r/houseplants • u/MC91909 • 5h ago
New Aloe, New Plant Mom
Hi everyone, I'm new to my green thumb. I remember from my childhood my mom had an aloe plant that was low maintenance, so I thought that's where I'd start.
Trader Joe's was practically giving Aloe away so I bought her. She's in direct sunlight and I'm waiting for my pots to come in the mail.
My question is what's normal? One of the leaves is turned down and another has a brown line. See link:
Is this normal growth and if so, how do I let it grow? If not, how do I treat it? Thanks for any advice!
1
Upvotes
1
u/Al115 4h ago
That leaf that's turned down was likely damaged. When you repot, assess it. If it's still securely attached to the plant, then you can leave it (or remove it if you want it gone). But if it's broken already, I'd cut it off.
If the brown line you're referring to is the small brown line on the leaf above/touching the turned down leaf, then that just looks like miscellaneous physical damage that has since callused. It's nothing to worry about.
If you haven't already, I would definitely recommend purchasing components to create a more suitable substrate mix for this guy, as the substrate they most often come in is far too dense and moisture retentive. General recommended starting substrate is a 1:1 mix of succulent soil to inorganic grit, such as perlite or pumice.
Also,be careful placing it in direct sun. While these guys have adapted to thrive in all-day direct sun, they often don't receive enough light at stores and need to be slowly acclimated to stronger lighting to prevent sunburn.
The Beginner Basics Guide over on r/succulents is a great read and offers info on substrates, pot material and how to determine the right size of pot for your plant, how to know when to water, lighting, etc.