Watering too frequently and waterlogging the pot leads to the roots rotting and the plant dying. If the leaves are not affected, the aloe vera plant may be saved by completely removing the roots.
How to save and renew aloe vera roots?
For aloe vera plants with rotten roots, remove the root ball, let the above-ground part dry and treat it like a cutting. Plant it in potting soil, water sparingly and place the plant out of the sun to allow new roots to form.
If aloe vera, which comes from the African desert, is watered too often and the excess water is not removed, waterlogging occurs in the pot, which not only promotes the formation of fungi on the foliage, but also causes the roots to begin to shrink rot. The rot spreads to the leaves, causing them to become soft and possibly develop brown spots.
Moderate watering keeps the roots he althy
Aloe vera is one of the succulents that have the ability to store water in its leaves. It is therefore advisable to water sparingly directly onto the substrate. The sandy soil and a drainage layer (€21.00 at Amazon) should also ensure that the irrigation water can drain away easily. The young plants, which cannot store as much water anyway, should be watered particularly carefully.
Rooting cuttings and offshoots
Offshoots appear on the Aloe vera trunk when it reaches sexual maturity - the small mini aloes, which only lack their own roots. Cuttings can also be obtained from the leaves of aloe vera. The following steps are required to root offshoots and cuttings:
- Use a sharp knife to cut off the offshoot from the mother plant or, for propagation by cuttings, one of the outer leaves,
- let the cut piece of plant air dry for a few days,
- Plant offshoots or cuttings in the potting soil,
- water the soil sparingly, do not fertilize.
Renewing rotten roots
If the roots of your aloe vera are damaged by waterlogging and the plant otherwise appears he althy, it may be possible to save it by radically renewing the roots. To do this, take the aloe vera and its root ball out of the pot. This is easier if you don't water the aloe for a long time beforehand. After separating the above-ground part of the plant from the roots, proceed with the adult Aloe vera as described above for cuttings/offshoots.
Tip
The plants should be protected from the sun until new roots form and watered even less than usual.
