bmock,
My advice for growing in the winter would be just stick it in a South window and water infrequently. I don't know what "infrequent" would be for you, as that can vary based on your potting mixture, size of pot, and type of pot (clay or plastic).

Planto

b and Beth,

It will appreciate water at least 2x a month in winter, when this Aloe grows (but grows less than compared with later spring, summer (if it's not too hot) and early fall. IME, this doesn't stop growing, but it does slow down its advance in winter.

Thanks for the advice,

I do hope to keep this one going. It's a keeper.

Jeff,
Thanks for the information. Is that true of most/all Aloe hybrids? I haven't had one long enough to have had a watering schedule for winter. :/ My Mother ordered me an Aloe hybrid as well and I was just curious. Thanks again.

Planto

Beth,

Yes, I'd say so, in fact going so far as to say most Aloes, never mind hybrids. Of course, you must remember there are winter-growing Aloe species that do no appreciate this treatment, but compared with the lot, they're small in number.

Jeff,
Thanks again. It's been since last summer that I had an Aloe to call my own. Our "monsoon" as I called it took out a number of my C&S outside. I'd never had an issue with rain before, but for a good two or three weeks it rained almost daily. They never got a chance to dry out. I should have moved them, but I thought they'd be okay (novice mistake).

So, this year I'm armed with more knowledge and most of them are going to be living in our South window. In fact, three of the ones inside are gifts from my Mom, so I'm doing my best to see that nothing happens to them!

This place is a curse for plants it seems. One year, the apartment people failed to notify us that someone would be pressure washing. I lost everyone that year (including my outdoor non C&S plants... "bleach derivative" as he called it was mixed into the pressure washer). Now last year, the rain got most of them. Geez.

I'm still looking for a third replacement for my Parodia haselbergii. The first was a gift from Hubby when we were dating (pressure washer), the second died last year from rotting.

Thanks for reading, I apologize as I feel like I made this an off-topic post from the OP and literally took it over.

Planto

Hi Planto,

Sorry about losing your plants last summer. We must have had that same monsoon here in Georgia. Let's hope we have some good growing this year.
Barb

Barb,
Well hello neighbor! I'm in SC. I agree, here's to hoping to good growing this year. :)

Beth

Beth, We really are neighbors. Last summer was just one gully washer after the last. Seriously, one of the challenges I have with succulents is getting them out into some sunshine and trying to protect them from the rain. I have been growing mostly sansevieria for the past couple of years. They don't like to have water down in the center, so I have to move them around a lot.

Just curious, which aloe are you getting from your mom? I have just started on these. I found a Blizzard and Partridge Breast at HD a couple of weeks ago, and now this week the Christmas Carol. I think I will need to be careful with buying aloes, so many grow up to be huge. What's your favorite?

bmock,
Tell me about it! I never thought I'd get tired of the rain, but after a certain point, I was begging it to stop lol. Usually when it rains here, the patio gets a drop here or there, but during that "monsoon," a quarter to half the patio was getting soaked every time it rained. I should have moved them inside into the South window, but at the time I figured the rain wasn't going to be that harmful (I had mostly cacti, I figured they get rained on in the wild for a period of time, or at least I think they do, big deal... yeah lol).

She bought it from Michigan Bulb Company, it says "Shark Aloe." I'm not entirely sure, it looks like a number of the Kelly Griffin hybrids I've seen, but they make it sound like they created it.

I've seen 'Partridge Breast' before, but not 'Blizzard.' I think some Aloes get bigger than others, but I'm not sure how big those three get. If I had to pick, I think 'Partridge Breast' is my favorite. I haven't been able to find a decent one since the last one I owned years ago. I gave it away (*kicks self*). I've seen one since I gave that one away, at a Wal-Mart. It was floating in water and you could see signs that it was beginning to die. Maybe this year. :)

What's your favorite Aloe?

Planto

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Shark Aloe' on Michigcan Bulb Company

Your Shark looks like it's about half way between Blizzard and Christmas Carol. I am so new with aloes, I don't have a favorite just yet. Here's a picture of the other two. I do have one other, not sure of the name, it may be something like Mini Belle or Juvenna. I should research it.

As much as I love their plants, I'm not impressed by the mix Monrovia uses for succulents. Be careful on the watering.

bmock,
They look in really good shape (Even the other succulent that I don't know the ID of, hehe)! The 'Blizzard' Aloe is interesting, it's almost white.

It looks like your 'Partridge Breast' had a previous bloom stalk on it? It looks like it's been cut off. Very beautiful specimen, I don't remember mine as having been that big when I bought it.

Do you have a picture of your other Aloe? I'd like to see it. I probably can't ID it for you, but if you don't mind sharing just to share. :)

Planto

I think I rescued the blizzard and partridge in the nick of time. We all know how poorly the plants are treated in the BBS. The pot was broken on one of them, and I could see the new babies inside. Both were dripping wet and sitting on a dark shelf. So I grabbed them quickly and got them into some nice dry mix. I have my fingers crossed. I am sure I'll repot the Christmas Carol too. Not today, it's been raining all night with more to come.
Barb

bmock,
It sounds like you rescued them in the nick of time. Hopefully they weren't in the dark and sopping wet for too long. It doesn't look like it though. If you didn't find any rotted roots or anything to say otherwise, I'm sure they will be fine!

I bought a handful last week, most of them hadn't been watered at all even though they apparently arrived a few days before I bought them (a couple of the BBS vendors/cashiers recognize me it seems lol). It was long enough that someone could have given them a drink at least. I looked again today just to make sure I didn't miss somebody (hey, sometimes a second look finds you something you didn't see the first time), and they're still bone dry.

Lots of rain here today too. I picked up another Kalanchoe blossfeldiana and a Rebutia muscula today. I've been on the lookout for that Rebutia for years. I only see one maybe every other year it seems and every time it either has glued flowers and/or they've spray painted it orange (I'm not sure which offense is worse lol).

I didn't need another Kalanchoe, I already have a K. blossfeldiana and a K. porphyrocalyx my Mom bought me.

I think I'm done for the year. I've run out of room in the windowsill and my Aloe hasn't even arrived yet lol. I can't squeeze anymore Houseplants in near the window either. And although I've had some bad luck with Cacti outside, but I'm going to have to chance it again. I moved them earlier due to the rain just because I just repotted them and didn't want them to get wet (trying to allow the roots to heal). I've stuck all the succulents in the windowsill and they're almost touching. Oh well. Time to buy a house. LOL, jk.

Planto

Beth,I forgot to mention, those small hybrid aloes are pupping like crazy. I wonder how they will look after a couple of years. They have already bloomed, the Christmas Carol has a keiki, I think that's the right term. Anyway it's a pup growing from the bloom spike. And the partridge breast has had 3 blooms. I found 6 new pups when I repotted. Can you tell I'm having fun with these?
Beth you and I both will have to stay away from the nurseries, do you think we can?