My Southwest Florida aloe garden

[Garrett]

Hello all. Just wanted to share my wet climate Florida aloes. I had 75 inches of Summer rains this year and only lost 5 potted aloes. All survived well in the ground. I do know some of my aloes are way too young to flower, especially the tree aloes, but this is a big ecperiment with my climate and aloes. So this is a list of those that are blooming or in the process of budding...

In ground
Thraskii, one of the two
Dorothea
Cameronii
Hedgehog
Moonglow
Safari sunrise
Safari rose
Maculata

In pots
Dawei
Cameronii
Dorothea
Blue elf

Still waiting but many are much too young in ground
Striata
Tomentosa
Ghost
Vaombe
Cilliaris
Rupestris
Glauca
Chabaudii
Wikensii
Crytopoda
Marlothii
Vanbellenii
Hercules
Barbadensis but bloomed in pot last year so waiting
One other but I forgot the name.

I have many more in pots. Some are volkensii, plicatilis, ramosissima, maweii, alooides, ferox, aculeata, megalacantha, tangerine, tongaensis, Erick the red, broomii, brevifolia, eracinae, vaotsanda, arborescens (heard this won't bloom in Florida). More but can't remember right now. Overall all have done well with my wettest Summer I've ever seen. Over 75 inches this year with most falling in the Summer. Average rains here are about 55 inches. Wet season is June through September. Highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s. Winters average highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. That's my dry season too. The area was impacted by hurricanes Helen and Milton. A rupestris broke at the base but pups left in the ground to grow. So far so good. I've lost a plicatilis, vaotsanda, ramosissima and another I can't remember right now. All in pots and rot...too much rain. My pots are 1/3 to 1/2 pumice and the rest a cactus mix. Just wanted to share how things are going on the wet, west coast of south Florida. This is all trials. Will see how things go. Happy with the results so far. Some pics that will attach...

[Garrett]

Not sure why pics are sideways...

[Garrett]

Also have angelica, helenae, pluridens, erinacea, africana, peglerae, brevifolia, hellskloof bells, and speciosa in pots. A couple others I can't think of right now.

[Garrett]

Also a very red cameronii and small maweii in pots. Look closely. The cameronii has a split inflourescen popping up.

[Garrett]

Also a potted vaombe that is losing it's spines. Not sure why. The other potted one is not. The leaves are twisted a bit too. Anyone ever come across this before? Has about a foot of clear stem.

[RCDS66]

Hello all. Just wanted to share my wet climate Florida aloes. I had 75 inches of Summer rains this year and only lost 5 potted aloes. All survived well in the ground. I do know some of my aloes are way too young to flower, especially the tree aloes, but this is a big ecperiment with my climate and aloes. So this is a list of those that are blooming or in the process of budding...

In ground
Thraskii, one of the two
Dorothea
Cameronii
Hedgehog
Moonglow
Safari sunrise
Safari rose
Maculata

In pots
Dawei
Cameronii
Dorothea
Blue elf

Still waiting but many are much too young in ground
Striata
Ghost
Vaombe
Cilliaris
Rupestris
Glauca
Chabaudii
Wikensii
Crytopoda
Marlothii
Vanbellenii
Barbadensis but bloomed in pot last year so waiting
One other but I forgot the name.

I have many more in pots. Some are volkensii, plicatilis, ramosissima, maweii, alooides, ferox, aculeata, megalacantha, tangerine, tongaensis, Erick the red, broomii, brevifolia, eracinae, vaotsanda, arborescens (heard this won't bloom in Florida). More but can't remember right now. Overall all have done well with my wettest Summer I've ever seen. Over 75 inches this year with most falling in the Summer. Average rains here are about 55 inches. Wet season is June through September. Highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s. Winters average highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. That's my dry season too. The area was impacted by hurricanes Helen and Milton. A rupestris broke at the base but pups left in the ground to grow. So far so good. I've lost a plicatilis, vaotsanda, ramosissima and another I can't remember right now. All in pots and rot...too much rain. My pots are 1/3 to 1/2 pumice and the rest a cactus mix. Just wanted to share how things are going on the wet, west coast of south Florida. This is all trials. Will see how things go. Happy with the results so far. Some pics that will attach...

This is a very useful information and indeed a pretty impressive list of aloes that you are growing out there. Thanks for sharing Garret
We get 24.71 inches of rain in Jul and Aug (monsoon) in Islamabad with highs and lows at 95.7 and 75.6 respectively. We also get average 7.11 inches rain in winters (Dec to Feb). My house is on a hill top with lot many steep rocky places and all aloes that have been planted on steep slopes in full sun have survived pretty well. Only three died, A. marlothii and A. castanea were in ground in a plain area which probably accumulated more water and was only getting 1-2 hours of sunlight in winters. Aloe alooides was in a pot and just rotted. I was a small plant though and never actually got established after it's arrival from US.

[Gee.S]

Not sure why pics are sideways...

Sideways Photos

[Stan]

What a great collection. You won't lose any to cold or drought. I don't get why Kumara/plicatilis rots in humid summers since it see's over 50' inches of rain in habitat. Maybe plant them out in a hole of pea gravel since the few photos I've seen of them in the wild were growing on hillsides.

[Garrett]

What a great collection. You won't lose any to cold or drought. I don't get why Kumara/plicatilis rots in humid summers since it see's over 50' inches of rain in habitat. Maybe plant them out in a hole of pea gravel since the few photos I've seen of them in the wild were growing on hillsides.

I grew them in pots. One died to rot. Another on the way. 2 left. I think just too much Summer rains. All trial for me. What lives lives. What dies dies. Also have an in ground ghost and glauca now sending up an inflourescen.

[800dbcloud]

I would assume it prefers conditions similar to Aloe polyphylla where they're both endemic to mountainous regions that are relatively cool and wet. At least from what I've read about Aloe polyphylla (https://www.ecotree.net/articles/aloe-p ... ultivation , https://www.ecotree.net/articles/plant- ... piral-aloe), it won't grow in high temps and either need to be shaded or kept cool with extra water/ice cubes to keep root temperature below 80F or else they'll quickly rot. That's just my thinkin!

[Garrett]

I would assume it prefers conditions similar to Aloe polyphylla where they're both endemic to mountainous regions that are relatively cool and wet. At least from what I've read about Aloe polyphylla (https://www.ecotree.net/articles/aloe-p ... ultivation , https://www.ecotree.net/articles/plant- ... piral-aloe), it won't grow in high temps and either need to be shaded or kept cool with extra water/ice cubes to keep root temperature below 80F or else they'll quickly rot. That's just my thinkin!

You're probably right. A ramosissima did the same thing for me. Won't be trying them again either. All else is surprisingly doing well so far. I did expect more rot with all my rain but almost a year since I planted the garden. Many pots left to try. With all the growth, I definitely need to plant some more out and continue the aloe experiment.

[Garrett]

Some pics.. Will see what the rest of the Winter brings me for flowers. Some are just starting.

[800dbcloud]

Beautiful collection! There's always a way, I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out eventually. Maybe make a little pumice mound, shove some big rocks in and jam that plant in between for that sweet sweet fast drainage.

[Garrett]

Beautiful collection! There's always a way, I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out eventually. Maybe make a little pumice mound, shove some big rocks in and jam that plant in between for that sweet sweet fast drainage.

Thanks! Garden is still a work in progress. My only dilemma is space. Never enough.

[RCDS66]

Some pics.. Will see what the rest of the Winter brings me for flowers. Some are just starting.

That's indeed a fascinating collection of aloes. I know it would be quite a trouble but giving id's of few bigger aloes in the photo captions would have been a great education for a person like me who is trying to learn more about aloes.

BTW, which is the big bushy aloe in pic #1 at the bottom centre in a large navy blue pot?
Many thanks
Hamad

[Garrett]

That's aloe arborescens. Torch aloe.

[RCDS66]

Thanks Garrett. You have a great set up and so many aloes that I would always like to grow. Are you plants exposed to rain? Do they get direct sunlight for some time? How is the overall drainage in the area?
Many thanks
Hamad

[Garrett]

Thanks Garrett. You have a great set up and so many aloes that I would always like to grow. Are you plants exposed to rain? Do they get direct sunlight for some time? How is the overall drainage in the area?
Many thanks
Hamad

The gardens and pots get direct sun. I amended the rock garden with bags of cactus mix and mail ordered in lots of pumice. I also planted each plant in a mound for even more drainage. The pots are cactus mix 1 part, to 2 parts pumice. All open to my wet Summer rains. The rock garden gets just rains. No supplemental water. I feel that is more than enough. My dry season is mid Fall to late Spring so not much rains. Maybe 1 to 2 inches a month on average. Summer rains average 10 inches per month. June through September. I do have some plantings in my regular mulched gardens that get sprinkler water as well with not much in soil amendments. Just a little but all still mounded up a bit for better drainage.

[RCDS66]

The gardens and pots get direct sun. I amended the rock garden with bags of cactus mix and mail ordered in lots of pumice. I also planted each plant in a mound for even more drainage. The pots are cactus mix 1 part, to 2 parts pumice. All open to my wet Summer rains. The rock garden gets just rains. No supplemental water. I feel that is more than enough. My dry season is mid Fall to late Spring so not much rains. Maybe 1 to 2 inches a month on average. Summer rains average 10 inches per month. June through September. I do have some plantings in my regular mulched gardens that get sprinkler water as well with not much in soil amendments. Just a little but all still mounded up a bit for better drainage.

This sure helps. Thanks