Aloe Vera is nowadays incredibly popular for skincare purposes. The plant is included in so many products and what many do not know is that it is really easy to grow your very own aloe vera. The plant is so easy to take care of, as you will quickly notice from what is written below.
When You Start Growing Aloe Vera
The two most important facts to consider are plant location and soil. Make sure that you will think where the aloe vera plant will be grown. You need a location that has a lot of natural light. However, remember that direct sunlight will make this plant dry out, which you do not want. At the same time, if there is too little light, growth will not happen. Remember that aloe vera can freeze if you keep it outside during winter. You may want a pot that you can easily move indoors. If not, you will need to cover it and be careful that it does not freeze.
The soil that you need has to be dry so a good idea is to use cactus potting soil mix. An alternative would be regular soil with the addition of perlite. Plan aloe vera in an upright position. The roots and the base need to be covered by the soil. If you plant many plants, make sure that you add some inches between them. That is because they grow from the center to the outside.
You need to choose a good planter. A Medium to large one is normally good if it has proper drainage. If the planter has one large hole at the bottom, it is great since aloe vera does not grow in the presence of standing water. Make sure that soil will be damp and not soaked when you water. Analyze the leaves and see if they are moist or cool. In this case the aloe vera plant has enough water.
How To Harvest Aloe Vera Leaves
As the plant reaches maturity, it is possible to harvest the aloe vera leaves for the various nutritional benefits. You can start this when there are new leaves that will grow out of the center. All you have to do is to select the leaves that are placed on the outermost plant section. Always choose those that are the closest to the plant base.
Other Things Of Interest When Growing Aloe Vera
It is quite easy to take care of aloe vera. Even so, you will want to know the following:
- You do not need to fertilize aloe vera. You can use a fertilizer that is water-base and heavy in phosphorous content at 50% strength if you believe the plant needs more food.
- You have to add more water if you see leaves that are curled or thin.
- When leaves lie flat or droop, more sunlight exposure is necessary.
- Aloe vera grows towards the sun. You need to rotate the plant if needed.
If you notice that the aloe vera plant is growing slowly, it might be because:
- You use soil that is too alkaline. Soil sulfur might be needed.
- There is too much water, you have damp soil or the soil simply holds way too much water.
- There is a need to have more sunlight.
- You used fertilizer and it was too much.
- The pot is too small for the roots.
Just like any plant out there, it is possible that aloe vera is affected by fungus, disease or bugs. It can present mealybugs or scale and brown bugs can appear. Leaf rot is also possible.
In order to avoid the appearance of fungus, you have to be sure that the plant and the soil are kept dry. Pest protection appears with the use of natural pesticide. Do not use products that are toxic. Organic options are way better.
Conclusions
As you can see, it is not at all difficult to grow aloe vera. If you have more advice, please comment below but what was mentioned above should be enough to get you started the right way.