Aloe Vera (scientifically known as Aloe Barbados) is a little-stemmed herbal plant that comes with a long history of use by a variety of cultures. It is succulent and relatively low-maintenance in nature, requiring only a little amount of concentration and heed of yours. So, if you’re interested in knowing how to nurture your aloe, keep reading.
Lighting
Sunlight exposure to your aloe vera depends on where you live and whether or not you’re placing it inside or outside. The amount of sunlight required by house aloes is different in comparison to the garden aloes, here’s how: If potted inside, the aloe needs as much light as possible. The pot should be placed in a southern or western window and must be kept 3 feet away from it.
If potted outside, the aloe needs at least 2-3 hours of morning sunlight. The only thing to make sure of when placing your aloe outdoors is to keep it away from long exposures to the scorching afternoon sunlight.
Watering
Watering an aloe is the most crucial action to nail down, considering how they need a significant amount of water for growth but subsequently don’t enjoy getting their ‘feet wet’. Therefore, the following things should be kept in mind when watering an aloe plant:
They store water in their leaves and roots but are prone to mushing out if the soil mix is too wet. One must wait until the soil is completely dry before watering again. In summer and spring, aloe must be watered after every 2-3 weeks while ensuring the soil is free of moisture. In winters, double the amount of breaks between each watering, say 4-6 weeks.
Temperature
Aloe Vera thrives in a temperature range of 55-80°F (13-27 °C). As houseplants, they are well suited to the average house or apartment temperatures. However, in winters, outdoor aloes must be brought inside when the cold nights take over to avoid the risk of frosting.
Humidity
Aloe Vera plant doesn’t require extra humidity and can handle dry air. If the leaves have gotten dirty and dusty, spray them off with water only once or twice a year but avoid this in winters.
Plant Nutrition
Aloes are low-maintenance in this category. The best fertilizers to use for your aloe are liquid 10-40-10 houseplant mixes or mixes (of half-strength) designed specifically for succulents, but feed it only once or twice a year or only when your aloe seems unhealthy.
Toxicity
Aloe barbadensis is ‘moderately’ toxic. They should not be consumed orally as they cause mouth irritation. Additionally, high ingestion of aloe vera can incite kidney problems in both humans and animals.
Air-purifying
According to NASA Clean-Air Study, aloe vera serves to be one of the best air purifying plants people can place at their homes. It filters formaldehyde and benzene out of the indoor air and emits oxygen while subsequently taking in carbon dioxide, hence purifying and improving the surrounding air quality.
Repotting
Repotting an aloe is relatively easy. Take an empty pot and add some potting soil in it till it reaches two-thirds of the pot. Then, remove the aloe from its current pot and gently squeeze the root cluster to loosen and aerate them a little bit. Finally, place the plant in its new pot, and then repotting is complete.
Additional Care
If you’re making sure your aloe is not too wet or not too dry and seems healthy, you’re already providing enough care to it, so don’t worry it won’t mind the limited span of attention, and that’s all the care it needs.
Common Issues
Aloe Vera is a hardy succulent, but it does cause a few problems. Root rot, fungal stem, and soft rot are the common issues aloe keepers struggle with. These issues result in the shedding of the leaves.
Diseases
No matter how much you care for your aloe, it’s bound to fall prey to fungus handicaps. Alternaria leaf spot is a common disease an aloe faces resulting in very small but noticeable, circular or oval dark brown sunken spots on the leaves. Another disease is aloe rust that causes round black or brown spots on the leaves.
Final Thoughts
The aloe vera plant serves to be a prized possession if one decides to obtain and nurture it. It not only brings its own nurture (in the form of healing wounds and treating skin abnormalities) to the table but can also be taken care of with considerable neglect. In other words, just water your aloe on time, and it’ll be happy.
