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lovely Mark

I purchased this a couple of days ago, out of curiosity really.
I have recently been helping someone with "Forever Living Products" which are some good quality health products, all Aloe Vera based. I've been impressed so far!
Spotted this in Dobbies, so curiosity got the better of me. I just need to find out the plants requirements before i kill it. I think it's an indoor plant?

A lovely, healthy plant.

Don't start Mark it's a slippery Slope .... I've got 600 cacti and succulents!!! do you want a couple of hundred 8-)

There's actually no such plant as Aloe Vera it's Aloe Barbadensis I think but it's known as Aloe Vera. I bet it's in a peat based compost as well - horrid stuff, in the spring try and get rid of as much as you can and repot it in JI no2 with extra grit and it will be a lot happier.

here are a few of it's relatives

http://s128.photobucket.com/albums/p175/nick_the_grief/Aloe%20and%20Agave/

Nick T

I've not grown cacti or succulents before myself. But my dad always has had some growing in his house, or greenhouse when he had one. I've always liked them.
Thanks for the advice, i will do that when i get some JI no2 in to mix into the Begonia compost.
Sorry, i can't see the full link (if that's what it's called) because the computer has written 2 lots of writing in the same place, don't know why.

No problem Mark, Try this one in stead

http://tinyurl.com/5qszse

Just tried that one, some lovely plants. I'm sure i've seen at least 1 before, but was unaware that it was related to the Aloe Vera plant (or Aloe Barbadensis, as you informed me is the correct name but i've not heard that name before). I think Aloe Vera is easier to remember, i always think of the advert off the TV for Persil Washing powder with Aloe Vera added, when they said "Allo Vera" (as in Hello Vera).

These things are really easy to grow and divide very easily also. I have used them for burns, just break off a small piece and rub the juice on - it does help! I keep a bottle of the gel that I bought, but nothing like getting it fresh!

Hi Mark, someone pulled me a little piece off their plant a year ago (about 3 inches high) it is now similar in size to yours. In the spring you suddenly find several little ones spouting up all around.
Mine is happy on the windowsill, I've had to repot several times already with plenty of peat compost and grit. Tried mine outside for a while last summer but the stems starting turning puple and were very unhappy.
Like Gillian whenever I get a burn I just tug a piece off and rub the sap on it. It stops any blistering. As a natural remedy for minor burns I would give it 10/10