Repotting

Crowded.

That's what happens when a plant likes where it is. It grows and grows until the pot it lives in is crowded. All of these aloe plants were occupying the small pot on the right. They liked the east filtered light that they were getting.

Today I separated the plants, carefully tearing away the papery sheath around the base of each stem. There were no scabby looking plants to discard. Each aloe has healthy roots, stem, and leaves.

I use cactus soil mix for my houseplants. Cactus mix has lots of fiber and that seems to give the roots more air and room to grow. Most of my houseplants are in bright pots. I tend to favor green glazed pots, but this yellow one sets off the green aloe just fine.

I always like to have a few pots of aloe growing. When someone gets a kitchen burn, we tear off a big leaf and spread the sap on the burn. If it is a minor burn, after a day or two the red is gone and the skin is healing.

You can tell that the outside garden clean up is almost done when I start repotting indoor plants. The aloes are the first indoor plants to find new pots this fall. There will be a few more as the days get colder.