Question
Hi john
I have two questions about my aloe plant. one is similar to a question I just read about mold on the top of the soil. It looks yellowish in color though instead of white. I have not watered it in hopes it will go away. I wanted to wait to see what you had to say before I started to scrape of the top of the soil or use any soap to clean it. It has also been behaving rather strangley in that one of it's arms has moved across the top of the entire plant. If you were looking at it from a birds eye view and saw the star-fish like shape, picture one of the arms reaching/bending across to the other side of the plant. I just have no idea what it could be doing. I have turned it around thinking it would like more light. I have brought it inside also just to see what it would do but nothing has changed. could it be the roots? any help would be great. thanks! jeanette

Answer
Hi Jeanette,

I love your descriptions!  I am not sure from your description whether you have any disease or not.

First, the aloe plant can tolerate a tremendous amount of abuse.  The one thing that really can damage an aloe plant is over-watering.  The plant's roots can begin to rot.  It is good that you have not watered it.  

How old and how big is this aloe?  The one I have is in a 16" pot and has "arms" going all over the place and looks more like an octopus than a starfish. I wouldn't be worried about the location of the leaves, but if the leaves loose turgor (water pressure) and droop, that is not a good thing.  When aloes dry out, they do not typically wilt, instead they loose the water from the leaves, and the leaves become much, much thinner.

"Mold" on the top of soil is a natural thing.  Molds (fungi) are the natural decomposers and they provide nutrients to the soils in which they grow.  So, I would not remove the mold unless you find it unsightly.

If you are growing your aloe indoors, the leaves will naturally bend toward the available light.  If you are growing it outdoors, this is usually not a problem, but the same pattern develops over time.

It would be good to check the root system to see if there is any root rot.  Root rot in aloes is very, very easy to determine because the rot will be extremely smelly.  The roots and bottoms of the plants will be soft and mushy.  If this is the case and your aloe has more than one branch (mine has at least a dozen), find a branch that does not have the mushy roots and bathe it (the roots and lower stem) in a 50% household bleach solution for 10 minutes, then rinse twice with tap water.  DO NOT PLANT the new plant for at least 48 hours,during which the roots will develop callous tissue, serving as a seal against other pathogenic microbes.  Place in a moistened peat-based potting medium, and water only when the soil feels dry to the depth of one knuckle.  Before you know it, you will have a newly rooted aloe plant.

If you have photos, send them to:  [email protected]