Aloe leave issues

[Cactusamateur]

Hi everyone, I’ve just joined the forum so I can get some help with my succulents, I’m new to cactus and succulent though so bare with me.

So I’ve got some Aloe plants that have leaf issues or maybe something more? They are in general cactus/succulent soil with a bit of horticultural grit at the bottom of the pot.

Many thanks

[brianc]

I take it you mean the leaves dying off at the ends? most if not all aloes have this annoying trait.
It is quiet normal, when they die back to the stem you can carefully cut them off with knife or sometimes they just pull off. As i have a heated G/House i give them a little water in the winter which tends to slow down the problem.
Hope this helps.
Brianc.

[esp]

They look very dry and a bit "stretched" (etiolated), especially the A. arboresecens.
If kept indoors, especially in a warm, central heated room, they need as much light as possible - i.e. a sunny window, very close to the glass, and water over winter, so the soil is dampened every week or 2.
If they aren't in good sunlight over winter, try to keep them a bit cooler, they will need only a little water over winter and won't try to grow in a weak, thin etiolated manner.

[Cactusamateur]

thank you for the advice, much appreciated! Relieved to hear it’s quite normal for Aloes.

The room they are in is south facing with central heating. They’re usually next to the window and sit above a radiator on a plastic shelf. Should I keep them next to the window from now on all year round?

Many thanks

[esp]

Above a radiator is quite a brutal environment for plants! It will be hot enough to dry them out fast, so they will need water, but it's not light enough at this time of year to support good quality, compact growth.
Succulents are far better at coping with this than most other plants, but they'd be happier if cooler.

[Cactusamateur]

Ok I won’t keep them above the radiator. Would they be ok in a south racing room but at the back? Also should I water the aloes and cut off the leaves with the brown tips now? Or wait until they completely die off?

Are gasteria ok to go above a radiator? There is a piece of plastic between so would that help keep the heat down a bit?

Many thanks

[brianc]

Sorry for the late reply i would not cut the leaves off until they have died right back, and never this time of
year. It would be alright to trim the dry portion at the end if you do not cut into the Green.
If you cut every leaf off that start to die back you will be left with just a stalk .
Brianc.

[Cactusamateur]

Okay thank you for the advice. I’ll just cut the tips off, I’m going to assume scissors are ok? Haha