We must admit that we all are attracted to the beautiful green foliage of the aloe vera plant. Besides that, the alleviating properties it possesses inspire us even more to bring them closer.
Having required minimal care and attention, aloe vera is super easy to grow. This guide aims to help you plant and grow aloe vera in the easiest possible ways.
Let’s learn about the important elements that you must be aware of while growing aloe vera in your place. Knowing when and where to grow aloe vera is the primary and crucial aspect for every aloe vera lover.
Light Requirement
One of the very first things you should know is that aloe vera doesn’t like being exposed to direct sunlight. But keep in mind not to deprive it of the bright indirect light as much as possible.
Yes, aloe vera thrives in such location which receives maximum indirect sunlight throughout the day. Choose your location wisely!
Soil Requirement
The ground where aloe vera is allowed to grow has everything to decide whether your plant flourishes fully vibrantly or not. Although aloe vera is a plant with no such high demand on its upbringing, you mustn’t compromise on its soil requirement.
The first thing on the requirement list is the well-maintained drainage system. Yes, aloe vera yearns for good drainage of the soil. Considering this, you have to be careful while choosing the container for your aloe vera. It should have proper drainage holes for a healthy soil environment.
Temperature and Humidity Requirement
If you have been living in a place that experiences environment temperatures lower than 0°C for a longer period, your aloe vera plant needs special care and protection from the cold weather. Being a sun-loving plant, dry air with around 40% relative humidity can be just fine.
Further, according to the professionals, a temperature range between 13-30°C is considered ideal for your aloe vera to grow vibrantly. Make sure to allow the dedicated temperature around the surroundings where you have decided to grow your beloved aloe vera.
Water Requirement
It has been suggested to develop a practice of watering your aloe vera once or twice a week only after the soil becomes completely dry. During the dormant winter period, aloe vera doesn’t need water at all, but if it rains in the winter, you may need to plant them in gravel or stones.
Watering requirement is an important aspect of how to grow aloe vera plants. Aloe vera leaves are capable of storing water, referred to as a succulent plant. Therefore, they don’t necessarily require excessive watering.
Fertilizer Requirement
Fertilizing is one of the crucial aspects of how to take care of an aloe vera plant. You should know that aloe vera is a plant that grows best in poor soil conditions. Therefore, fertilizing aloe vera plants is not necessarily required.
But if you decide to fertilize them anyhow, you can use a diluted to half-strength liquid 10-40-10 fertilizer once a year. While fertilizing your aloe vera plant, make sure to choose the time of spring months and remember not to feed too much fertilizer.
Planting Period
The best time for planting baby aloe vera plants is considered around July-August. This period has been found to ensure subsequent growth with better field survival for the aloe vera plants.
However, if the location is irrigated properly, many people are seen planting aloe vera around November - February. But keep in mind not to plant any aloe vera during the winter.
Aloe vera plant can be grown by adopting several easy methods. The most common and easiest three ways are explained below where you will learn to repot and propagate the matured aloe vera plant side by side.
Propagation is one of the methods to grow aloe vera plants in your home or garden through their younger ones. The baby aloes that appear at the base of the plant, also called offsets or pups, can be used during the propagation.
Remember to allow the baby plant to reach a height of around one-fifth of the parent aloe vera plant before you decide to propagate them. Here’s how you can grow aloe vera through propagation:
Step 1: Gather Required Materials
You may need gloves, a trowel, a pot, and a potting medium (preferred Cactus Potting Medium) for this task to initiate and complete in the right manner. Once the materials are gathered, you need to put on your gloves and fill the pot with the arranged potting mix.
Step 2: Remove the Pups
The pups or the baby aloes are located at the base of the mother plant. Gently twist them off from the plant, ensuring you have a maximum root system adjoined with the offsets or pups.
You should know that some pups may not have extensive root systems while some of them may not have any root at all. But don’t worry, they will grow just fine if planted in the right way.
Step 3: Allow the Cut to Form a Callus
After you’ve cut the offsets, you then need to allow the pups to dry out in the sunny environment. This way, the cut end will develop callus and help the plantation and development more readily.
After that, you can plant the pup in the pot such that the root balls are covered completely with the potting mix or prepared soil.
Once planted, you need to backfill the soil ensuring the portion just below the leaves is completely buried under the soil. Make sure not to allow touching of the leaves in the soil.
Step 5: Water the Plant
Light watering can be beneficial after the pups have been planted in the soil. Make sure to allow the soil to dry out completely before watering once the plants have started to develop matured roots.
It has been found that around 3-4 months may be required for your aloe vera to develop a root system. Thus, growing aloe vera is certainly going to test your patience level.
Once your aloe vera plant starts to bear flowers, it can produce seeds. The precise time for the seed production may vary depending upon the cultivars, however, in general, once the plant surpasses four or more years, they are found to produce the seeds.
You can grow aloe vera plants directly through the seeds. Scroll down to learn about the procedure:
Begin by harvesting small seeds of the aloe vera that are enclosed inside the dry pods.
The harvested seeds should be kept in a cool and dark place. You can choose any of your isolated rooms to keep them.
The harvested seeds then need to be allowed to germinate. It would not take several days if you maintain an appropriate sprouting environment.
For the well-draining soil, the combination of peat moss and sand is considered best for your aloe vera to grow vibrantly from the seeds.
Make sure to choose a flat container that uses less soil for planting the seeds.
Before placing the seeds, you need to mildly dampen the soil of the container.
After that, gently spread the seeds in the soil about an inch apart.
Finally, cover the soil surface by sprinkling light dust of sand.
Remember to maintain a temperature of about 75 degrees F around the area and place the container away from the direct sunlight, allowing it to receive bright indirect sun.
Aloe vera can be grown through transplantation. After you allow your plant to grow in one container, over time, the roots may begin to cover the container, if there isn’t enough space for them to grow.
To cope with this issue, you can follow the below-mentioned step-by-step guide for transplanting your aloe vera.
Step 1: Choose the Location
Location is a crucial aspect while transplanting the aloe vera plant. As you know aloe vera plant flourishes upon receiving the warmth of the sunlight. Further, throughout its growing period, it should constantly receive indirect sunlight.
In some cases, the leaves of the outdoor aloe vera may turn brown upon exposure to direct excessive heat, in that condition, you have to consider providing some sort of partial shade to your plant.
Step 2: Prepare the Soil
The next step in transplanting aloe vera is the preparation of the soil. Although the aloe vera plant doesn’t necessarily require high-nutrient soil with heavy fertilizer, it eagerly looks for a good drainage system. If you can’t maintain decent drainage for your plant, it will eventually die.
After that, you need to place the aloe vera plant securing its root balls under the soil and making sure it is completely buried inside the soil.
Further, if any of the leaves are found to touch the soil, you need to remove them right away, or else the leaves will start to rot after some days.
Step 4: Avoid Watering for the First Few Days
Once the plants have been planted in the new container or the new location, you do not need to water them right away. Instead, allow them to repair damaged roots, if any.
Overwatering may damage the roots of the plant, increasing the risk of root rot. Light watering after a couple of days may be fruitful for the initial days to remain on the safe side.
Aloe vera plant is an easy plant in terms of both growing and caring. Unlike other sensitive plants in your garden or surroundings, aloe vera doesn’t require your constant attention and maintenance.
But there are some issues you should be aware of while growing them. Here are some of those unignorable issues related to growing aloe vera plants.
Overwatering
You must have known by now that aloe vera is a sturdy plant that prefers to grow in hot and warm weather. In fact, these plants are found to have originated in desert-like environments with minimal tolerance to over-watering.
Many owners of aloe vera plants often make the mistake of heavy watering their aloe vera plant and fail to grow a well-developed aloe vera. Overwatering often turns the leaves of the plant to brown or yellow. If you are looking to correct the mistake of overwatering aloe vera, follow the below-mentioned steps:
Begin by allowing the soil to dry out.
Dig out the soil and give a proper inspection of its root system.
If you happen to find any roots that are rotten or have started to blacken out, gently cut them away.
Further, trim away every peculiar growth such as yellow or brown leaves, leaving behind only the healthy and green foliage.
Having done all the necessary care things, you need to repot your plant in a container having good drainage holes and filled with potting mix.
Insufficient Light
Light is an important thriving element for your aloe vera. Although the aloe vera plant has the potential to withstand and grow in dim lighting conditions, it best grows in bright and indirect sunlight.
Upon receiving inadequate sunlight, your plant may start to sage and its foliage may start to appear wobbly, losing its appealing green essence.
Well, if you live in the warmer regions as that of USDA Zones 10, 11, and 12, it has been proven that these regions are the best regions for growing aloe vera. These locations allow a thriving environment for your aloe vera plant.
Aloe vera growing in these regions do not require water when they go into the dormant winter stage. However, for aloe vera growing in colder climates, apart from considering the watering aspect, you also need to move them indoors to protect them from the harsh winter conditions.
Pests and Diseases
Some pests like to feed on the sap of the aloe vera plant. If you happen to locate pests like mealybugs, spider mites, and snout in or around your plant, you need to take the right get rid-of techniques to eliminate them.
Begin by adopting the homemade treatments followed by washing and cleaning the leaves of the plant. This way, if the infestation is not severe, you may be able to eliminate the pests.
