The difference between a submerged aloe plant and a submerged aloe plant is that the leaves of a submerged aloe vera turn brown and yellow with a soft, pasty texture, while the leaves of a submerged aloe vera thin and shrink before turning brown.
Aloe plants are succulents that store moisture in their leaves and therefore the leaves shrink when the plant is under water.
However, aloe plants are adapted to tolerate drought and can handle being submerged much better than excess water.
Read on to learn the difference between a submerged and overwatered aloe plant and how to save it…
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How do you know if the aloe plant has been overwatered?
The roots turn brown, mushy and smelly due to excess water.If an aloe plant is overwatered, the leaves will turn yellow or brown and have a soft, mushy texture and droopy appearance. The roots turn brown and die with a rotten appearance and an unpleasant smell.
Aloe plants are native to the Arabian Peninsula and grow in well-drained sandy soils with infrequent rainfall.
This is why aloe plants are special: well adapted to tolerate drought conditions, which makes them very susceptible to over-watering and slow-draining soils and usually results in root rot or soft leaves, brown/yellow.
The roots of a healthy aloe are firm and lighter in color. (Aloe plants can turn brown for a few other reasons, such as sunburn. Read my article, Why is my aloe turning brown?†
Overwatering and planting aloes in slow-draining soil is by far the most common mistake in aloe plant care.
Aloe plants thrive when given plenty of water followed by a dry spell of about two weeks, as this mimics the rain followed by a dry spell that they normally experience in their natural environment.
Aloe plants draw moisture from the potting soil after a long soak, then store the moisture in their leaves, allowing them to live in arid climates with well-drained soil.
Aloe plants need the soil to dry out completely between watering periods, which usually means watering your aloe every 2 weeks (Read my article, how to water aloe vera for how often to water aloe vera at different times of the year).
If you water an aloe plant more than once a week, you are overwatering your aloe because it won’t give the soil a chance to dry out.
However, it is important to recognize that the right watering schedule must be combined with the right, well-drained potting soil to avoid overwatering symptoms.
Aloe plants do not grow well in regular potting soil because it traps moisture around the roots too long after watering, causing the symptoms of overwatering.
An aloe plant with limp leaves is a warning against overwatering, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the plant is fully grown. root rot if he detects the problem early, before root rot occurs.
How to fix an aloe plant with excess water?
To save an overwatered aloe plant, replicate the conditions of its original environment, replace the soil with well-drained, sandy, succulent soil, water the aloe only when the potting soil is dry, and cut off brown leaves and l sweet aloe. . to prevent the spread of rot.
- Wait for the soil to dry completely between each watering.† To know when it’s time to water your aloe plant again, feel the soil in the bottom of the pot through the drainage hole at the base. If you still detect moisture, delay watering for a few days. If the soil seems dry, this is the perfect time to water.
- Remove your aloe plant from the soil and inspect the roots for root rot.† Roots should appear healthy and lighter in color (note: roots may turn brown with soil). If there are brown, mushy-textured, foul-smelling roots, those roots are rotting and it is important to prune them for healthy growth with a sharp pair of pruning shears. Sterilize pruners with a cloth soaked in disinfectant to prevent the spread of fungal pathogens to healthy roots. Cut off rotten roots until only healthy, firm roots remain.
- Remove leaves that turn yellow or brown with sharp pruners† Sometimes you can gently remove the leaves. Removing these discolored leaves prevents rot from spreading around the aloe plant.
- Transplant your aloe into succulent and cactus soil as the soil slowly drains.† Special soil for succulents and cacti is created to mimic the natural soil conditions of the natural environment of aloe plants. This allows water to drain efficiently and is the best way to reduce the effects of excess water (read my article on best soil for aloe vera†
- Clean the pot before transplanting or transplant the aloe preferably in a terracotta or clay pot.† Clean the pot with a disinfectant, as the pot can harbor fungal diseases caused by damp soil. Terra cotta or clay pots are best for aloe plants because they are porous, allowing the soil to dry out more evenly between waterings, lessening the effects of root rot (read my article, choosing the best pots for aloe vera†
- Place the aloe plant in bright indirect light for 2 weeks while it recovers.† While aloe plants can tolerate direct sunlight, bright sun and high temperatures can add additional stress to a diseased plant, so place aloe in bright light.
Aloe plants can recover from overwatering, but if root rot is too severe, the only option is to propagate aloe from remaining healthy leaves.
Aloe plants are relatively easy to propagate and may be the only way to save the plant from overwatering. Watch this helpful YouTube video for propagating aloe plants from leaves.
How do you know if an aloe plant is underwater?
Tiger Tooth Aloe (Aloe juvenna) with leaves turning brown and curling inward after being underwater.When an aloe plant is submerged, the aloe shrinks and the leaves become thinner and curl inward as the aloe uses the moisture reserves of the leaves. The leaves also turn brown when deeply submerged.
Aloe plants are found naturally in dry, arid regions with well-drained soils and infrequent rainfall.
Although aloe plants don’t need to be watered as often as most houseplants, they still need plenty of water.
A common misconception with aloe plants is to misinterpret the advice that “succulents and aloes don’t need a lot of water” to mean that they should only be watered lightly.
If you water the soil too lightly, only the surface of the soil will get wet and the water will not penetrate the potting mix or reach the aloe roots where it is needed.
Aloes need even soil moisture to allow the roots to absorb the moisture they need before allowing the soil to dry out. Moisture is then stored in the leaves, which is why the leaves of a healthy aloe plant appear full and plump.
The first sign of a submerged aloe plant is the thinning of the leaves as the aloe absorbs moisture.
Fortunately, this ability to store water is part of the aloe’s survival strategy to cope with the hot, arid conditions of its native environment. Therefore, Aloe tends to survive well underwater and recovers fairly quickly.
It is important to note that aloe soil can dry out much faster if the pot is particularly small, which can lead to soaking symptoms. High temperatures, strong sunlight, and indoor heat can also cause the soil to dry out too quickly for aloe roots to absorb enough moisture, which can result in overgrown aloe.
pot size, temperature, active growth
How to save an aloe plant underwater?
To save a flooded aloe plant, you need to generously soak the soil,
- Put the aloe in a container of water for about 10 minutes and make sure the soil and root ball are submerged† This is the best way to water a heavily submerged aloe plant, as it allows the potting mix to absorb well and reach the roots. The danger of a very submerged aloe is that the pot will harden, which can make the soil hydrophobic (repel water), causing water to drip off the surface of the soil and exit through the drainage hole at the base without reaching the field. domain.
- Once the aloe plant has soaked well in a container, take it out and empty the saucers or trays with the excess water.† This should immediately help your aloe look better as the roots can absorb moisture to store it in the leaves. Do not water the aloe until the potting soil is dry to avoid overwatering.
- Always water aloe plants generously so that excess water drains from the bottom of the pot.† It is important that the potting soil is evenly moist so that the aloe roots can absorb the moisture they need.
The key to saving a submerged aloe plant is determining how quickly the aloe soil dries out. The rate at which the soil dries out can vary depending on the maturity of the aloe plant, the size of the pot, and the temperature of the environment.
So, to determine the optimal watering cycle for your aloe plant (to prevent flooding), soak the aloe well, then pat the soil to find out how many days it takes for it to be dry at the bottom of the jar. Once the soil is dry at the bottom (touch the soil through the drainage holes in the base to feel the moisture), now is the optimal time to water.
Key learning points:
- The best way to tell if your aloe plant has been over or under watered is to look at the leaves. Overwatered aloe leaves turn brown and yellow with a soft, pasty texture, while waterlogged aloe leaves thin and shrink before turning brown.
- To revive an overwatered aloe plant, cut the roots with pruning shears, remove any leaves that turn brown or yellow, replace the potting mix with a gritty, well-drained potting mix, and wait for the soil to completely dry out before watering again. .
- To revive a submerged aloe plant, place the potted aloe in a container of water for 10 minutes and make sure the root ball is submerged so the soil is evenly moist and the roots can absorb the moisture. necessary to replenish moisture reserves. . .