hi naek, thanks for staying in touch and it sounds like a gnarly cycle for you. give thanks for rain. we’re having a very good year here. yes, we did have a run of cool spring weather that allowed us to set thousands of plants to field and get them set and weeded before the heat hit. a number of direct-seeded crops like styrian pumpkins, blue corn, 4 kinds of watermelons, beets, beans, temperate tulsi, etc. all worked. As for Aloes, if you’re really getting into it, check books by Thomas Cole and also the classic aloes of s africa by van wyk. species aloes such as A. marlothii are a way better grow than any of your box store hybrids. We can always tell marlothii because it has wicked spines not just on the edges but on every surface. Marlothii does hybridize with A. ferox in habitat and they are used interchangeably. there are also specific indications for marlothii, which does become less spiny with age, a single-stemmed tree aloe, actually. all these aloes are going to have the laxative aloe-emodin subcutaneously and inside, the gel, rich in galactomannans, soothing and demulcent, source of allantoin. keep going. r
