Aloe vera care and facts plant encyclopedia feey ag
The aloe vera spreads out relaxed next to you and beams at you with its star shape, even if you leave it alone. The only thing cooler is its gel, which you can slap on your skin or in your smoothie.🍹
– Light& Location – Watering aloe vera – Fertilizing aloe vera – Toxicity of aloe vera – Aloe species – Growth, size& Aloe vera flowers – diseases& Pests of aloe vera – wintering aloe vera – repotting aloe vera – propagating aloe vera
Official name Aloe vera, Aloe barbadensis
Origin& Distribution Originally, the aloe vera probably comes from the Arabian Peninsula. From there it started its triumphal procession into all subtropical regions. Tropical regions of the world.
Alternative names: True Aloe, Desert Lily, First Aid Plant, True Aloe, African Aloe, Burn Plant, Miracle Plant – or just: aloe.
Fun Fact Aloe vera has been planted for thousands of years, in part because of its effect on our health: it purifies the air, produces oxygen even at night, and relaxes you just by looking at it. Its gel is anti-inflammatory, aids digestion and wound healing. It is also said to have anti-aging effects. If you want to eat the gel, you must take care when harvesting to remove the toxic layer under the bark. Caution: aloe is poisonous to pets .
Aloe vera care
light& Location
The aloe vera wants to bathe in a lot of light, preferably in a window place. It even tolerates a few hours of direct sun daily. Too much water can give it sunburn, so watch it carefully if it is not yet accustomed to its location.
You can turn your aloe every 6 months, so that all sides get enough light and it grows straight.
In your apartment it can stay indoors all year round, or you can move it outside in the summer. It is also better to accustom them to direct sun, keep them in partial shade for a week first and protect them from heavy rains. If the temperature outside drops below 15°C, you have to bring your aloe inside.
Your aloe vera will feel comfortable in any room as long as it is bright enough. Only in the bathroom you have to be careful. Too much humidity can cause the leaves of the aloe to become soft, or. begin to rot.
Watering aloe vera
As a succulent, the aloe does not need much water, as it stores a lot of moisture in its thick leaves.
In spring and summer you can water your Aloe vera about every 2-3 weeks depending on the location, ideally with rainwater or low-calcium tap water . In between, its soil should dry out completely each time. Check with the finger test, then you are on the safe side.
If you water then, you can mimic a heavy desert rainfall and ca. water a quarter of the volume of the pot. Wait 15 minutes and then pour the excess water out of the planter. Wet feet do not like the Aloe at all.
If it is not too big yet, your aloe will be very happy about a water bath : just put it in the bathtub and water it until its inner pot is a few centimeters in the water. When the soil is full, you can drain the water and let the plant rest for 15 minutes before returning it to its place. The next few weeks you let their soil dry out completely again.
If your aloe is outside in the summer and gets rainwater, you don't have to water it at all.
In autumn and winter your aloe needs very little watering. Water it at most once a month, and always check first with your finger if its soil is really dry.
If the leaves are no longer so plump and you can squeeze them a little at the sides, then this is a sign of water deficiency. The aloe must then draw the liquid from the leaves back into the stem. In this case you should water a little more often.
The biggest danger for your aloe is waterlogging . Your indoor pot must have drainage holes and the soil should be permeable so that excess water can always drain off well. This you empty out of the planter or saucer. Otherwise, the roots may rot and suffocate because they no longer get air and nutrients.
Aloe vera fertilize
In spring and summer you should fertilize the aloe vera once, preferably with slow-release fertilizer such as biofertilizer pellets . Cactus fertilizer also works well. Liquid fertilizer is fast times too much for it.
In winter you do not need to fertilize the aloe .
Other care of the aloe vera
Because it stretches its leaves out in all directions, the aloe sometimes becomes heavy and threatens to topple over. You can tie a strong leaf to a short bamboo stick with a ribbon that will not cut into it.
If you want to harvest its gel anyway, you can cut a leaf to rebalance the plant.
Maybe your aloe just wants to be repotted again. But this only when its inner pot is completely rooted. You can feel this when you gently squeeze the pot, or when the roots are already trying to grow out of the holes at the bottom. It is a good sign if your aloe grows very strong and forms many new offshoots. But when her pot is getting full, you are welcome to repot her and give the little baby aloe veras a home of their own. They prefer their new pot to be wide rather than deep.
Special features of the Aloe vera
– Aloe vera is one of our favorite air-purifying plants . It pulls pollutants like formaldehyde and benzene, which are found in many homes, out of the air especially reliably. – We can especially recommend aloe for your bedroom. It is one of the few plants that produce oxygen even at night. We don't know if this will make your sleep more restful, but it certainly won't do any harm.
– Aloe vera was already used by the Maya as a medicinal plant. Its gel has various health benefits: it is anti-inflammatory and effective against sunburn and insect bites. What sounds totally wacky, is not witchcraft at all! On our blog we show you how you can easily harvest the gel of your aloe vera yourself and for what great things it can be used👉🏾 harvest aloe vera gel
Does the aloe vera suit me?
The aloe vera has already crept into the hearts of many black thumbs and reluctant plant givers. It is very hardy. Absolutely beginner:indoor suitable .
If you would like to find out whether and how the aloe vera fits into your home, you can do so with the augmented reality function in our store.
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Is the aloe vera poisonous?
Aloe vera is poisonous for Pets. If you have a furry friend at home, you should place your aloe out of reach, for example on a plant stand .
You also have to be careful when harvesting aloe gel: The leaf bark contains toxic anthraquinone. And in the yellow juice that comes out after it is cut open, there is aloin, which is toxic in larger quantities. You need to drain the secretion thoroughly (preferably a few hours). Then rinse the leaf with the exposed gel, ideally with water. Only the aloe gel itself is edible.
Aloe species
There are over 500 species of aloes in different sizes and textures.
A small, snub-nosed variety is the aloe tiki zilla. It is a cross between Gasteria and Aloe species and does not occur in the wild.
We do not have it in our assortment because even the slightest injury is enough for it to start rotting. The plant then dies within a short time.
Aloe tiki zilla
We also find these aloe species particularly beautiful:
– Tiger aloe ( Aloe variegata ) – a small aloe with short, smooth leaves with uneven white stripes – Aloe aristata – has fine teeth on the edges of the leaves, which are soft and look like frosty eyelashes, and tiny white dots on the leaves – Aloe glauca – a larger aloe with blue-grey, blue-green, and greenish tones, respectively. silvery-blue leaves
Tiger aloe ( Aloe variegata ) (C: Pixabay)
If you keep the aloe only indoors, it is less likely that it will bloom. But you might be lucky if you take care of it in the best possible way.
How to get my Aloe vera to bloom?
Unfortunately, it is unlikely that your house aloe will bloom. Aloe vera needs ideal conditions to bloom. The most difficult thing is to provide it with enough light.
If you still want your aloe vera to bloom, you can increase your chances:
Try to give your Aloe vera as much light as possible, especially in spring and summer. When temperatures rise above 20 degrees, you can put your plant outside in the sun . If the temperature drops below 15°C at night, bring it inside in time.
Important: To avoid sunburn, do not place your aloe in full sun from indoors. Leave it in partial shade for a week or so before moving it to a brighter spot.
Give your aloe enough water without letting it stand in the wetness. It needs moisture, but the bottom line is that it is still a desert plant. If your aloe vera is outside, keep an eye on the summer rains and put it under cover if it is raining for a long time.
Give your aloe vera a winter period with lower temperatures, so that it falls into a state of rest and can produce flowers with new energy in the spring. Your aloe needs more than enough light, even in winter. Do not put it in the cellar, but in a winter garden or a stairwell. Water it less often than usual during this period.
Don't be surprised if your aloe vera still decides not to bloom. Rather rejoice in their wonderfully thick, spreading leaves! Your aloe vera is a hardy plant. Used to a lot. The fact that it is ailing has by far the most to do with too little light or Too much water to do.
Aloe vera leaves droop or buckle
If your aloe vera gets too little light, its leaves will become long and thin. Often they hang or. bend with the time in the middle or at the base.
Simply place your aloe in a sunny window or outside in the summer.
Aloe vera gets pale leaves
Even if the leaves fade, the reason is often too little light.
Place your aloe vera in a more suitable location with more sunlight.
If your plant is leaning towards the light source, you can turn it every few months so that all sides get the same amount of light.
Aloe vera gets yellow leaves
Too much wetness is often the first thing your Aloe vera notices with yellow leaf tips.
Also, if it gets too much sun too quickly, it will sometimes turn yellow leaves.
If your aloe only gets yellow leaves from time to time, this is nothing to worry about. As long as it continues to grow and produce new shoots, it is only getting rid of its old leaves. These are at the very bottom of the plant.
Aloe vera gets red leaves
Red or pink leaves on aloe vera are a clear sign of too much light. If your aloe was in a dark place and it gets direct sunlight in its new location, the leaves will change color. Sun stress is also called. You can simply move your aloe to a shadier place. It will turn green again within a few days.
Leaves of aloe vera turn brown and soft
Waterlogging Brown, muddy leaves on the aloe vera are an alarm signal for too much water . It is a desert plant. Holds out even longer dry phases without problems. Watering too often is not good for the plant – its roots may rot and suffocate the plant. So if in doubt, water too little often rather than too often! This is especially true in winter.
If you notice soft, mushy spots on the leaves and some of them are already brown and drooping, it is best to repot the aloe . Remove as much of the wet soil as possible and cut off roots that look black and rotten with disinfected pruning shears.
Too high humidity could also cause a problem. If your aloe vera is in the bathroom, you will have to water it even less often.
More about waterlogging you can find in our blog post about watering .
Cold or draught In winter it is also sometimes possible that brown leaves on the aloe are caused by the cold. If the temperature drops below 5°C and the aloe vera has to endure this for too long or is in draught, its leaves will first become glassy, sometimes whitish, then brown and fall off. If you take the plant out of the cold, it can regenerate and turn green again.
Sunburn Even a sun goddess like the aloe vera can get burned. If it stands too long in direct sun or behind a glass pane that heats up, its leaves will turn brownish-orange or reddish. You can adjust its location a bit. For example, move it a meter or two away from the window.
But the orange spots are not really a reason for concern. With these colors it protects itself from the sun and other stress factors. As soon as this is no longer necessary, its leaves will turn bright green again.
Nutrient deficiency A rare reason for brown spots is nutrient deficiency. In winter you don't need to fertilize your aloe vera, and even in summer it is quite undemanding. If you can rule out all other causes in the warmer months, you may give some fertilizer once in a while.
Pests You can recognize especially on the undersides of the leaves and towards the transition to the base small animals, dots or white nets? Then pests could be responsible for the browning leaves. How to get rid of them, you will learn below.
Aloe vera leaves become shriveled or curl up
An unlikely case with this frugal lady. But if you really forget to water for too long, the leaves of the aloe vera will become wizened and wavy. This is because the aloe draws moisture from its thick leaves back into the base. The leaves will recover quickly if you water your plant.
To bring the water balance of your aloe vera back into balance, you can give it a deluxe water bath. Here's how:
– Place your Aloe vera without its planter or in its favorite location. Put the saucer in a washbasin or the bathtub. Fill the basin about 3-4 centimeters with water. It should be neither hot nor freezing cold. – Let your plant stand for at least 45 minutes and allow it to soak up water through its inner pot. – Look at the soil: Is the water also reached the first 2-3cm of the soil layer? If not: give a small sip of water on the top layer of soil. – Drain the water and wait another 15 minutes before placing the aloe vera back in its pot/cup and in its favorite location.
Pests of aloe vera
Not many pests can harm the Aloe vera.
But annoying mealybugs, spider mites and scale insects can occur in winter. When you water your Aloe vera, you can take a good look at its leaves. Pay particular attention to the transitions to the base and the undersides of the leaves, because that is where the animals like to hide. If you see orange or brown spots, sticky patches or white webs, pests are very likely.
How to get rid of the pests:
– Wipe, scrape and/or shower off the affected leaves. – Spray the leaves with water regularly .
If this is not enough and pests appear again, use a houseplant spray . This you spray on the top-. Underside of all affected leaves. After that you should not put it in direct sunlight. Otherwise it could get sunburned because of the oil film from the spray. Keep an eye out for the critters every few days. If they come back, repeat the treatment. When you have successfully got rid of it, you can wipe off the leaves. Do not use the cloth on other plants until you have washed it.
Important : Always isolate infested plants immediately. Otherwise, the parasites could spread to other green friends.
Overwintering aloe vera
As a houseplant, your aloe vera can stay in the same place all year round.
If you keep it outside in the summer, you must bring it inside before the first frost. You are on the safe side if you do not allow the temperature to drop below 15 degrees at night.
If you want to try to grow flowers, you can also give your Aloe vera a winter rest. For this purpose, place it in a still very bright, but significantly cooler place – for example, in a stairwell or conservatory.
During the colder months, you're welcome to ignore your aloe – you'll hardly need to water it at all, and you won't need to fertilize it at all .
Repot aloe vera
You can repot your Aloe vera for two reasons:
– if its roots have the potting effect, i.e. they are twisting in circles around the soil ball because they have no more room (👉 see our blog post on repotting ) – if it threatens to topple over because its pot has become too small for it
There is little to worry about more often than every 3 years. Your aloe likes it rather narrow in the pot.
Repotting is best done in spring, when your plant will recover best. Here's what you need:
– Cactus soil – an inner pot 2-3cm in diameter with drainage holes to prevent waterlogging – a heavy enough pot that is wide rather than deep (but deep enough for the entire stem of your aloe, if it has one) – disinfected secateurs or a knife – a support such as cardboard or newspaper or a sustainable potting mat
Then you proceed like repotting all houseplants. Your aloe vera will do great with this:
– Take the aloe out of its inner pot. To loosen it, you can gently squeeze the pot. – Carefully loosen the soil around the roots. let it fall off. Roots that go round in circles can be unrolled and shortened. You can also cut off black, rotten roots. If your Aloe vera has produced offshoots, you can now remove them and propagate your plant . – Pour a bed of new soil into the larger pot. – Place the aloe vera in the center of the new pot . Fill the space around the plant with fresh soil. Look that its whole stem is under the ground and its first leaves come to rest directly above the ground. – Press the soil lightly. Its surface should be about 1-2cm below the edge of the pot. You should not see roots of the aloe anymore. – Water your Aloe vera a little bit. Due to the new soil, the water will run off relatively quickly. Pour water from the planter or saucer after ca. 10 minutes away. – put the aloe vera in its favorite, bright and warm place and give it time to take root properly.
Propagate Aloe vera
If your aloe vera is happy and joyful, it will make offshoots, sprouts, or pups. These are baby aloes that start to grow next to her in the pot and have their own roots.
Other succulents can be propagated by cutting off parts of the stem or leaves. With the Aloe vera this is difficult and risky. We recommend: Enjoy your healthy plant, practice patience and wait for a cutting.
Aloe vera propagate via offshoots
If you want to separate your offspring from the mama plant, it is best to do it in spring or summer. Then both plants have the most power. Wait until your aloe offshoots are a good size. Ca. 10 centimeters should already be. If it's time anyway, you might as well repot your aloe vera now .
