Aloe Vera is a low-maintenance plant to grow since it requires minimal care to flourish but it takes careful understanding of its needs for water and sunlight to thrive well. Simultaneously, planting aloe has significant benefits as a skin treatment and an appealing addition to your home décor. Aloe Vera, often known as Aloe barbadensis or Barbados aloe, is a visually appealing houseplant with thick, spiky leaves that have sharp edges. This succulent is native to hot, dry climates and retains water in its leaves. As a result, it requires little watering, making it a great low-maintenance plant for novices.
For thousands of years, people have been cultivating aloe Vera plants, or Aloe barbadensis. It is one of the most well-known and popular houseplants, as well as one of the most extensively utilized medical herbs worldwide. Because its sap used to treat burns, scalds, sunburns, skin irritations, and bug bites. Remove a leaf by cutting it off at the base, then trim the length and apply the sap straight to the skin.
Here is all you need to know about growing aloe Vera.
Unlike other cacti and succulents, aloe Vera is hard to develop from a single leaf. It is unlikely that the leaf will genuinely take root and develop into a robust plant. As a result, most gardeners use offshoots when planting aloe Vera, which usually produces plants that are more successful.
Table of Contents
Where to Grow Aloe Vera
Choose a location that is bright, indirect sunlight for the most of the day. Avoid direct sunlight for the plant, especially in the warmest parts of the day. If needed, aloe Vera can also withstand moderate shade. Aloe Vera needs at least six hours of direct sunshine every day in a sunny spot. The leaves’ protective outer layer can tolerate intense sun radiation without scorching.
Plants in partial shade will not necessarily perish, but they will not thrive either. They will not bloom, their leaves will stretch and become floppy, and their color will degrade. Excess moisture caused by shade can also foster root rot, which can destroy the plant.
SOIL
Grow Aloe Vera as a houseplant in a sandy, well-draining commercial mix, such as one labeled for cacti. Add equal parts sand and potting soil to a normal mix. Fertilizer-containing potting mixes should be avoided. Plants tolerate poor soil and require sufficient drainage when grown outside. Choose a pot that is somewhat bigger than the plant or pup’s root system.
Plant the Aloe Vera
Place the plant comfortably in the middle of the pot and push its roots with soil, then gently press the soil around the plant. Make sure the roots of your Aloe Vera plant or puff completely covered with soil and stable in the pot; otherwise use some rocks or sticks to stabilize it.
Water the plant
Water the newly planted Aloe Vera only as necessary. Allow the soil to completely dry between watering. When watering, make sure any extra water drains from the pot. Overwatering can cause root rot, so avoid it.
Aloe thrives in dry soil and retains water in its leaves, so it does not require much more water. In fact, overwatering is the leading cause of aloe plant death. Water aloe plants inside every two weeks (even less in the winter). When growing aloe in pots outside, plan to water more frequently, perhaps once a week. With your finger, check the soil; the top 1.5 inches should be dry before watering. Some important things to note down about watering
- If the leaves turn yellow or fall apart, stop watering.
- If the leaves appear thin or twisted, add more water.
Sunlight
Put the potted aloe Vera plant wherever it will get bright, indirect sunlight. A minimum of 6 hours of sunshine every day is recommended for plant growth. If you reside in a chilly climate, keep the plant away from windows at night. These places are prone to extreme cold, which might harm your plant.
- Increase the amount of sunshine if the leaves appear flat and low.
- Reduce the amount of sunshine if the leaves become brown.
Prune and propagate
If your aloe Vera plant develops offshoots or “pups,” you can remove them from the parent plant once their root systems have matured. Pups’ leaves are lighter green than the adult plant’s leaves. Detach the pups from the base or joint root system with pruning shears or scissors. Then you can repot the pups in separate pot.
Fertilizer
Aloe Vera does not require frequent fertilizing. If you must fertilize, use a diluted, balanced, water-soluble fertilizer designed particularly for succulent plants. The fertilizer should be water-based and phosphorus-rich. Use a low nitrogen, high phosphorus, low potassium fertilizer to promote growth. Make the mixture at half strength. Give the fertilizer in growing season.
Keep an eye out for pests, sickness, and fungus
Inspect your aloe Vera plant on a regular basis for typical houseplant pests such as mealybugs and spider mites. If you observe an infestation, take proper measures to control the pests, such as applying neem oil. To keep pests like mealy bugs and scale at bay, use a natural, organic insecticide. You may easily avoid fungus by keeping the soil dry.
If you see any mealy bugs or spider, clean them away with a cotton swab and some ethyl alcohol.
Rotate the Aloe Vera plant regularly
Rotate your aloe Vera plant on a regular basis to ensure that all sides of the plant receive equal sunlight exposure.
How to Harvest Aloe Vera
One of the great benefits of growing allow Vera at home is having a ready supply of cooling gel for life’s unexpected scrapes and burns. To utilize aloe Vera’s soothing sap, just take a thick, mature leaf off the plant, cutting it at the base with a sharp knife or garden shears. Then, squeeze a tiny bit of aloe from the cut end, or split the leaf open lengthwise to reveal the gel inside. Squeeze the gel into a small container or place the gel-side of the leaf straight on the burn.
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