Aloe Polyphylla outdoors

[Nicevans]

I have one surviving Aloe Polyphylla grown from seed 18 months ago. I think I had it indoors too long and rescued it by putting it outside this summer and giving it plenty of water. I have decided to leave it outside in a cold frame this winter, I hope this is the right thing to do.
Will I be able to leave it outside in all weathers eventually or will it always need protection from winter rain?
Should I water it this winter under the cold frame?

[eduart]

Hi,

Aloe polyphylla is tough enough to stay outside during winter. It comes from high altitudes (over 2000 m), high rainfall and stays very often covered in snow during winter.

More important is the soil - less organic components, gritty, well draining.

Cheers,
Eduart

[Nicevans]

Hi Eduart,
Would the plant be happy without compost? Maybe just molar clay??

[Herts Mike]

I am familiar with the properties of moler clay as much of my Stapeliad collection is potted in this. It would certainly make a pot of large polyphylla lighter but my instinct is that it wouldn't work. Water would run right through it.

I have grown a number of polyphyllas and have been successful with standard cactus compost and orchid compost 50/50.

[MikeDom]

Mine (12 big plants) stay outside all year round albeit they don’t get the midday sun. They grow in large pumice with some coir added plus slow release fertiliser, now that is really free draining. With our climate this being quite wet I only watered them once this year.

[Patrick]

That's an interesting idea Mike, I'm amazed they do well like that. The only plant of mine that avoids a lot of brown tips is one that I have planted outside in the garden, just in the garden soil, it's in the shade of an olive tree for most of the day. I do water it sometimes (I'm in Portugal after all) but much advice for these plants is to keep them wet most of the time and that they cant be too wet.

[MikeDom]

I think the difference is that we get a lot of rain in the UK Patrick. As these are in large pots, once the pumice/coir mix is wet it doesn't dry out in the centre. Annoyingly, the coir does start to rot down over time but I only use an 80:20 pumice:coir mix so not too great an issue. As long as you get the free draining and watering right they will avoid brown tips.

If you use the larger cat litter you should be OK (see the thread on cat litter which mentions where you can get the larger granules).