How to Grow an Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe vera is a popular, succulent plant that has many different uses. Some of these uses include the treatment of burns and insect bites. You can even eat aloe vera if you're interested in some of its health benefits. But how do you grow an aloe vera plant?

Where to Grow -

Aloe vera plants can be grown indoors or outdoors; however, they do best when they are outdoors. These plants can be cultivated in pots or the ground itself.

Type of Soil -

Aloe vera plants require a fast draining soil. You can easily find this soil at your local nursery or some discount stores. To further aid the draining process, you can mix small rocks with the soil that you use. The rocks are not a requirement, but they might help in keeping your aloe vera plants healthier.

Watering -

When you water your aloe vera plants, you need to keep a few things in mind. First, consider the temperature and location. If you're growing your aloe vera plants outside in a cool climate, then you don't need to water them very often. Perhaps every two weeks or monthly. The same goes for growing your aloe vera plants indoors.

However, if you're growing them in a hot environment then you will need to water your aloe vera plants once or twice a week. Your aloe vera plants will let you know if you're watering them too much or too little. In both cases, the leaves on your aloe vera plants will start to shrivel up and perhaps turn yellow or brown. Eventually, the leaves will just turn into a dry husk of their former selves.

Light -

It's best if aloe vera plants receive indirect bright light. This basically means that you should place them near a window that receives a lot of light if they're indoors. But be sure that the rays of the sun don't come in direct contact with your aloe vera plant because this could burn the plant. In other words, keep them in the shade.

When your aloe vera plants are outdoors, be sure they're in the shade as well. Direct sunlight will not necessarily kill them, but it will cause them to turn brown. Plus, your aloe vera plants will dry out too quickly if they're in direct sunlight; they may also become more susceptible to diseases as well.

Diseases -

First of all, aloe vera plants are very hardy. The only real disease that may cause your plants grief is root rot. Root rot basically happens when you water your aloe vera plants too much. So if you simply care for them properly, then root rot will not be a problem for you.

Also, if you grow your aloe vera plants indoors, you may want to set them outside sometimes when it's warmer. Since your indoor temperature is probably always around seventy to eight degrees Fahrenheit, your aloe vera plants may not grow properly.

They will not die necessarily, but the leaves may become elongated and sickly looking. By just setting your aloe vera plants outside for a few hours every couple of days, you may be able to counter this issue.

Propagation -

After an aloe vera plant reaches a certain age, it will start to produce smaller plants around its base. You can then carefully pluck these baby aloe vera plants out of the soil, and transplant them somewhere else if you like. You may want to temporarily give the baby aloe vera plants a little more water than you normally would give a larger plant. In a few weeks, your baby aloe vera plants should start to grow and mature.

Aloe vera plants will sometimes produce flowers if their setting is conducive enough. These flowers will produce seeds when they die off. You can then plant these seeds in the ground, and produce your own aloe vera plants that way. Just so you know, aloe vera plants will rarely produce flowers if they're grown indoors.

Aoe vera plants are a fun plant to grow, and they are quite useful too. As long as you properly care for these plants, they should thrive in an indoor or outdoor environment.