Problems with aloe vera
Identify what's wrong by where it appears and what you can see.
Where is the problem?
Start by selecting the part of the plant where you see the problem.
Start with the symptom
Or pick from the symptoms most often seen on aloe vera.
Common problems with aloe vera
The problems recorded on aloe vera, the most common first.
14 problems
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Overwatering
Yellow, limp leaves in soil that stays wet. Roots short of air rot and stop drinking. -
Fertiliser burn
Brown, crisp leaf tips and edges after feeding. Salts in the compost draw water from the roots. -
Mealybugs
White, cottony insects tucked into leaf joints and under leaves, with sticky honeydew. -
Root rot
Wilting and yellowing in wet soil; roots brown, soft and falling apart. -
Aphids
Small, soft insects clustered on new growth and under leaves, leaving sticky honeydew. -
Cold and frost damage
Blackened, glassy shoots after a cold night. Tender plants collapse; hardy ones grow out of it. -
Fungus gnats
Small black flies around pots. Their larvae feed in wet compost and on seedling roots. -
Poor drainage and waterlogging
Water that sits around the roots after rain. Plants yellow, stall and rot at the base. -
Rust
Orange, brown or black powdery pustules on leaves, which yellow and fall. -
Scale insects
Brown or white bumps stuck to stems and leaf veins, with sticky leaves below. -
Sooty mould
A black, sooty film on leaves that wipes off. It grows on honeydew from sap-sucking insects. -
Sun scorch and sunscald
Bleached, papery or brown patches on the leaves and fruit that face the sun.
