Aloe Vera Plant Care Guide
What kind of soil does Aloe Vera like?
Aloe Vera needs well drained soil. It requires very little water and should be treated like a cactus. You can find potting mixes that are designed for cacti at most home and garden stores. We recommend changing pots every 2 years unless your Aloe Vera is overgrowing its current home. In between re-potting, apply an organic compost annually.
Aloe Vera Soil Recipe
The best way to know if your Aloe Vera needs water is to feel the soil. Your Aloe Vera needs to be watered when the soil is bone dry. If the soil is moist, it doesn't need water. When the soil is bone dry water will drain through quickly. To ensure a good soaking use a sunflower head water can and apply water very slowly. Remove any water collected from the drainage tray after your watering session has finished.
How much sun does my Aloe Vera require?
A bit of hardening off is required for pups or Aloe Vera grown in a shady location. Once established, it is difficult for indoor Aloe Vera to be given too much sun light. A healthy Aloe Vera will have leaves that stand straight up with leaf tips pointing towards the sky. If your Aloe Vera has droopy leaves, the first thing to do is look for a window with more sunlight. While aloe can grow in a shaded area, they really need large amounts of direct sunlight to thrive.
What can kill my Aloe Vera?
Cold and flood. The effects of cold on Aloe Vera are immediate. Any time Aloe Vera is subjected to air temperatures lower than 50℉ (10℃) they are at risk. When an Aloe Vera is subjected to freezing temperature the leaves will collapse. If subjected to a short duration freeze, less than a day, the root may still be viable and the plant will regrow. When Aloe Vera is given too much water the roots will slowly rot and eventually the plant will die.
How do I propagate Aloe Vera?
Aloe only produces seeds when two different species bloom at the same time in close proximity and cross pollinate. Propagation of Aloe Vera is achieved from young plants, that we call "pups", sprouting from the base of the "mother". To harvest pups, remove soil exposing the root of the newly formed pup and cut close to but not into the mother root. Re-pot this pup in a new container of appropriate size.
Aloe Vera Soil Recipe
- 2 parts inorganic material (course sand or perlite)
- 1 part organic matter (coco coir or sphagnum peat moss) avoid using large chunks of organic matter such as bark
- 1 part organic compost (vermicompost from worms, guano from bats & birds, manure from livestock)
The best way to know if your Aloe Vera needs water is to feel the soil. Your Aloe Vera needs to be watered when the soil is bone dry. If the soil is moist, it doesn't need water. When the soil is bone dry water will drain through quickly. To ensure a good soaking use a sunflower head water can and apply water very slowly. Remove any water collected from the drainage tray after your watering session has finished.
How much sun does my Aloe Vera require?
A bit of hardening off is required for pups or Aloe Vera grown in a shady location. Once established, it is difficult for indoor Aloe Vera to be given too much sun light. A healthy Aloe Vera will have leaves that stand straight up with leaf tips pointing towards the sky. If your Aloe Vera has droopy leaves, the first thing to do is look for a window with more sunlight. While aloe can grow in a shaded area, they really need large amounts of direct sunlight to thrive.
What can kill my Aloe Vera?
Cold and flood. The effects of cold on Aloe Vera are immediate. Any time Aloe Vera is subjected to air temperatures lower than 50℉ (10℃) they are at risk. When an Aloe Vera is subjected to freezing temperature the leaves will collapse. If subjected to a short duration freeze, less than a day, the root may still be viable and the plant will regrow. When Aloe Vera is given too much water the roots will slowly rot and eventually the plant will die.
How do I propagate Aloe Vera?
Aloe only produces seeds when two different species bloom at the same time in close proximity and cross pollinate. Propagation of Aloe Vera is achieved from young plants, that we call "pups", sprouting from the base of the "mother". To harvest pups, remove soil exposing the root of the newly formed pup and cut close to but not into the mother root. Re-pot this pup in a new container of appropriate size.