Expert: Greg Simpson - 8/7/2007

Question
My Aloevera plants are 18 months old. I have found that some leaves start rotting at the base, the base becomes black and rots; this continues to young leaves until the whole plant dies. Close look showed some very small insects around the rot base.

Is this a disease and how can i control it? Thanks

Answer
Phillip,

What you are describing sounds like stem rot, which is very common. The cause is most likely too much water for too long.  The bugs are attracted to moisture (maybe fungus gnats). The best way to avoid this is to let your plants dry out completely prior to watering. If you are in a very humid area, there may be 3 weeks between waterings. Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Greg