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Growing Aloe Vera
How to Care for Aloe Vera Plants
How to Care for Aloe Vera Plants
The aloe vera plant is an easy, attractive succulent that makes for a great indoor companion. Aloe vera plants are useful, too, as the juice from their leaves can be used to relieve pain from scrapes and burns when applied topically. Here’s how to grow and care for aloe vera plants in your home!
Aloe vera plants have thick, variegated leaves that fan out from the plant’s central stem. Keep the aloe vera plant in a pot near a kitchen window for periodic use.
Please note: The gel from aloe vera leaves can be used topically, but should not be ingested by people or pets. It can cause unpleasant symptoms such as nausea or indigestion and may even be toxic in larger quantities.
Planting
Before Planting
- Select a container that’s about as wide as it is deep. If your aloe plant has a stem, choose a container that is deep enough for you to plant the entire stem under the soil.
- A pot made from terra-cotta or a similarly porous material is recommended, as it will allow the soil to dry thoroughly between waterings and will also be heavy enough to keep the plant from tipping over. A plastic or glazed pot may also be used, though these will hold more moisture.
- When choosing a container, be sure to pick one that has at least one drainage hole in the bottom. This is key, as the hole will allow excess water to drain out.
- Use a well-draining potting mix, such as those made for cacti and succulents. A good mix should contain perlite, lava rock, coarse sand, or all three. Aloe vera plants are hardy, but a lack of proper drainage can cause rot and wilting, which is easily the most common cause of death for this plant.
- A layer of gravel, clay balls, or any other “drainage” material in the bottom of the pot is not necessary. This only takes up space that the roots could otherwise be using. A drainage hole is drainage enough!
- (Optional) To encourage your aloe to put out new roots after planting, dust the stem of the plant with a rooting hormone powder. Rooting hormone can be found at a local garden center or hardware store, or online.
Photo by cgdeaw/Shutterstock
How to Plant (or Repot) an Aloe Vera Plant
If your aloe plant has grown leggy, has gotten too large, or simply needs an upgrade, it’s time to repot it. Here’s how:
- Prepare your pot. After giving the new pot a quick rinse (or a good scrub, if it’s a pot you’ve used before) and letting it dry thoroughly, place a small piece of screen over the drainage hole; this will keep the soil from falling out the bottom and will allow water to drain properly. A doubled-up piece of paper towel or newspaper can also work in a pinch, though these will break down over time.
- Prepare your plant. Remove the aloe vera plant from its current pot and brush away any excess dirt from the roots, being careful not to damage the roots.
- If your plant has any pups, remove them now. (See the “Care” section of this page for instructions on removing and potting pups.)
- If your plant has a very long, spindly stem that won’t fit in the pot, it is possible to trim the stem off partially. Note that this is risky and could kill the plant. To trim the stem: Cut off part of the stem, leaving as much as possible on the plant. Next, take the bare plant and place it in a warm area that gets indirect light. After several days, a callous will form over the wound. At this point, continue with the repotting instructions below.
- Plant your plant. Fill the pot about a third of the way with a well-draining potting mix, then place your plant in the soil. Continue filling in soil around the plant, bearing in mind that you should leave at least ¾ of an inch of space between the top of the soil and the rim of the pot. The bottom leaves of the aloe plant should rest just above the soil, too. Do not water after planting.
- Ignore your plant (temporarily). After you’ve placed your aloe in its new pot, don’t water it for at least a week. This will decrease the chance of inducing rot and give the plant time to put out new roots. Until the plant seems to be rooted and happy, keep it in a warm place that receives bright but indirect light.
Care
How to Care for an Aloe Vera Plant
- Place in bright, indirect sunlight or artificial light. A western or southern window is ideal. Aloe that are kept in low light often grow leggy.
- Aloe vera do best in temperatures between 55 and 80°F (13 and 27°C).
- Water aloe vera plants deeply, but infrequently. To discourage rot, allow the soil to dry at least 1 to 2 inches deep between waterings. Don’t let your plant sit in water.
- Water about every 3 weeks and even more sparingly during the winter. Use your finger to test dryness before watering. If the potting mix stays wet, the plants’ roots can begin to rot.
- Fertilize sparingly (no more than once a month), and only in the spring and summer with a balanced houseplant formula mixed at ½ strength.
- Repot when root bound, following the instructions given in “Planting,” above.
Removing & Replanting Aloe Vera Offsets (Pups)
Mature aloe vera plants often produce offsets—also known as plantlets, pups, or “babies”—that can be removed to produce an entirely new plant (a clone of the mother plant, technically).
- Find where the offsets are attached to the mother plant and separate them using pruning shears, scissors, or a sharp knife. Leave at least an inch of stem on the offset.
- Allow the offsets to sit out of soil for several days; this lets the offset form a callous over the cut, which helps to protect it from rot. Keep the offsets in a warm location with indirect light during this time.
- Once the offsets have formed callouses, pot them in a standard succulent potting mix. The soil should be well-draining.
- Put the newly-potted pups in a sunny location. Wait at least a week to water and keep the soil on the dry side.
Pests/Diseases
Aloe vera plants are most susceptible to common indoor plant pests, such as mealybugs and scale.
Common diseases include:
- Root rot
- Soft rot
- Fungal stem rot
- Leaf rot
Avoid overwatering to keep these conditions from developing or worsening.
Harvest/Storage
Aloe Vera Gel
To make use of the aloe vera plant’s soothing properties, remove a mature leaf from the plant and cut it lengthwise. Squeeze the gel out of the leaf and apply it to your burn, or simply lay the opened leaf gel-side–down on top of the affected area. Learn more about aloe vera’s healing properties.
Do not ingest the gel, as it can cause nausea and other unpleasant symptoms.
Recommended Varieties
Especially attractive Aloe include:
- Tiger or Partridge-Breasted Aloe (Aloe variegata) – A compact aloe characterized by short, smooth leaves with uneven white stripes.
- Lace Aloe (Aloe aristata) – A small plant with white-spotted, finely sawtoothed leaves.
- Blue Aloe (Aloe glauca) – A larger aloe species with silver-blue leaves.
Wit & Wisdom
- Aloe vera will decorate a kitchen shelf with quiet grace while doing double duty as a self-regenerating first-aid kit. Read more about the natural health benefits of aloe vera.
- One of aloe’s most famous uses is to soothe sunburnt skin, and it can be also used for cold sores.
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Reader Comments
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broken stems
My Aloe Vera pot tipped over and fell. Some of the beautiful big leaves broke off. Is there any way to save them or repot them? Some of the other leaves split but are not losing any fluid. It was just getting large and beautiful and now is damaged. So upsetting. Thank you.
Aloe Vera LEaves
Aloe can only be propagated through stem cuttings (or pups), so planting the broken leaves in soil won’t result in any new plants, unfortunately.
Outdoor Alo Vera
Outdoor full sun with sun shade in Central Valley of Ca, plant is growing exponentially and has several pups. Question what is best way to separate from mother plant, it has flowers now that are about 4' tall and growing. My wife (who planted it from kitchen window) says take a shovel and wack the pups off, I'm concerned this may harm plant.
Thanks for any suggestions
Separating Pups
It would be best to use a tool designed for cutting plants, like hand pruners or loppers. It’s a good idea to sterilize the tool with rubbing alcohol before and after cutting, too. A shovel will get the job done, but it will also damage the plant tissue, which can expose the plants to disease. A clean cut is best.
Leggy leggy!
When repotting an extremely leggy AV plant, should I remove the leggy stems?
All great information, but I
All great information, but I'm still not sure if I should be wary of topically using the gel from my aloe vera plant that has begun showing signs of ill health.
Note: Large outdoor plant/ recent exposure (last 2-3 months) of unusually heavy rainfall& flooding/ plant has been exposed nightly over last 2 -3 months to temperatures just above freezing. ( Yes, I now know that all these are horrible For the plant, and will be on the lookout in the future)
leaves outer side has begun to Brown and even yellow in some spots. But on the inside it looks like little bubbles have formed in groups randomly within the gel. Almost like air bubbles that are trapped. Any help as to whether or not this is potentially dangerous for human topical application, would be greatly appreciated
Aloe Gel
If the leaves are just a little soft and discolored, they can still be used topically. However, if they have a foul smell when opened, we would recommend not using them. In either case, the effectiveness of the gel will likely not be as good as that from a fresh, healthy leaf.
quick question
hey there! thank you for this post, it was really helpful. i bought my plant around a year ago and it has grown quite a bit but i have a feeling it might die soon. i am terrible at keeping houseplants and i don’t want to mess this up. my plant seems to be sagging a little on the bigger leaves and it is a little squishy when you squeeze it. the younger ones are not, but i want to keep the whole plant healthy. is there something wrong with it? if so, how can i fix it? thanks!
update
so i did a little research and so i decided to remove my plant (it was a little big for the pot anyways) and the roots were brown, but not squishy. any more advice?
Aloe Problems
Repotting was likely the right move. You’d want to use fresh soil when repotting, as the old soil may still contain the root rot fungi, if that’s indeed what was causing the issue.
After repotting, leave the plant alone for a while to let the roots get established and regrow. Don’t water again until at least the top 1–2 inches of soil are dry. Keep the plant out of direct sunlight for now, moving it back into direct sunlight when you start watering.
Lack of light can also cause limp, soft leaves, so if you encounter that issue in the future and you don’t think it’s a watering issue, that could be the problem.
aloe vera
I buy aloe vera juice by the gallon and drink it regularly. It actually soothes the stomach.
GROWING ALOE VERA
Good Evening,
This is indeed a very useful article with complete details and photographs.
I grow this plant and this article helped me to correct the methods of growing and care taking.
Thanks and Regards
Uma
Aloe vera
Aloe Vera is a wonderful plant, thanks for this article. Another good point about Aloe Vera is it a very forgiving plant. If you discover too late you’ve been over watering just remove the plant from the soil & lay out of direct sunlight. It will recover without soil & start growing beautifully again. When I thin out my aloes, I love taking the bare roots to gatherings with friends & they take all they want.
Aloe Vera - my previous post
When I mentioned a troubled aloe can be removed from the soil to recover, I forgot to mention to replant it once it has returned to normal. If left out of soil it will eventually die or not flourish properly. Thanks.
Aloe Vera
I’m so glad you mentioned it’s forgiving that’s what I always say about it now that I have a jungle of it from a plant of it left by the former owner. On a wym I thought maybe I could revive it even though it looked like it had been there dried up for years outside in the Phoenix heat & desert winter nights! But I did & man I must say I now have sooooo much aloe Vera it’s all over the house inside & out! I also make terrariums & when the other succs die the aloe Vera always seems to stay alive! One thing to note is if you put it in water to stabilize it or make water terrariums do not cover any of the green part with water only the stem & roots & change water once a week in hot humid temps & every few weeks otherwise. If you smell rot then change water more frequently & rinse off stem area really well
comment
Aloe vera work better for skin and good heath it perfect on all solution
aloa vera
Aloa vera is used a great deal for medicinal purposes. Cuts, grazes stomach problems, sunburn etc.. (it is almost considered as a cure all even used as a hair conditioner). Even my rabbit would, if feeling poorly, would go and nibble some. Other animals also use if they are sick. Animals have more sense than humans and do not overeat the plants! I throw many pups away as they sprout constantly. A hardy, I think an attractive, plant that most bugs avoid. 50 cm is a good height
Aloe vera plants stopped growing
I have about 12 aloe vera plants that I repotted because last year they sprouted as pups from the mature mother aloe. I have had the mother aloe for about eight years and it always grew and sprouted pups, now it looks terrible and the grown pups have stopped growing too and the some of the leaves fall off by themselves (since December growth has been super slow). They are on the porch balcony, and receive indirect sunlight. Help!
Aloe Vera
Old leaves naturally die back, but the plants should be showing new growth at the same time. When the leaves fall off, are they shriveling up or do they look more like they’re melting/rotting? Dry, shriveled leaves can indicate too little water; rotting leaves, too much.
Were they left outside on a cold night (less than 50F)? Depending on how cold it got, this could have affected them.
Giving them more light might do the trick as well.
UnPotted plant
I have a nun potted aloe vera plant. At least I think it's an aloe vera plant. It's spotted, in a tiny pot, which is not in soil. How should I water this plant? Is it an aloe vera plant? I can send a pic if needed.
Unpotted Plant
If the plant is not in soil or any other type of media, then it’s likely an air plant. These should be sprayed with water every once in a while and soaked in room-temperature water every few weeks. After a ten-minute soak, turn the air plant upside-down and let it dry completely before putting it back in its spot.
Look up pictures of air plants to see if that’s what yours is. If it’s not an air plant and is in fact a succulent, doing the above will kill it!
Leaves going soggy
Hi there,
I have two plants that I have been growing for almost a year now, they have both been re-potted a few months back as there were 3 large pups and 7 small pups. I potted the 7 small pups in one pot and potted the 3 larger pups in 1 pot. All was going well until a few weeks back where I noticed some of the leaves going soggy on all of the pup plants... I cut the leaves off but it's still happening. Now the two larger adult plants have been suffering from this to with 3 of the largest leaves going soggy... I keep to the recommended 2-3 week watering cycle and all pots are placed in indirect sunlight. Please help as I love the plants and uses them for madisinal purposes.
PS
I cut some of the leaves every other month and bleed the gell into a plastic container and store in the fridge however the gell seems to be going a brownish colour, is it still usable or has it gone off and if so is there a way of storing the gell to get a longer shelf life.
Many Thanks
Iain
Soggy Leaves
It sounds like your aloe plant may be succumbing to rot. When you water, is the soil still moist? The soil should be almost entirely dry when you water again. Make sure that you’re also watering deeply, and not just getting the top layer of soil wet.
It’s best to use freshly harvested gel, if possible. We would discard the gel if it turns brown or has an unappealing odor to it.
Repotting because of long stem
I have a very mature aloe. It now has a veryyyyy long stem. There is probably about 12 inches between the dirt and the bottom green leaves. I have read online that I need to cut it, let it callus over then re pot. At the same time I will separate a pup off as well. Somebody reassure me because I am so afraid I will kill it. :(
Aloe
I know, mine also has a long stem except with dead leaves between the healthy leaves and the dirt. I also read about trimming the whole thing and letting it dry out. The stem needs a trim so bad but I keep procrastinating bc I don’t want to kill mine either. She’s huge and she was a gift and I’m scared lol I need an aloe expert.
Risky Repotting
Cutting and replanting an aloe vera stem is not without risk, but it can be done. Here’s how:
Again, this process is not guaranteed to work, so keep that in mind before you make the cut. Be sure to let us know how it goes!
I have a 20 year old aloe and
I have a 20 year old aloe and it's looking better than ever since I cut the stem and repotted it. I didn't let it callous because I didn't know I should, but the aloe didn't mind at all. I just put it into a pot of fresh dirt and it was fine right away. This plant is a survivor. You should have someone nearby who can help you because the plant may be quite heavy and it's easy to break it when moving it. Don't be afraid!
aloe vera plants
as my aloe vera plants get bigger do I need to put them in a bigger pot or are they okay where they are?
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