Aloe is a succulent, meaning it stores water in its leaves. This means it can go long periods without being watered, and in the winter months, it will even go into a period of near dormancy when it will need hardly any watering.
A genus with almost 400 different species, Aloe is native to Africa. It’s commonly found in South Africa, Madagascar, and the mountainous regions of tropical Africa.
They do well in containers and as houseplants, although they appreciate some outdoor time in the summer. Mature specimens grown in ideal conditions often bloom, sending out a tall shoot covered in bright orange flowers. The blooms are extremely popular with hummingbirds.
The most common type of Aloe used as a houseplant is Aloe barbadensis, also known as Aloe vera. Aloe vera is a popular kitchen plant because the gel in the leaves is useful in treating and soothing burns. Aloe vera gel is also helpful for treating dry or irritated skin and dandruff.
It has long been used for medicinal purposes and legend says Alexander the Great used it to treat his soldiers’ wounds while Cleopatra used it as a cosmetic.
Most Aloe species have the same growth habit as a thick rosette of fleshly, spear-like leaves. Some have spiny edges and vary in color from deep gray-green to bright green with stripes or speckles.
Growing Aloe Vera is fairly easy both indoors and outdoors depending upon one’s climate zone. If one lives in an area that experiences drastic temperature changes and/or receives snow during the winter, it is best to grow Aloe inside.
Aloe flourishes outdoors primarily when it is grown in warm and moist climates; it is native to Africa and has adapted to survive in high heat or drought conditions. This article will provide complete guidance as you grow and care for Aloe both indoors and outdoors.
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Aloes are easy to propagate, either by careful division or by removing the young offshoots that often form at the base of the plant.
The aloe plant can grow as tall as three feet and is often almost as round as it is tall. In the spring, a mature aloe will produce an edible yellow flower on a long spike.
Once an aloe vera plant has settled down and matured it will begin to send off runners or pups as they are frequently referred to. These new offshoots are the first sign that the plant is now pot-bound and in danger of becoming top-heavy.
Using a sharp knife cut deeply into the soil between the runner and the parent plant and lift away the new young ‘pup’. Plant a few of these in the same conditions as the parent plant and once they are established they can be separated and planted up to be individual plants. While this is being done consider re-potting the main plant and both of these tasks should be done during July and August.
A healthy Aloe Vera plant will produce approximately 20 ‚” babies” which are naturally produced and offset from the mother plant. These babies may be harvested after reaching a height of 3 inches, or simply left to colonize all of the space in the pot.
Curiously, Aloe Vera plants (and most succulents for that matter) reproduce the fastest when the plant is root-bound. Therefore, the longer one’s plant has lived in the same pot, the more babies it will produce.
Plant Aloe in well-draining soil; use a growing medium that is one part cactus soil mix and one part regular potting soil if planting indoors in a container. If one chooses to plant outdoors it helps to mix a small amount of gravel into the soil to aid in drainage for the plant.
Aloe is a perennial succulent, but it is too tender to survive outdoors except in very warm climates. In cooler regions, it should be grown in containers and brought indoors when the temperatures are expected to drop below 50 degrees. Outdoors is an appropriate addition to a blue and gray theme garden.
As a precaution, however, expose plants that have been grown indoors to the sun gradually to allow them to adjust. Like many plants, it may sunburn if brought directly from the protection of the house and left out in the scorching summer sun.
In the spring, the mature aloe plant will produce off-shoots from its main root. These small aloe plants can be pulled or dug and transplanted. When harvesting baby aloe plants, be sure to get a good part of the root by which is attached to the main plant. Transplant the baby into rich soil in its own pot. That’s it. You now have another aloe vera.
The aloe plant should be moved indoors when temperatures dip below 40° Fahrenheit. Check the soil moisture weekly and add water when the soil is dry an inch below the surface.
Be careful that you do not overwater or allow the plant to sit in mucky soil, or it will rot. Feed it monthly during the growing season with a low-nitrogen, high-potassium fertilizer. Wood ashes are a good source of potassium for plants and are easily obtained.
Do not use ashes that are tainted with soot-removal compounds, as these may harm the plant. A simpler method is to use half-strength liquid fertilizer and fertilize less often. Aloe vera rests during the winter, requiring less light and cooler temperatures. Water only enough to keep the leaves from withering. Do not fertilize in winter.
Repot with a cactus mix when the roots occupy half of the pot space. Regular potting soil will do, but the cactus mixture drains more readily, making it less likely that the plant will suffer from overwatering.
A layer of clean stones or broken brick at the bottom of the pot will also improve drainage. If your mature plant becomes top-heavy and topples over, add a little soil around the base to prop it back up. Better yet, divide and give the extras to a friend.
To propagate, remove the suckers that form around the base and plant them in moist sand until they develop a good root system.
You also can propagate by stem cuttings and seeds. For stem cuttings, snap off a medium-sized leaf and let the wound dry for a couple of hours. Then dip the broken end into a powdered rooting compound such as Rootzone. Stand it in damp sand until it develops roots. Then move it to a small pot of cactus soil.
Fertilize the plant with a liquid fertilizer that is high in nitrogen and phosphorus once a month during spring/summer and once every four weeks during fall/winter.
Use the fertilizer as prescribed and feel free to pour it directly onto the foliage of the plant. Aloe Vera benefits from foliar feeding; it can absorb water and fertilizer through its leaves as well as its roots
One must allow Aloe Vera to dry out completely in between watering. Do not be afraid of under watering Aloe; it is extremely hardy and may be revived from the most desperate of situations.
Water Aloe only after the soil has dried to a depth that is equivalent to 20% of the container and then saturates the soil deeply.
Remember: Aloe is native to a desert climate where drought and monsoon are typical weather patterns. Not to mention, this plant is a succulent. Therefore, it will absorb and store an impressive amount of water in its thick leaves to survive in case of drought.
One may not be aware of it, but some plants can root in pure water while others require the protection of soil. Aloe is one of the special plants that can root in water, producing several advantages for gardeners.
First, one may propagate new plants by placing the mother plant directly into water and allowing “babies” to sprout off and grow before planting them in soil.
Also, a lot of common problems for Aloe plants are solved by fortifying the plant with water and liquid fertilizer.
Aloes do well in pots and window boxes. Unlike most houseplants, their roots are shallow and grow outwards rather than down so a container that is wider than it is deep is ideal. Use a potting mix designed for cacti and succulents.
The aloe plant is gardener friendly. It is easy to grow and propagate. but it is sensitive to too much water. Water only when the soil has dried out and avoided getting the rosette wet or it may rot.
Feeding should happen sparingly at best and only with high-quality cactus food. Aloes are easy-care, needing little more than a warm, sunny window.
They are rarely if ever bothered by pests. It is not prone to bugs or fungi. In the summer months, they appreciate spending some time outdoors but should never be left in the rain.
Commonly called the medicine plant, aloe vera, or true aloe (aloe barbadensis), is an ingredient in numerous cosmetics, sun care products, shampoos, medicinal gels, and even laxatives. But for the price of the first potted plant, you can have the healing properties of aloe on hand in your own home.
Using aloe gel for burns and skin infections has ancient historical support. Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and Indians all have documented using aloe since before the time of Christ.
Even the Bible mentions that when Christ was removed from the cross, his body was wrapped in aloes and myrrh, (John 19:39). Modern research suggests that topically applied aloe gel may have immunomodulatory properties. There have been no reported side effects from the topical use of aloe gel.
The inner lining of the aloe leaf is used as an oral laxative and is reported to soothe the digestive system. Ingestion of aloe is often accomplished in encapsulated powder form.
There is ongoing research on possible uses of aloe in the treatment of cancer and diabetes. However, there are no claims to date of the plant’s efficacy in treating these ailments.
There have been reports of diarrhea caused by the laxative effect of oral aloe vera. And, it can decrease the absorption of many drugs according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Some studies suggest Aloe vera gel taken internally has shown to be effective in treating ulcerative colitis but no one should take Aloe internally without consulting a doctor first.
Aloe vera aids healing and provide comfort for cooking burns and sunburns. It is useful for treating skin abrasions and irritations. The juices contain over 200 chemical compounds that are beneficial for the skin.
Aloe vera is easy to grow and many mothers and cooks keep an aloe vera plant ready for minor burns and scrapes. In a topical manner for the treatment of minor abrasions and sunburn etc., the gel of juice can be used straight from the plant in the home or garden. Before using aloe vera internally, it is best to check with your physician.
Many aloe lovers keep a pot in the kitchen, where most household burns occur. For burn treatment, simply break off one of the thick, fleshy leaves and rub the sap that oozes out onto the burned skin. Squeeze or crush the leaf if necessary. The sap also is soothing to dry, irritated skin. The broken leaf will not grow back, but a healthy plant will quickly produce many more leaves and offshoots.
The gel used externally has been shown to have little risk. Discontinue use if any signs of an allergic reaction (increased redness, hives, swelling) appear. The gel can be used externally on cats and dogs as well but always check with a vet before use.
Cut along one side of the leaf and remove the outer skin, then scoop out the flesh and while using latex gloves gently squeeze the flesh between the thumb and forefinger.
The juice will slowly begin to flow and can be applied directly to the abrasion or whatever. It will soothe the affected area and it will dry in a few minutes.
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