There are hundreds of types of aloes and some of them even have a natural maturing pattern that involves growing downward over the edge of the pot. Aloe brevifolia is a popular aloe with that habit and you can look online for photos to see if that could be your plant. So it is possible that the growth habit is not something to be worried about.

Whichever type of aloe you have, the mushiness and leaf loss is a concern. There are a few things that could be going wrong but the most likely one is that your plant needs its winter rest. Most succulent plants are in a non-growth period during the months of October through March and they need to have reduced water, temperature, food but continued strong sunlight. Without that rest period, your plant will continue to try to grow at a time that the days are too short and that it would naturally be conserving its energy.Follow this link to our guide to Aloe Houseplants for the rules of thumb you should be following in all aspects of looking after this plant, but pay particular attention to the "Winter Break" section. It is something that few people know about until they have a problem.

Have a good look through the guide and see if you have the temperature right for your plant and follow the watering instructions carefully. Give your plant strong sunlight, especially if it has spiny leaves (softer leaf varieties like indirect, but still bright, sunlight). The softness of the leaves indicates that the tissue is breaking down, most commonly from too much water in the soil, so in addition to getting the watering routine timed correctly, make sure that your plant is in a container with a drain hole and that you are removing water from the run-off dish.

One bit of good news is the little leaves that you see coming up through the soil. These are called offsets and you can use them to propagate new plants in the early summer once the leaves have started forming the characteristic rosette shape.

If the roots are i good shape and you adjust the watering and other care as specified, your plant should begin to stabilize but don't expect growth until the spring. At that point it will hopefully have had a good rest and you will see growth resume.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information Service