How to Care for an Aloe Vera Plant
- Lighting: 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.
- Temperature: Aloe vera do best in temperatures between 55 and 80°F (13 and 27°C). The temperatures of most homes and apartments are ideal. From May to September, you can bring your plant outdoors without any problems, but do bring it back inside in the evening if nights are cold.
- Fertilizing: Fertilize sparingly (no more than once a month), and only in the spring and summer with a balanced houseplant formula mixed at ½ strength.
- Repotting: Repot when root bound, following the instructions given in “Planting,” above.
Watering Aloe Vera
Watering is the most difficult part of keeping aloe vera healthy, but it’s certainly not rocket science! The aloe is a succulent plant that’s accustomed to arid environments, but its thick leaves still need sufficient water nonetheless.
- Water aloe vera plants deeply, but infrequently. In other words, the soil should feel moist after watering, but should be allowed to dry out to some extent before you water again. If the soil stays overly wet, the plant’s roots can rot.
- To ensure that you’re not overwatering your plant, allow the top third of potting soil to dry out between waterings. For example, if your plant is kept in 6 inches of potting soil, allow the top 2 inches to dry out before watering again. (Use your finger to test the dryness of the soil.)
- Generally speaking, plan to water your aloe plant about every 2-3 weeks in the spring and summer and even more sparingly during the fall and winter. One rule of thumb for fall and winter watering is to roughly double the amount of time between waterings (as compared to your summer watering schedule). In other words, if you water every two weeks in summer, water every four weeks in winter.
- When watering, some excess water may run out the bottom of the pot. Let the pot sit in this water so that the soil absorbs as much as possible. Wait 10-15 minutes, then dump any remaining water.
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.
How to Get Your Aloe Vera to Flower
Mature aloe vera plants occasionally produce a tall flower spike—called an inflorescence—from which dozens of tubular yellow or red blossoms appear. This certainly adds another level of interest to the already lovely aloe!
Unfortunately, a bloom is rarely achievable with aloes that are kept as houseplants, since the plant requires nearly ideal conditions to produce flowers: lots of light, sufficient water, and the right temperature range. Due to these requirements (mainly lighting), aloe flowers are usually only seen on plants grown outdoors year-round in warm climates.
To give your aloe the best shot at flowering:
- Provide it with as much light as possible, especially during spring and summer. Aloes can be kept outdoors in full sun during the summer, when temperatures are above 70°F (21°C). If nighttime temps threaten to drop below 60°F (16°C), bring the aloe inside.
- Note: Don’t move your aloe from indoors to full sun right away; it needs time to adjust to the intense light or it may sunburn. Allow it to sit in partial shade for about a week before moving it to a brighter location.
- Make sure the plant is getting the right amount of water—enough to keep it from drying out completely, but not enough to drown it! If the plant’s being kept outdoors, make sure that it’s not getting consistently soaked by summer rains.
- Give your aloe a proper dormancy period in the fall and winter. Aloe tend to bloom in late winter or early spring, so giving them a period of rest consisting of less frequent watering and cooler temperatures may encourage them to flower.
- Don’t be surprised if it still doesn’t flower. Despite our best efforts, indoor conditions just aren’t ideal for most aloes, so don’t be surprised if yours simply refuses to bloom!
Reader Comments
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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!
12-15. Inch leaves
Does it have to be repotted ???
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
Smelly Aloe
The smell comes from the yellow-ish liquid (called aloe latex) that exists between the skin and the gel of the leaf. Before using the leaf, peel the skin off and rinse off the gel as much as possible to get rid of the latex. It shouldn’t smell after that. (If it does, try a younger leaf.)
Additionally, use caution when ingesting aloe vera. The gel is OK to ingest in small amounts, but the latex can cause intestinal upset if too much is consumed. Rinse the gel thoroughly and use sparingly.
Aloe plant
Can u just plese describe the way to cut the leaves as i want to use it.
bugs
Hi. We have 2 aloe vera plants which, although healthy looking, both have tiny 'fruit flies' coming from them. Is this a sign of root rotting or something else? How do I get rid? I have had to put them outside but it is starting to get cold now and I want to bring them in..... :=(
Flies in Houseplants
The flies are most likely fungus gnats, which are attracted to decaying plant material in the soil. To get rid of them, remove any old leaves or plant matter from the surface of the soil, and allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out completely before watering again (as is recommended for aloe plants anyway). Place a bowl of apple cider vinegar near the plants and add a few drops of dish soap to the vinegar to break the surface tension. The gnats will be attracted to the vinegar and become trapped. Refresh this bowl every couple of days until you no longer see flies.
My large aloe plant
Hi I was given a aloe plant in the spring . It was a good size plant but over the summer it became huge . I had to re pot it . It did that about a month or so ago and now some of my leafs are turning brown . I used the rite soil and only water it about twice a week . My aloe. Plant is about 3 to 4 feet wide and 2 to 3 feet tall I removed the small pubs. When I repotted it . It has been outside all summer . Please tell me I didn't kill it lol
brown leaves
This is a common outcome, and rather than repeat the advice we have given again, pls search this page for “brown” and you will see several responses from us, including the one immediately below.
Brown leaves on my aloe vera what does that mean and how can i f
Please help
Hi this is Elisa again. I saw
Hi this is Elisa again. I saw that my neighbor had an aloe vera plant. Healthy looking, plump, green. But I also noticed that there were egg scraps on top of it? Can I do the same thing cause my aloe vera plant is very small and brown. The tips are drying up as well. Also I planted my aloe in my garden under some plants. It is no longer in a pot and I found some bugs in the soil.
Aloe Outside
Hi Elisa,
Once you plant something outside, it’s open to all of the pests and diseases in the soil. Did the drying happen after you transplanted? It could be caused by stress from the move. Yes, egg scraps are good for keeping insect pests away: Crumble the shells into small pieces and sprinkle them around the base of the aloe plant in the soil.
Wilting Leaves?
Hi I have 4 Aloe Vera plants and I thought I was taking good care of them. But recently a lead on 2 of my plants are wilted and dried up? I have been cautious to not over water only once a week for fear of root rot but is that not enough? The rest of the plant is bright green and full looking and the leaves that have turned brown on me and wilted are small ones at the base. All 4 plants appear healthy and green and very plump looking. Just want to keep them healthy and could use some advice on their care such as should I feed them plant food also?
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