

Not in business for myself atm but working toward it, esp. once out of here.. ( Moving back to CA soon.. )

Aloes?.. for the most part, you should be fine pest-wise.. There is a pest called Aloe Mite to watch out for, but you can usually spot infected plants pretty easily.  Same w/ the Agave, ..unless you're in an area where Agave Weevil occurs ( mainly S. Cal. though possibly other areas of the state ) we have another bug that puts holes in Agave but mostly confined to AZ/N.M, down into Mexico.  ..Can't remember if either are attracted to Blue Glow but there ways to keep them away.  Agave Mite is another thing to watch out for,  esp if you start/are building a collection of Agave.. Some nurseries are pretty good about monitoring for/ dealing with them, others, ..not so much.  Have to do your homework as to what to look for to know if they're on plants you might purchase. Can be delt with, but stuff to kill them isn't cheap and you have to rotate what you use. Most people who have infected plants just toss them out.

Biggest threat to most leafy- type succulents ( your Aeonium, Crassulas, etc ) are Snails/ Slugs.. Sometimes gnaw on low growing Aloes as well.  Salt, a small container w/ some beer in it ( they drown in it ), or snail bait usually takes care of them.

 

[Jonah B]

3 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Appreciate the thumbs up.. Just like helping people whenever/where ever i can..  Besides, i was a newbie myself.  Still learning as well.

Used to work for a well known Nursery company in San Jose, if you're familiar w/ that part of the S.F. Bay Area.. and another nursery in the same general area before i left California.  Officially, been " in the business " since about 2000, both in San Jose/ CA., and 4 other states. Beyond that, have been growing/ studying everything/anything plants for a "bit" longer. ..Pretty much born with a hand full of seeds to plant, lol..

Not in business for myself atm but working toward it, esp. once out of here.. ( Moving back to CA soon.. )

Aloes?.. for the most part, you should be fine pest-wise.. There is a pest called Aloe Mite to watch out for, but you can usually spot infected plants pretty easily.  Same w/ the Agave, ..unless you're in an area where Agave Weevil occurs ( mainly S. Cal. though possibly other areas of the state ) we have another bug that puts holes in Agave but mostly confined to AZ/N.M, down into Mexico.  ..Can't remember if either are attracted to Blue Glow but there ways to keep them away.  Agave Mite is another thing to watch out for,  esp if you start/are building a collection of Agave.. Some nurseries are pretty good about monitoring for/ dealing with them, others, ..not so much.  Have to do your homework as to what to look for to know if they're on plants you might purchase. Can be delt with, but stuff to kill them isn't cheap and you have to rotate what you use. Most people who have infected plants just toss them out.

Biggest threat to most leafy- type succulents ( your Aeonium, Crassulas, etc ) are Snails/ Slugs.. Sometimes gnaw on low growing Aloes as well.  Salt, a small container w/ some beer in it ( they drown in it ), or snail bait usually takes care of them.

 

Beer huh. Interesting. Please see attached picture. I just noticed this on my Hercules - raised discolored bumps on 2 leaves. Please don’t tell me it’s Aloe mite :(. ALso if you zoom in on the stem there appears to be little brown spots. They are smooth and doesn’t rub off. 

Edited January 17, 2021 by Jonah B

[Silas_Sancona]

7 hours ago, Jonah B said:

Beer huh. Interesting. Please see attached picture. I just noticed this on my Hercules - raised discolored bumps on 2 leaves. Please don’t tell me it’s Aloe mite Also if you zoom in on the stem there appears to be little brown spots. They are smooth and doesn’t rub off. 

It could be... Plant could have had them and been treated.  Regardless, you may trim off those lower leaves, up to where the second circled one is, ..using something like a box cutter/ exactor blade, starting w/ the bottom leaves first.. Leave about 2" though ( don't cut each leaf all the way back to the stem ) Might not look great until they fall off, but won't hurt the plant and the remaining section ( attached to the stem ) will dry up and fall off later.  Your plant will probably be fine.. but monitor it, just in case.. Unfortunately, how plants get them/ how they spread is pretty random it seems. " X Hurcules" and some of the tree-type aloes are supposedly more resistant to them, compared to other types.

Here's an article written by Geoff Stein, ( Palmbob )  one of our long time members/contributors regarding Aloe Mite back in 2009.
https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2145/

[Jonah B]

4 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

It could be... Plant could have had them and been treated.  Regardless, you may trim off those lower leaves, up to where the second circled one is, ..using something like a box cutter/ exactor blade, starting w/ the bottom leaves first.. Leave about 2" though ( don't cut each leaf all the way back to the stem ) Might not look great until they fall off, but won't hurt the plant and the remaining section ( attached to the stem ) will dry up and fall off later.  Your plant will probably be fine.. but monitor it, just in case.. Unfortunately, how plants get them/ how they spread is pretty random it seems. " X Hurcules" and some of the tree-type aloes are supposedly more resistant to them, compared to other types.

Here's an article written by Geoff Stein, ( Palmbob )  one of our long time members/contributors regarding Aloe Mite back in 2009.
https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2145/

If I cut the leaf closer to the stem will it still grow? I’m attaching more pics and found a couple more leaves. Not knowing what to look for in the nursery I must have picked a diseased one? Im giving this aloe lots of positive vibes. Would it be a long shot if I call to see if I can get a refund? 

[Silas_Sancona]

9 minutes ago, Jonah B said:

If I cut the leaf closer to the stem will it still grow? I’m attaching more pics and found a couple more leaves. Not knowing what to look for in the nursery I must have picked a diseased one? Im giving this aloe lots of positive vibes. Would it be a long shot if I call to see if I can get a refund? 

The plant will grow, leaf will not once trimmed off..

Yes,  ..If you're finding more leaves that look disfigured/ similar to the pictures in the article i'd shared..or others online that suggest it may be infected,  i'd take it back where i picked it up and see what they're willing to do.. and show them whats going on.  If it has mites, you don't want to take any chances of them spreading to anything else you have..