Natalie Walsh wrote:
Here's what I put in the upcoming column.
Thanks for your help. If you think I should add/change anything, let me
know and I will quote you. :) - Natalie

A co-worker has an aloe plant that measures 39 inches across and currently
grows in a nine-inch pot. Aloes like living in cramped quarters, but after
a couple of years, they do need to be transplanted.
Spring is a good time to transplant houseplants into bigger pot. Randall
Parks, an aloe expert, recommends using a planter that is wider than it is
deep as aloes have a shallow, spreading root system. Check that the
planter has a drainage hole and add a layer of gravel at the base.
Parks recommends on his Web site (http://freealoeplant.tripod.com) using a
potting mix to which you add sand or perlite. You can also purchase and
use a mix meant for cacti.
To transplant a big plant, let the soil dry as it will be easier to work.
Get help from a friend to hold the aloe or lay the plant on newspapers and
— if your plant has little plants growing, gently tease baby plants that
have at least three leaves and are 4 inches tall away from the mother plant.
To start a new plant, fill a pot with soil and use a pencil (or your
finger) to make a hole. Place the base of the baby plant into the soil,
dampen and gently press the soil to firm around the plant. It takes about
6 weeks for a newly potted plant to root.
Repot the parent plant in cacti mix and water well. After the plant has
settled into its new quarters, fertilize with a diluted fertilizer at
half-strength. Fertilize only once a year.
Mature aloe plants prefer sun or bright indirect light. New plants prefer
indirect light. Soil should dry between waterings.
What kills most aloes is too much water. They are succulent plants, with
plump leaves that hold water. Overwatering will cause rot.
Many people like to grow an aloe in the kitchen and use it if they get a
burn. To use aloe, slice open a bottom length and apply the gel to the
burn. People tell me it is also effective on insect bites, poison ivy and
other itches.