I redesigned a section of my backyard cactus garden yesterday – moving a four-foot-wide succulent black-spined-aloe from the garden section next to WP 668 (our caboose) to another area. To make room, I had to remove a bed of smaller striped-aloes that were creeping onto a brick walkway on one side and slowing attacking a columular Cereus cactus patch on the other. My husband John had urged the removal of the invasive striped-aloes for some years, so he is happy. The striped-aloes are now colonizing our river bank in San Jose, California, where they have scope for expansion.
This project sounds like it required less work than it did. Aloes are covered in sharp spines and they fight back. The dirt was full of bits of aloe root – any of which can grow into a full plant given time – which had to be sifted out. About a dozen boulders needed to be dug out and re-placed. I am happy with the result even if I am scratched all over.
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