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Growing Aloe Vera Plants: Watering, Lighting, Repotting, Use, and More!
Planting
Before Planting Aloe Vera
- It鈥檚 important to choose the right type of container. A pot made from terra-cotta or similar porous material is recommended, as it will allow the soil to dry thoroughly between waterings and will also be heavy enough to keep the plant from tipping over. A plastic or glazed pot may also be used, though these will hold more moisture.
- When choosing a container, pick one with at least one drainage hole in the bottom. This is key, as the hole will allow excess water to drain out. Aloe vera plants are hardy, but a lack of proper drainage can cause rot and wilting, which is easily the most common cause of death for this plant.
- Select a container that鈥檚 about as wide as it is deep. If your aloe plant has a stem, choose a container deep enough to plant the entire stem under the soil.
- Aloe vera plants are succulents, so use a well-draining potting mix, such as those made for cacti and succulents. Do not use gardening soil. A good mix should contain perlite, lava rock, chunks of bark, or all three.
- A layer of gravel, clay balls, or any other drainage material in the bottom of the pot is not necessary. This only takes up space that the roots could otherwise be using. A drainage hole is drainage enough!
- (Optional) To encourage your aloe to put out new roots after planting, dust the stem of the plant with a rooting hormone powder. Rooting hormone can be found at a local garden center or hardware store or bought online.
How to Plant (or Repot) an Aloe Vera Plant
If your aloe plant has grown leggy, has gotten too large, or simply needs an upgrade, it鈥檚 time to repot it. Here鈥檚 how:
- Prepare your pot. After giving the new pot a quick rinse (or a good scrub if it鈥檚 a pot you鈥檝e used before) and letting it dry thoroughly, place a small piece of screen over the drainage hole; this will keep the soil from falling out the bottom and will allow water to drain properly. A doubled-up piece of paper towel or newspaper can also work in a pinch, though these will break down over time.
- Prepare your plant. Remove the aloe vera plant from its current pot and brush away any excess dirt from the roots, being careful not to damage the roots.
- If your plant has any pups, remove them now. (See 鈥淐are鈥 below for instructions on removing and potting pups.)
- If your plant has a very long, spindly stem that won鈥檛 fit in the pot, it is possible to trim the stem off partially. Note that this is risky and could kill the plant. To trim the stem: Cut off part of the stem, leaving as much as possible on the plant. Next, place the bare plant in a warm area that gets indirect light. After several days, a callus will form over the wound. At this point, continue with the repotting instructions below.
- Plant your plant. Fill the pot about a third of the way with a well-draining potting mix, then place your plant in the soil. Continue filling in the soil around the plant, bearing in mind that you should leave at least 3/4 of an inch of space between the top of the soil and the rim of the pot. The bottom leaves of the aloe plant should rest just above the soil, too. Do not water after planting.
- Ignore your plant (temporarily). After you鈥檝e placed your aloe in its new pot, don鈥檛 water it for at least a week. This will decrease the chance of inducing rot and give the plant time to put out new roots. Until the plant seems to be rooted and happy, please keep it in a warm place that receives bright but indirect light.
Growing
How to Care for an Aloe Vera Plant
- Lighting: Place in bright, indirect sunlight or artificial light. A western or southern window is ideal. Aloe that are kept in low light often grow leggy.
- Temperature: Aloe vera does best in temperatures between 55 and 80掳F (13 and 27掳C). The temperatures of most homes and apartments are ideal. From May to September, you can bring your plant outdoors without any problems, but do bring it back inside in the evening if nights are cold.
- Fertilizing: Fertilize sparingly (no more than once a month) and only in the spring and summer with a balanced houseplant formula mixed at 1/2 strength.
- Repotting: Repot when root-bound, following the instructions given in 鈥淧lanting鈥 above.
Watering Aloe Vera
Watering is the most challenging part of keeping aloe vera healthy, but it鈥檚 certainly not rocket science! The aloe is a succulent plant accustomed to arid environments, but its thick leaves still need sufficient water.
- Water aloe vera plants deeply but infrequently. In other words, the soil should feel moist after watering but should be allowed to dry out to some extent before you water again. If the soil stays overly wet, the plant鈥檚 roots can rot.
- To ensure that you鈥檙e not overwatering your plant, allow the top third of potting soil to dry out between waterings. For example, if your plant is kept in 6 inches of potting soil, allow the top 2 inches to dry out before watering again. (Use your finger to test the dryness of the soil.)
- Generally speaking, plan to water your aloe plant about every 2鈥3 weeks in the spring and summer and even more sparingly during the fall and winter. One rule to remember for fall and winter watering is to roughly double the time between waterings (compared to your summer watering schedule). In other words, if you water every 2 weeks in summer, water every 4 weeks in winter.
- When watering, some excess water may run out of the bottom of the pot. Let the pot sit in this water so the soil absorbs as much as possible. Wait 10鈥15 minutes, then dump any remaining water.
Removing and Replanting Aloe Vera Offsets (Pups)
Mature aloe vera plants often produce offsets鈥 plantlets, pups, or babies鈥攖hat can be removed to produce an entirely new plant (a clone of the mother plant, technically).
- Find where the offsets are attached to the mother plant and separate them using pruning shears, scissors, or a sharp knife. Leave at least an inch of stem on the offset.
- Allow the offsets to sit out of the soil for several days; this lets the offset form a callus over the cut, which helps to protect it from rot. Keep the offsets in a warm location with indirect light during this time.
- Once the offsets have formed calluses, pot them in a standard succulent potting mix. The soil should be well-draining.
- Put the newly potted pups in a sunny location. Wait at least a week to water and keep the soil on the dry side.
How to Get Your Aloe Vera to Flower
Mature aloe vera plants occasionally produce a tall flower spike鈥攃alled an inflorescence鈥攆rom which dozens of tubular yellow or red blossoms appear. This certainly adds another level of interest to the already lovely aloe!
Unfortunately, a bloom is rarely achievable with aloes that are kept as houseplants since the plant requires nearly ideal conditions to produce flowers: lots of light, sufficient water, and the right temperature range. Due to these requirements (mainly lighting), aloe flowers are usually only seen on plants grown outdoors year-round in warm climates.
To give your aloe the best shot at flowering:
- Provide it with as much light as possible, especially during spring and summer. Aloes can be kept outdoors in full sun during the summer when temperatures are above 70掳F (21掳C). Bring the aloe inside if nighttime temps threaten to drop below 60掳F (16掳C).
- Note: Don鈥檛 move your aloe from indoors to full sun right away; it needs time to adjust to the intense light, or it may cause sunburn. Allow it to sit in partial shade for about a week before moving it to a brighter location.
- Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of water鈥攅nough to keep it from drying out completely but not enough to drown it! If the plant鈥檚 being kept outdoors, make sure that it鈥檚 not getting consistently soaked by summer rains.
- Give your aloe a proper dormancy period in the fall and winter. Aloe tends to bloom in late winter or early spring, so giving them a period of rest consisting of less frequent watering and cooler temperatures may encourage them to flower.
- Don鈥檛 be surprised if it still doesn鈥檛 flower. Despite our best efforts, indoor conditions just aren鈥檛 ideal for most aloes, so don鈥檛 be surprised if yours simply refuses to bloom!
Harvesting
Aloe Vera Gel
To make use of the aloe vera plant鈥檚 soothing properties, remove a mature leaf from the plant and cut it lengthwise. Squeeze the gel out of the leaf and apply it to your burn, or lay the opened leaf, gel side down, on the affected area. Learn more about aloe vera鈥檚 healing properties.
Do not ingest the gel, as it can cause nausea and other unpleasant symptoms.
Catherine Boeckmann
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no direct sunlight, soil should be moist not wet. If at first you dont suceed, Try and grow a different weed!
Thank you so much for this! I learned I was doing at least 2 things wrong. I was told that aloe like to be densely populated with a bunch of other aloe. Is that correct?
I live in MASS. I brought a matured aloe home from a friend's to "save", She was root bound. I placed her in a larger container. January (winter) she flowered. My snake plant (mother-in-law tongue) flowered also. These plants have never been outdoors. I recently segregated three pups from the Aloe. Mama has 8 additional pups growing & one of her three pups has begun growing pups of her own. I am not a green thumb. A little sun, water & love, you can have a flowering succulent indoor, in the winter. (I have pictures)
Fantastic blog post, filled with useful information. I'm feeling much more confident about taking in my girlfriends aloe plant! Thanks.
Hi there, how long should the soil stay moist after watering? I watered my aloe plant about 3 days ago and the soil still feels moist. My other plants' soil (Heartleaf Philodendron and Ghost plant) typically dry out after a day or so. I'm worried about the aloe plant getting root rot, and I read a lot of articles saying since aloe is a succulent it easily gets root rot if it sits in wet soil for too long. However, none of the articles say exactly how long is too long, not even a range. Is there some sense of how long is too long for soil to dry out? I really appreciate it!
It鈥檚 a question, How often should I water aloe plant in the winter months?
During the winter months鈥攁ssuming the plant is kept in a window indoors鈥攊t will be getting less light and will therefore not need as much water as it does in summer. One rule of thumb is to wait roughly twice as long between waterings in the winter as you would between waterings in summer. In other words, if you water every two weeks in summer, plan to water your aloe every four weeks during the winter months. Of course, your watering schedule should ultimately depend on the wetness of the soil; always check that at least the top third of soil is dry before watering again. This could ultimately mean that you actually need to water every three weeks or every five weeks鈥攊t all depends on the environment in your home!
I see that you have a harvest/ storage section, but it doesn't quite cover how to store the aloe. Would you suggest putting it in a container?
I have an Aloa Vera plant that I repotted to a 14" X 12" deep pot. The plant has grown very Large and given many pups. Unfortunately the stem grew very thick and tall and has now fallen over. Any suggestion as to how I should now treat this plant.
I live in Hereford England and have an aloe Vera plant which has just started to grow a flower. The aloe is getting to big for its pot should I repot now or wait until the flower has gone.
Thanks
