Expert: Greg Simpson - 5/23/2006

Question
Hi,  I have a huge aloe vera plant that has been returned to me from my sisters home after spending the winter months under a "grow light".  She had a few other of my plants at her home and when I got them back I noticed they were COVERED in aphids.  It looked like such a lot of them that I went down to the hardware store and picked up a commercial product called 'Safers 3 in 1" ...it kills aphids.  Well I sprayed the plants and covered them over for a couple of days with a clear plastic bag.  I then washed off the leaves of the aloe plant with a warm soapy mixture and hosed it off pretty well.  My question is...can I use the aloe plant medicinally (for burns etc) now that I have sprayed the poison on the leaves?  I will be so disappointed if that is the case as the plant is so healthy, but if the poison leaches into the leaves I will probably dispose of it for safety reasons.  Any info you could provide would be most appreciated.
Thanks,
Cathy

Answer
Dear Cathy,

I really don't know. I would assume that some of the pesticide did penetrate the skin of your Aloe, but I don't know if it would be enough to cause harm. You may want to contact the manufacturer of the pesticide to see what they say. Sorry I could not be of more help.

Sincerely,

Greg