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 everyday use.
Please note: Aloe vera leaves should not be ingested by humans or pets. They can cause unpleasant symptoms and may be toxic in larger quantities.
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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!
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?
growing plants...
yes, I would like to know the answer to this as well. Do plants continue to grow to the size of the pot?
aloe repotting
We suggest that if the plant is looking tight in its pot (or there are too many pups), to repot the mother plant into a container only slightly larger than it is currently in (so that the plant takes up about ⅔ of the new pot). Plant any pups (with their roots) in their own containers. A healthy plant will continue to grow during its lifetime; some species grow faster than others.
aloe vera plants
I actually water my aloe vera plants every day or when their soil is dry and keep them in direct sunlight and they thrive very well. they also stay at room temperatures and I play them Mozart when I'm home. I've been doing this for a couple months now. maybe that means some plants are different? I'm not sure.
Pampered Plants
If your plants are thriving, that’s all that matters!
Because they’re in direct sunlight, their soil likely dries out faster than it would otherwise. In any case, keep doing what you’re doing if it works!
Aloe Vera plant
My Aloe plant has been knocked off the plant stand 2x -- Is there anyway to fix this? (can you start the plant from a portion of the leaf?) Any other information would be helpful as I have this plant for about 20 years!
Curling stem
Hello! A few months ago, I inherited an aloe plant from my grandfather. His plant was large and mature, with several offsets, each having a long, curling sort of "stem" before the start of the green leaves. I planted my piece, the stem being a good 10 inches long, with a u-curve in the middle, so that the green portion of the plant almost hangs over the side of the pot. It seems to be doing okay, and has had some new growth that reaches toward the sun. My only other experience, with a much smaller and less mature aloe plant, did not end well. It developed root-rot. I read that it may be good for the plant to cut them stem a few inches under the green leaves, let it callous over, and replant it. Do you have any recommendations? Thank you!
Hi there, again. I read
Hi there, again. I read through some of the other comments and responses and found one that seems to apply. It seems like it would be a good idea to cut the stem and plant the top (green) portion, and that the remaining stem, if trimmed, may also produce some new growth. I will pick up some succulent potting soil and a new pot and try this! My plant lives on a windowsill, and it does get drafty over the winter months. I could move it, but in that case it would receive mostly artificial light. Unless you recommend otherwise I will leave it on the windowsill. Should I wait for the weather to warm up before making the cut? Thanks!
Aloe Vera
We would recommend waiting until late winter or early spring to make the cut, as many succulents go into a sort of dormancy in the cooler part of the year, which slows down growth. Waiting for warmer weather and sunnier days will give your aloe the best chance at thriving!
Strange growth on aloe vera plant
My plant has a tall stem with a cone shaped pod. The plant is root bound probably.
Aloe Vera
I had a plant outside on the north side of the house . It had a very pretty bloom , the humming birds really liked it.
Outside temps
I live in a climate that get below freezing at night in the winter time. In the past, I have brought my Aloe Vera plant inside during the winter months. It is bringing little flying bugs along with it! I do not want it in my house. Do you have any recommendations on keeping it warm enough outside? Anything I can get from Lowes or Home Depot? I have reported it and done sprays to get rid of pests. They keep coming back :( Thank you!!
*repotted not reported ;)
*repotted not reported ;)
Green house
You can get a metal shelf thing with a plastic zip up covering. They sell them at most gardening places (i got mine at Walmart) and the keep the plant warmer and the bugs away.
Flying bugs (Gnats)
Gnats lay eggs in the soil. I use ground up Mosquito Dunks, sprinkle them on the top of the soil. As you water it dissolves and the larvae feed on it. Takes a month or so to work. You can find them at most garden centers.
Gnats flies
I simply changed the soil and covered the top soil with a layer of beach sand and gnats died didnt lay any eggs.
Hi! I just recently got my
Hi! I just recently got my very first Aloe Vera pup from a friend who- immediately after receiving it- was going to throw it away. I took it in but noticed that two tips of the leaves are browning, and there is what appears to be a cut, like someone dragged a pencil or a sharp something down the center of one of the leaves. The leaves seem otherwise very healthy and thick. Should I cut off the brown bits? Is it safe to cut just under this strange “mark” on the leaf, or should I quit worrying and leave it be? Thank you!
Aloe Pup
You can cut off the brown leaf tips for purely aesthetic purposes, though they will not grow back. Regarding the other damaged leave, it would be best to just leave it alone!
Smelly gel in my aloe leaves
We've got a couple of aloes that have stinky gel. We'd like to use it for burns, but the smell is horrible. What is causing that smell? Is the plant rotting?
Smelly Aloe Vera
Do the smelly leaves have any discoloration or soft spots on the outside? Or a yellowish liquid on the inside? If so, these are likely the sources of the smell. Sometimes older leaves will smell when they naturally start to die off, or if the plant is getting too much or too little water. A healthy aloe vera plant will have thick, rigid leaves with clear gel on the inside. Try taking part of a leaf from higher up on the plant to see if there’s a smell there, too. To use the smelly leaves, rinse the yellow liquid off of the leaves and let them “air out” for a couple days. The clear gel shouldn’t smell.
First aloe plant
Hi, I read the comment about the smelly aloe gel inside the aloe leaves, I just bought my first aloe plant today, and it looks really nice and healthy with long enough leaves on it, but when we cut a piece off the smell was so awful but the plant looks so healthy and there are no soft spots or any other colors. So what could be the reason for the smell? And is it still ok to use on my lips or to add to my water? Thank u
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