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Aloe – Main Rules and Useful Tips on Caring from Experienced Flower Growers

Each of us surely has friends and relatives who are used to growing aloe on their window-sills. My granny used to say that this plant is extremely helpful in the treatment of different diseases. It should be said that you don’t need much time to take care for Aloe. It is undemanding and adaptable for even the most severe conditions.

Aloe Plant: Peculiarities, Types and Common Knowledge

Old people say that the plant lives for more than 100 years and blossom only once for this period. It isn’t true. My own experience proves that this succulent can amaze you with its flowers almost annually.

✔ We Released The Aloe HandBook

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Most of us have seen the plant not in pictures only but even know the bitter taste of aloe juice and might use it for face masks making and certain illnesses treatment. It has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, choleretic, anti-burns and wound-healing effect. In addition, the juice of this healing plant increases the secretion of digestive glands, improves appetite and digestion, and increases the immune and protective body functions.

Scientists have discovered more than 400 types of aloe. The species identification of common ones is the following:

• Aloe plicatilis – a folded plant, shrub or small tree up to 3-5 m with a short, branching trunk.
• Aloe arborescens – it is a tree or a shrub up to 3 meters tall. Another name is agave.
• Aloe aristata - neural aloe.
• Aloe dichotoma - trembling tree or kokerbum.
• Aloe ngobitensis
• Aloe variegata - variegated aloe, or tiger.
• Aloe Vera - Aloe Barbados, ordinary, of yellow color. It is often used in medicine.

If you are not aware what flower you have got a t home, look through aloe images and find the necessary one.

How to Grow: Main aloe Care Tips

You can find dozens of recommendations about taking care of this plant, but here I’m going to give you only proven tips how to grow this succulent.

If you leave the herb without watering for a month, don’t worry that it may die. But those people, who intend to have a healthy and big plant, should follow simple care instructions:

• Use light soil mix with a low content of brick chips and charcoal for cultivation.
   
• It is strongly not recommended to add peat to the soil as it has a negative impact on the root system of the plant.
   
• Don’t abuse with watering in summer. I know it due to my sad experience. It is a succulent, so it is better to leave it outside on the porch for a night, so it can gather dew.
   
• When it gets cold (below +10 C), keep the plant indoors. It can be a cool room with the temperature of 12-14 C. I personally place the pot in the hallway or on the warmed balcony.
   
• You can nourish the plant with special dressings for the succulents and cactuses. Saturate the soil with mineral and nitrogen-containing fertilizers from time to time.
   
• Be careful when transplanting pups. Young plants should be transplanted once a year, 3-years-old ones – once every 3 years. Plants which age is more than 5 years are called old. They are the most valuable as they contain a plenty of health benefits.
   

If you want to have such a useful plant at home, remember that it can be propagated by seed, stem and leaf cuttings and by division of tubers. Use propagation methods that will not do any harm to the plant. Never do it while the succulent is blooming.

How does the Light Influence aloe Growing?

Everybody knows that aloe is a photophilous plant. Therefore, it is preferable to place it on the southern windows, but in spring it should be gently accustomed to direct sunlight to avoid burns.

Don’t think that it doesn’t need light in winter! 12-15 hours of day and lamp light are necessary for normal growth.

Remember that spring sun light can do much harm to the leaves. It may result in turning red and you will have to do cutting several times to save other parts.

It is also a common knowledge that this succulent, grown outdoors differs from the plants grown in the flat and have more harmoniously shaped stem. Warm and dark rooms are bad for the plant too as it gets pale.

The Most Widespread Diseases and Pests of Aloe

Aloe is rarely affected by pests. However, there are special succulent parasites imported, apparently from natural habitats, as well as mainstream. Timely identification of pest type is the key to quick recovery. Most of them are seen with the naked eye, but some can only be seen through a magnifying glass. The main ailments are: root rot and dry rot.

Root rot

Typically, damage occurs when you abuse with watering. It is possible to safe the plant at the initial stage of the ailment. You can recognize it by noticing difficulties with growth and stem drying.

Dry rot

It may occur in the case of wrong caring for Aloe. It isn’t seen for a long time as the plant doesn’t change its color or form. But you may notice that it looks weak. The disease can be prevented by making periodic spraying with fungicide.

Major Rules of Planting aloe

Now, when you know how to care for the plant, you should also learn how to plant and prune it.

1. Don’t water it before planting. The soil should be dry.
2. After removing the plant from the pot, clean the roots of the old substrate by a light tapping.
3. If you find damaged roots, they need to be removed without damaging healthy tissue. Sliced parts should be sprinkled with powdered sulfur or charcoal. Pruning should be performed with sharp scissors.
4. When you have planted the grower, remember that it is important not to water it for 5-6 days. Place the pot in the shade. If you have done everything correctly, the plant will quickly take root.

Propagation with the Help of Aloe Seeds

If you don’t know how to plant an Aloe using seeds only, follow the instructions:

• They are sown at 21 °C immediately after ripening.
• It is better to do it in February or March.
• Use bowls with soil containing the following components: sheet, light turf soil and sand. Add some broken bricks and charcoal to the soil.
• When little Aloe plants get 2 leaves, you can plant them in pots.

How to Take Care of Leaves to Make them Green and Healthy?

If you don’t care properly for aloe, you may notice leaves curling or covered with black spots. Use spray with pure water to clean them at least once a week in winter and twice a week in summer.

There can be dust on flat leaves, so pay attention and don’t forget about your plant.

The succulent needs enough light to stay green and healthy. If it lacks light, it may become yellow, pale-green or thin. You will notice that it doesn’t look fresh and juicy. That’s a bad sign. You should transplant it or add fertilizer. Follow care instructions to save the plant.

Aloe Vera – a Helpful Medicine against Plenty of Diseases

How to Use Aloe Vera?

If you buy vitamins in the nearest drugstore, you think that you take care of your health. Aloe Vera is much better than chemical stuffs. Moreover, it cures dozens of illnesses and supplies our body with necessary vitamins and minerals (calcium, sodium, iron, potassium, chromium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc, vitamins A, B-group, C and E, folic acid and niacin).

Using this plant you can treat teeth and digestive problems, lose excess weight and force your immune system. Burns, cuts and other petty injuries can be successfully healed with the help of this magic plant. So, if you want to have a doctor at home, start with planting aloe Vera outside in your garden or on your window-sill.

It is recommended to take the juice of this succulent for treatment. It looks like gel and has a particular bitter flavour. A normal dose is 10 ml. You can aslo buy this preparation in a drugstore. Remember, that you can use only old (at least 5 years-old) plants to get the gel.

✔ We Released The Aloe HandBook

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE >>

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