With its bizarre silhouette and magnificent flowers, aloe vera provides decorative diversity on the windowsill. At the same time, the exotic plant acts as a green pharmacy thanks to its rich juice. If you still have questions about how to properly care for your succulent, you can get a profound answer here.
How do I properly care for an aloe vera plant?
To properly care for aloe vera, you should plant it in cactus soil, water moderately and use low-lime water. The plant requires a sunny location and liquid cactus fertilizer every four weeks during growth from March to October.
Planting aloe vera correctly
Since aloe vera completely lacks winter hardiness, cultivation in beds is rarely an option. This is why the tropical plant is usually found in decorative pots. Since the magnificent flower is often sold in unsuitable potting soil, we recommend planting it in a suitable substrate immediately after purchase. Cactus soil is excellently suited to the needs of the succulent desert lily. Here's how to do it professionally:
- Spread pottery shards or expanded clay over the water drain in the bottom of the bucket as drainage
- Fill the planter half to three quarters with substrate
- Plant the young plant just below the lower leaves
Freshly planted aloe vera is watered thoroughly and then allowed to dry thoroughly in a partially shaded location until the next watering. After 3 to 4 weeks of getting used to it, the desert lily is happy about a sunny spot on the windowsill or the summer balcony.read more
Care tips
The spectacular and useful plant does its job without requiring extensive care. If the location is in a sunny and warm place, with temperatures of more than 10 degrees Celsius, care revolves around the following measures:
- Water the plant moderately to allow the substrate to dry thoroughly in the meantime
- Preferably use low-lime water administered from below
- Apply liquid cactus fertilizer (€7.00 on Amazon) every 4 weeks from March to October
- Cut yellowed, drawn-in leaves on the outer edge and twist out
If the plant spends 4-5 weeks at a cool 10 to 13 degrees during the winter period of dormancy, this precaution contributes significantly to the lush induction of flowers. During the vegetation break, only water once or twice a month and do not apply any fertilizer. Every 2 to 3 years, repot the exotic flower into a larger pot in early spring.read more
Which location is suitable?
Immigrated from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, the exotic flower proves to be a sun worshipper. The ideal location should be chosen according to the following criteria:
- Sunny to semi-shady location without blazing midday sun behind glass
- In the summer, preferably full sun after a period of getting used to it
- Warm and protected from the pelting rain
As long as the temperatures are above 10 degrees Celsius, aloe vera likes to stay on the sunny balcony or in the flower bed. Otherwise, the flower prefers a place on the south or west window of the house, at temperatures of 20-25 degrees Celsius.read more
What soil does the plant need?
The exotic plant feels at home in lean, well-drained soil. If the flower decorates the summer garden, a place in the gravel bed or rock garden is particularly welcome. Since aloe vera is not hardy in these latitudes, the majority of hobby gardeners cultivate the plant in pots. A suitable substrate should be like this:
- Commercial cactus soil, pricking substrate or standard soil
- A mixture of one part each of garden soil, peat growing medium and sand
- Optionally a mixture of clay, peat, sand and lava granules
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When is flowering time?
The cylindrical, up to 40 cm long inflorescences are decoratively displayed in spring after a cool winter at 10-13 degrees Celsius. The yellow, red or orange grapes rise tightly upright above the gray-green leaves. Of course, the flower is only able to achieve this masterpiece from the age of 3 at the earliest.
cut aloe vera correctly
In order to harvest the rich leaves or to preserve the harmonious habit of the plant, pruning is possible all year round. With a sharp, disinfected knife, just cut the outer leaves a little and then twist them out. This way you keep the wound as small as possible. Dust the open tissue wound with charcoal powder to seal it. When cutting aloe vera, pay attention to the reinforced edges of the leaves and protect yourself from injuries with gloves.read more
Watering aloe vera
As a succulent, the plant has adapted to storing water over long periods of time and in this way surviving periods of drought. When it comes to watering this tropical flower, a rethink is required compared to the classic watering of houseplants. If in doubt, leave the plant drier rather than giving it a harmful high dose of water. How to do it right:
- Do not water aloe vera until the top 3-4 cm of the substrate has dried
- Under no circumstances pour into the leaf rosette
- The excess water must be able to drain freely
- Empty the coaster after 5 minutes at the latest to avoid waterlogging
- In the summer garden, only water once or twice a month if there is a persistent drought
It is preferable to use collected rainwater or stale tap water, as excess lime in the substrate can lead to leaf chlorosis.read more
Fertilize aloe vera properly
The nutrient supply is limited to the administration of liquid cactus fertilizer from March to October. Do not apply the preparation to dry substrate, as in this case the roots may suffer s alt burns. If in doubt, first moisten the plant a little with clear water.read more
Wintering
If the tropical plant spent the summer outdoors, it moves into the shelter of the house on the windowsill or in the winter garden in the fall. When the mercury drops below 10 degrees, it's time to move. A cool winter at 10 to 13 degrees Celsius in a bright location has a beneficial effect on the desired flower induction. There is no fertilization from November to February. Watering is limited to occasional watering once or twice a month.read more
Propagate aloe vera
The aloe vera plant produces offspring on its own by allowing children to sprout near the roots. With good care, several daughter plants can thrive on an adult flower. Once they reach a height of 10 to 15 cm, cut them off with a sharp, disinfected knife. Then fill seed pots with cactus soil to nurture the tiny plants in until they have developed their own root system. A young aloe vera takes up to 3 months for this process, which it spends in a partially shaded, warm location.read more
How do I transplant correctly?
Early spring is the best time to transplant the aloe vera plant into a larger container. Given its slow growth, this care measure is only required every 2-3 years. Use fresh succulent soil with lava granules as a substrate and add drainage in the bottom above the water drain. In the first three weeks after transplanting, the plant should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
Aloe vera does not bloom
Do all the care measures taken around the plant stand up to critical scrutiny and yet the flowers still fail? Then you are almost certainly looking at very young aloe vera. In the first 3 to 4 years of life, the flower gathers the necessary strength to produce the impressive blossom. If you maintain proper care, including a 4-week winter rest at 10-13 degrees Celsius, the plant will soon surprise you with its first inflorescence.
Brown leaves
If the leaves of your exotic flower turn brown, this is not due to a lack of care. In fact, this is how the plant reacts to intense sunlight. If you assign the flower to a partially shaded location or if it is protected by a curtain on the south-facing window, the leaves will remain green.read more
Yellow leaves
If only the outer leaves turn yellow while the plant grows green inside, this is a completely natural process. As the flower ages, it sheds worn-out leaves to make room for fresh foliage. However, if all the leaves turn yellow, check the water balance. Watering too much with lime-containing tap water causes lasting damage to the plant and causes yellowing as a classic symptom of leaf chlorosis.read more
Can aloe vera be placed outside?
The more sun the desert lily can soak up, the more opulent its unique plant body develops. On the other hand, since the flower cannot tolerate temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, the duration of its stay outdoors is limited to the summer months. As soon as the mercury column exceeds 10 degrees in spring, aloe vera moves to the balcony. Before your gem is exposed to full sunlight, there should be an 8-day hardening phase in a partially shaded location. Alternatively, you can place the plant in the poor soil of the rock garden throughout the summer to attract everyone's attention. As long as aloe vera is moved to a protected winter quarters in good time in the fall, there is nothing to stop it from being outdoors every year.read more
Trivia
History attributes the fairytale beauty of the Egyptian ruler Cleopatra, among other things, to the use of rich juice from the Aleo Vera plant. It is also said that the legendary Queen Nefertiti groomed herself daily with a fluid made from this flower. Aloe vera accompanied some of the most famous rulers in human history. During his campaigns, Alexander the Great resorted to the plant's rich aloe gel to heal his warriors' injuries.
