I have an aloe vera plant that I've had for a year. It was so tiny when I bought it and I only wish stuff in my garden would grow as quickly. Some of the leaves are more than a foot long. I'm thinking that I'd like to take it outside this summer. If nothing else, just during the day. But, as a succulent, I'd think it would be okay to just leave it out all summer. Is this right?

I can take a picture of it, in case an ID is needed. It looks like all other aloe plants I've ever seen, just bigger. Not that I've seen a lot, so it shouldn't surprise me that it is so big. I've always found succulents easy to care for, so I've never actually researched them. I think I might have to look this one up as I'm afraid of it taking over my living room if it continues to grow at this fast rate. Just so I know what to expect. It kind of reminds me of Medusa, with all the snakes coming out of her head. I named her Medusa.

I like to repot my indoor plants in the fall, but I've repotted this one twice already. And it is ready for a new pot any day now. I guess that means that it is getting what it needs to keep growing those long and fat leaves.

Aloes should be fine outside in your area, just protect from frost.

Yes, they can get quite large. I have two that I leave outside all summer with some shade during the hottest part of the day so that the leaves don't burn.

Sounds like it should be happy on the covered porch. I'll wait until the nights aren't quite so cold in may, just to be safe. Then I can split it into two pots.

Yes, generally I wait until temperatures are steadily above 50 degrees.

SongofJoy said:Yes, generally I wait until temperatures are steadily above 50 degrees.

Very good advise. My SIL has some large ones that she sets on her sun porch for the winter and they go outside the rest of the year. They bloom for her! She is giving me some when she repots but I think the fact that they are pot bound may be why they are blooming now.

they get big! and one of the best things you can do with them is put them under a cover outside from spring to fall, watering only a dozen times or so, least thats what i have been doing

watch the watering outside, i would say it will stay wetter because of the lack of hvac air but you are in New Mexico so i dont know...

best of luck in any case

Mine are getting tough to move around.

100% with you on that, they get so heavy ! and you allway lose some aloe along the way

Whoa! Those are really big. It will be interesting to have my aloe vera get that big. I will be happy if mine continue to be healthy and easy to care for.

I decided to wait until June to split mine into a couple pots. I have specific pots I want to get, so I'd rather wait a little longer, than settle for less expensive pots I won't like as much. Then I will take pictures. I may have to get a few more cacti or succulents that are this easy to grow indoors. When I was a teenager, I had a big collection of cacti. People knew I liked them, so I received many as gifts and some because people wanted to get rid of theirs for one reason or another.

Then I got married and the late husband wanted to live like a mole with no sunshine coming in during the day. Killed all the plants I'd had for years. I wasn't a serious gardener, not even close, back then. However, most of those plants had sentimental value, even if I didn't know the names of them.