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May 6, 2024 2:30 PM CST
New Member
Name: Dana
Wittmann, AZ (Zone 9a)
Hello all, can someone please tell me why my precious aloe Hercules is shriveling? He's about two months old for us (since purchase). We live in Phoenix, AZ. I bought three the same day and the other two are doing great. This one's always looked a little sickly after planting.
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Avatar for Iochroma
May 6, 2024 4:09 PM CST
San Francisco Bay area (Zone 9a)
Needs water.
Avatar for lilyslayer
May 6, 2024 5:01 PM CST
New Member
Name: Dana
Wittmann, AZ (Zone 9a)
Thank you so much! How much water should I be giving this little guy and how often? I love him to death and I am so invested in his well-being.
I keep hearing about root rot and that makes me nervous.
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May 7, 2024 12:05 PM CST
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Name: Suzanne/Sue
Sebastopol, CA (Zone 9a)
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Hot Arizona plus surrounded by rocks that get heated by the sun can't be a good combo for a newly planted aloe. It looks like it being baked, some lower leaves already dried up and the others shriveled and curled inwards from lack of moisture.
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May 7, 2024 3:22 PM CST
Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)
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Your climate makes it very difficult for new plants to get established in the garden. I don't know whether they were in the sun beforehand, or if they came out from under shade cloth. That matters.

You should provide some shade protection for the sad looking plant (and possibly the others) before the most intense rays and the most intense heat arrive in the near future. For example you can drape some 50-70% shade cloth over the top, however you need to secure it and keep it from blowing away. It might not be pretty but it could be life or death for the plants.

This aloe is incredibly sun tolerant in a climate that is not baking hot. But the heat makes it vulnerable, especially if it's coming out of a relatively protected (eg. greenhouse) situation. Most aloes will be touch and go their first year in your climate. The sun protection is just to get them through the summer. You can remove it once temperatures return to a more comfortable range in the fall.

I don't think huge amounts of water are necessarily going to be helpful when the plant is already in crisis. By that I mean water well when you do water, but wait a little while in between to allow the soil to dry out some. Be aware that water evaporating from the soil (which will happen pretty fast in your climate) will have a moderating effect on the temperature around the plant. In that sense alone watering can be helpful. But too much water may nudge a plant on the edge right over it, depending on the situation.

The classic Phoenix succulent meltdown occurs hours to days after a deep watering, when the temperature has gotten so hot that it doesn't properly cool down at night. This is precisely when you do not want to overwater your aloes.
Last edited by Baja_Costero May 7, 2024 3:28 PM Icon for preview
Avatar for lilyslayer
May 7, 2024 3:45 PM CST
New Member
Name: Dana
Wittmann, AZ (Zone 9a)
Thank you for the replies. A big thank you to Baja. I am viewing shade cloths right now online. I am completely confident (hopeful) that I will post after the summer that all 3 Hercules survived the summer! Crossing Fingers!
Please keep the tips coming though!
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May 7, 2024 6:39 PM CST
Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)
Cactus and Succulents Seed Starter Xeriscape Container Gardener Hummingbirder Native Plants and Wildflowers
Garden Photography Region: Mexico Plant Identifier Forum moderator Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Level 2
You are not the first person to show up here with pictures of an aloe wilting in the AZ sun (and probably won't be the last). I should have added that it might be helpful for you to contact the seller and get tips from them about establishing your new plants in the garden. Local advice is often the best. I would say it's borderline negligent to sell these plants to a newbie in your climate without offering some basic advice about exposure and water. Or maybe it's just a way to ensure the customer returns to seek a replacement plant. I dunno. The first year is the hardest, it gets dramatically easier after that, and I have seen Hercules plants grow to the size of a house in your climate, so there is immense potential there. Smiling
Avatar for lilyslayer
May 12, 2024 1:50 PM CST
New Member
Name: Dana
Wittmann, AZ (Zone 9a)
We made shade coverings for all three of our Hercules! They were made and put on the plants two days after the suggestion was made. Thank you so much!

Should I be missing them with water daily or every other day do you think? The leaves are still curled in.
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May 12, 2024 7:07 PM CST
Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)
Cactus and Succulents Seed Starter Xeriscape Container Gardener Hummingbirder Native Plants and Wildflowers
Garden Photography Region: Mexico Plant Identifier Forum moderator Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Level 2
Maybe water deeply once a week and sprinkle a bit daily, I really don't know. It kind of depends on how thick a layer of rock you have on top, that will tend to retain more water the thicker it is. With respect to water, you probably will get the best advice locally. Our climate is so much more mild than yours.
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