In my limited experience trying, this is one of the tougher species to root... I would clean the roots super well, douse in anti fungal powder, dry the plant out a week and then put in a pumice only and see if it roots (NOT watering it). I water my Aloes in the summer, but this one it particularly unfond of heavy soils. I have killed several by planting them in my clay. These definitely want very well draining soils. But it does seem to benefit from summer waters to keep it from looking like crap all summer (tends to go through more leaf loss than most species unless watered now and then).

Thanks very much, lzrddr. I already cut the branches off the main trunk of the plant, so will be starting fresh with them, trying to get them to root. Main trunk still has roots attached. After reading on an older thread, I thought I'd let the branches begin to show root buds before putting in a rooting medium. Will use pumice. Maybe I can try to root the main stem as well, getting rid of the bad roots and proceeding as you suggest. Some roots still look sound to me. Might as well give it a try.

I have killed several of these aloes before, but always because I didn't take care of ant problems soon enough. There is a tall (7 foot) aloe thraskii in the same area as the plicatilis was, in the same heavy, clay soil. It looks quite healthy, though it started leaning over last winter and is now being supported by a tall garden wall. I do give it occasional summer water. I have to check all my aloes every month for signs of mealybugs and their ant overseers.

Thanks again, appreciate the advice.

L,

If you can provide bottom heat it will help the rerooting process - putting it on warmed-by-the-sun cement is ideal.

Thanks cactusmcharris, I know just the spot.

I've had the opposite experience. Very easy to root, no bottom heat, no fungicide. Just cut, let dry and place in my regular potting mix and in a 3mo or so they are established. My plants are outdoors year round, no protection from rain and cold or from summer heat.

What is the climate like where you are, caudex1?

Our climate here is quite mediterranean, with very little (if any) rain from April to November. Not normally humid except for morning fog in summer.

Nor Cal zone 9

Pictures paint a thousand words.

Thanks, Greg and everyone else. I think I'll leave two of the cuttings out til I start to see root buds, and plant two of them in cactus and succulent mix at the end of the week. And I'll do my best with the main trunk that still has a few good-looking roots. And I won't expect anything to happen very fast.

I know these plants are quite slow growing--but starting from a rooted cutting that was about six inches tall with one small fan of leaves, this plant had grown to over two feet tall with four big branches, ten fans in all, in about seven years. That actually seemed pretty fast to me! I'm not impatient.

Okay, wish me luck! Hopefully I'll write back in a few months to say four new plants are alive and kicking.