I have an aloe vera var. officinalis on my window sill and use the gel on my skin, straight from the leaf. Hard to say how much good it does as I have generally good skin anyway, but it did seem to clear a persistent little rash I had once and for which nothing else worked well. It certainly seems to be as effective in clearing up a lot of skin conditions as many expensive products you buy at the pharmacy.

mcvansoest said: And while most people probably can tell an Aloe from an Agave, if you cannot, using an Agave by mistake can make for some very unpleasant time, the juice of many Agaves causes very serious skin rashes in most people that can linger for weeks after the exposure. It is like eating wild mushrooms: you need to know what you have before you consume/use it.

I realize this might not be the proper thread for this follow-up but since it's here I'll ask here...

Do the Mangaves also produce rashes? I saw a heck of a deal today on some but don't know that I really need the potential headache. I read that Mangaves have all been dropped into Agave so I'd assume they behave similarly.

BTW. More on this issue...

https://debraleebaldwin.com/de...

The agave problem is not going to affect you if you have a Mangave or similar small potted plant and you don't do a lot of close handling of it. To be honest I've only ever been affected by large landscape agaves (esp. americanas) and only when I got up close to them to do intimate weeding or (more commonly) removal of offsets.

It's something to be aware of, and definitely wear gloves when handling these plants if you have any potential concerns, but it's not likely to be a hazard for potted plants if you treat them with respect.

First time growing an aloe Vera plant. I rescued it from a family member who was moving away. The plant was in terrible condition when I got it. It has shown great response to the reporting and watering I have been doing to it. The three bottom leaves are old and the rest are leaves that have grown since I got it. I'm wondering firstly what that little plant growing out of the soil is. And secondly what are the best ways to trim the plant and should I replant if the stock is to high out of the ground? Thanks in advanced.

There really is no great way to prune the plant other than removing whole leaves. You're kind of stuck with an aloe that is larger than the space you have for it (and you're not alone in this respect). I do not recognize the other plant in the same pot. I would not recommend burying any stem if the aloe seems to be growing too tall ... there is a risk of rot. The best way to manage the height issue (to the extent it is possible) is to provide as much light as possible. The more light, the better indoors.