My aloe humilis

[Aridane]

I bought an aloe humilis earlier this year.

It was sent bare rooted and I just shoved it in a plastic plant pot until getting around to,buying a nice plant pot that would show it off.

Got my nice plant pot and went to transfer my aloe humilis.

Now although the aloe humilis is small - as they are - it has developed a giant root system.

Can. I prune back the roots of the aloe so it will fit in the pretty pot I bought it or does it now have to stay in a pot that will fit its now giant roots?

[NanTheWiser]

Hi Aridane! I suppose it depends on how much root you need to prune to fit the pot. If it's only a fairly light trim, probably OK, but a severe haircut probably not. A pic would help, but if you decide to prune, repot in dry compost and leave at least a week for the roots to heal before watering.

[Aridane]

Here is my aloe in situ and lovely pot i bought to show it off

[Aridane]

And here is how much taller it is than said pot

[Aridane]

I had thought - oh, they’ll be lots of redundant crumbly soil in the bottom half of the pot - but my not so humble bare rooted aloe has shot its roots to the bottom of the pot!

[Aridane]

[Aridane]

.

[Aridane]

(sorry - duplicate picture - didn’t think it had posted)

[Aridane]

2nd (& 3rd!) picture of bottom of bot

[Aridane]

And these are of the side

[Aridane]

I did wonder if maybe I could tackle the problem the other way round - ie remove soil from the top of the pot - but I might have to accept defeat and buy a bigger pot

[Aridane]

I had thought succulents were shallow rooted- especially something like a wee aloe

[MereDintofPandiculation]

I had thought succulents were shallow rooted- especially something like a wee aloe Not necessarily. They're succulent to store water, because they grow in a dry area, and another adaptation to dryness is to have very deep roots to tap into damper soil deep down.

[Aridane]

Ah - I had kept my aloe dry (as my speciality is killing succulents with overwatering) and had put it in a warm sunny position (as my other speciality is having my succulents, especially echeveria, stretching)

[NanTheWiser]

Yes, they can grow quite a deep root system, so maybe a larger pot would be for the best.

[Aridane]

OK - thanks - large pot it is then