Aloe vera is a common and easy plant to grow as long as you can figure out the amount of water and sun you need to provide it to mimic the warm climate it thrives in. Aloe vera cannot be grown from a cutting, which is unusual for a succulent plant, while it is easily propagated by detaching young "clones" from the base of the adult plant or from the main root system. These new seedlings need to be treated with care, as will be detailed in the section dealing with propagation.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Planting or Transplanting Aloe Vera
Step 1. Know when it's time to transplant
Aloe vera plants have relatively short roots and heavy leaves, so it's pretty easy to move them to a sturdier pot when they risk becoming unbalanced in height and tipping over. If the aloe vera no longer has enough space to develop and expand the roots, it starts producing "clones", which can be transferred to another pot (see the propagation section for more details). If you'd rather take care of growing an adult plant rather than new seedlings, transfer it to a larger pot before the roots begin to expand and occupy all the walls of the container.
If, on the other hand, you want to transplant a young plant that grows at the base of a more adult one, read the section dealing with propagation
Step 2. Provide the plant with adequate sunlight and heat
Aloe vera thrives in environments with 8-10 hours of sunshine per day. Although it grows best in hot or scorching temperatures, it is able to survive even the coldest seasons by placing itself in a dormant state. However, it can be damaged if it is exposed to temperatures below -4 ° C.
- Regions with temperate and warm climates are best suited for keeping this plant outdoors all year round. If you live in colder areas, you should consider keeping aloe vera outdoors most of the year and taking it indoors before the frosts begin.
- The sunniest windows are those facing west or south if you live in the northern hemisphere, or those facing west or north if you live in the southern hemisphere.
- Although the plant is able to adapt and thrive even in hot weather conditions, there is a risk that it can burn. Move it to a partially shaded area if you see the leaves starting to turn brown.
Step 3. Plant aloe vera in well-draining soil
This succulent plant is able to live even in drought conditions and could rot if planted in soil that holds stagnant water. Get a potting soil for cacti or create your own by mixing equal parts earth, sand and gravel.
If you plant the plant in a pot, make sure the container has a hole in the base for the water to drain out
Step 4. When planting aloe vera, bury the root ball, but don't let the leaves touch the ground
Root just below the soil surface. If one of the thick green leaves is partially buried or touches the ground, it could rot.
Step 5. Cover the ground surface with gravel or pebbles (optional)
Place a layer of small stones around the base of the plant to stabilize the soil and reduce evaporation. This step is not critical to the health of the plant, so you can leave the soil exposed if you like.
White pebbles reflect the sun's heat to the base of the plant and can be a good solution if you don't live in a hot climate
Step 6. Do not water the first few days after planting aloe vera
Before you start providing it with water, give the plant a few days to repair any roots that may have been damaged during the planting process. If you water the bruised roots, you increase the risk of rot. This plant retains a lot of water in its leaves and should not be harmed by the lack of watering during this period. Lightly wet her the first few times you give her water if you want to be on the safe side.
For more detailed instructions on watering and daily care for the plant, read the next section
Part 2 of 3: Providing Daily Care and Problem Solving
Step 1. During the growing season, water whenever the soil is dry
During the summer, or anytime if the weather is hot and sunny, aloe vera grows faster if you provide it with water regularly. However, it is much easier to risk over-watering than keeping it too dry, so as a general guideline, you shouldn't water it until the soil is dry to a depth of 7.5cm.
Step 2. During the cold season, water only infrequently
Aloe vera goes into a dormant phase during the winter or when the weather is cold for an extended period of time. Unless you keep her in a heated room all year round, you should only provide her with water once or twice a month during this stage.
Step 3. Fertilize once a year or never
The aloe vera plant does not need fertilizer, and excessive use of it could even harm it or prevent it from growing healthily. However, if you want to encourage growth, apply a fertilizer with low nitrogen, low phosphorus and rich in potassium, such as 10-10-40 or 15-15-30 (in the NPK titration system). Spread it once a year, in the spring, at the beginning of the growing season.
Step 4. Carefully remove weeds
The soil around the plant should be free of weeds and weeds. Remove them regularly if the plant is outdoors, but work carefully. Since good aloe soil should be loose and sandy, it is easy to cause root damage if you pull out the weeds vigorously.
Step 5. If the leaves tend to grow flat and towards the ground, increase exposure to sunlight
In fact, the leaves should grow upwards or outwards respecting a certain angle with the ground, facing the sunlight. If they stay at ground level or tend to grow horizontally outward, it probably means the plant isn't getting enough sunlight; in this case, transfer it to a more sunny area. If you are growing it indoors, consider keeping it outside during daylight hours.
Step 6. If the leaves turn brown, reduce your exposure to the sun
While it is more resilient than most other plants, when it comes to sun exposure, there is always a chance that the leaves can get burned. If all the aloe vera turns brown, move it to a place where it can remain in the shade during the early afternoon hours.
Step 7. If the leaves are thin and curled, increase the amount of water
The thick, fleshy leaves hold the water that is used by the plant in times of drought, so if they have a thin appearance and tend to curl, it means that the plant must receive more water. But be careful not to overdo it in the opposite direction - make sure the water drains quickly through the soil to avoid root rot, which would be difficult to block.
Step 8. If the leaves turn yellow or fall off, stop watering
When the leaves are yellow or "appear to pulp", it means the plant is suffering from too much water. Stop watering her completely for the next week (or two weeks, if she's in the dormant stage) and resume watering her less frequently when you return to supplying her with water. You can remove the yellow leaves from the plant without doing too much damage, although it is best to use a disinfected knife for this.
Part 3 of 3: Propagating the New Seedlings
Step 1. Let the adult plant grow to fill the entire pot
Although all healthy aloe vera plants are capable of producing younger plants, or "clones," this is more likely to occur when the adult plant reaches the edges of the container.
Step 2. Wait for the young seedlings to start sprouting
Mature aloe vera should begin to form "clones" which share part of the root system of the parent plant and which can also be attached to the base of the adult plant. Sometimes it happens that they grow out of the water drainage hole at the bottom of the pot or from the roots that extend to neighboring pots!
These new growths tend to be a duller green color than the leaves of the adult plant and when they begin to sprout they do not have the same thorny edges as the leaves of the parent plant
Step 3. Give the young seedlings time to grow until they reach sufficient size
They will grow more lush if you wait until they get a little bigger and mature enough to form their own roots. Although the ideal size varies based on the aloe vera variety and the individual plant, a good rule of thumb is that the young plant must be at least 7.5cm tall, even better if it reaches 12-13cm. If the pot is large enough and allows it, wait until the seedling reaches about 1/5 the size of the adult plant and already has a few sets of "real leaves" to make it look like a mature plant.
Step 4. Use a sharp, clean knife to remove the young plant
Pre-disinfect the knife to reduce the risk of disease. Remove the soil at the base of the "clone" to see if it is attached to the mother plant. In this case, cut it gently, making sure that the roots remain attached to the seedling, if any. If the young plant has already formed roots, the chances of it growing vigorously increase, but they are not easy to spot before removing it.
Step 5. Leave the cut seedling exposed to air for a couple of days
Do not plant it immediately, as this will allow it to form a callus on the cut made with the knife. If you place the base of the plant cut directly on the ground, you increase the chances of infections.
Step 6. Bury it in its pot and holder
Place the new young aloe vera on the surface of well-draining soil, avoiding burying the leaves. Since the root system is most likely still small (or even non-existent), it may be necessary to support the plant with a layer of pebbles and leaning it against another object. Within a few weeks the root system will grow enough to be able to support the plant.
You can find more detailed information in the first section of the article dealing with the planting process, which equally applies to young plants and not just mature ones
Step 7. Moisten the plant every couple of days if it doesn't have roots yet
Avoid watering before the roots take root. Wait at least a couple of weeks for it to develop its roots before watering the plant. Instead, spray it with a nebulizer once every three days.
Step 8. Water sparingly once the roots are established
Aloe vera lasts a long time without water, and if you water it before it can form large, sturdy roots, the water could stay at the bottom and cause rot. Wait at least a couple of weeks for the "clone" to develop its roots before supplying it with water. If, on the other hand, it already has its root system, you should still wait for the roots to settle well before starting to water and leave it in a shaded area for 2 or 3 weeks.
Step 9. Look after the young seedling as if it were an adult
Once the aloe vera is in its pot and the roots are properly grown, you can treat it like a mature plant. Follow the instructions in the section on daily care.
Advice
- If you are lucky enough to see aloe flowers and fruit, you can collect the seeds and attempt to plant them. Given that a bird or insect could cross-pollinate aloe vera with a different variety of plant and thus obtain a plant with different qualities, and since growing the plant from seeds is less likely to succeed than growing from seeds. "Clones", this procedure rarely occurs. If you are trying to grow aloe from seeds, use the black ones and spread them over the entire surface of the soil. Press them with sand and water them often until they begin to sprout. Keep them exposed to indirect light and transfer them to a larger pot 3 - 6 months after germination.
- Any plant that has been in the shade for a long period of time requires a slow adaptation process before exposing it to full sun. Move it to an area of partial shade for several weeks before keeping it in direct sunlight.
