Growing Aloe Vera

How to Care for Aloe Vera Plants

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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 is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. The plant is stemless or very short-stemmed with thick, greenish, fleshy leaves that fan out from the plant’s central stem. The margin of the leaf is serrated with small teeth.

Before you buy an aloe, note that you’ll need a location that offers bright, indirect sunlight (or, artificial sunlight). However, the plant doesn’t appreciate sustained direct sunlight, as this tends to dry out the plant too much and turn its leaves yellow, rendering them subpar for use.

Keep the aloe vera plant in a pot near a kitchen window for periodic use but avoid having the sun’s rays hit it directly.

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

It’s important to chose the right type of container. 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. 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.
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.
Aloe vera plants are succulents, so use a well-draining potting mix, such as those made for cacti and succulents. Do not use gardening soil. A good mix should contain perlite, lava rock, chunks of bark, or all three.
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 bought online.

Aloe vera. Image by cgdeaw/Shutterstock. — 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.

Aloe vera plant

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). The temperatures of most homes and apartment 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.
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.

Aloe vera flowers

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!

Pests/Diseases

Aloe vera plants are most susceptible to the usual 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.

Aloe vera gel

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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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 ;)

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?

Wilting Leaves

Hi Tim,

Since the leaves that wilted were ones on the outside, it sounds like they could just be old ones. As long as the rest of the plants look healthy, it would be better to not change how you care for them.

Cut the tip off a leaf

I bought an aloe plant today because I burned my finger and wanted some aloe gel to put on it, and because I liked the idea of being able to have access to aloe going into the future. I was in a hurry to bandage my burn and use the aloe so I didn't do research on how to harvest the gel first. I just cut the tip off one of the leaves and squeezed out the gel like it was a tube of toothpaste. Will this sort of treatment harm the plant? The leaves are pretty big so there's no way I would need a full one to treat my small burn. So doing it this way works better for me, but I don't want to hurt the plant.

Also, it seems a lot of the soil fell out of the pot prior to my buying it. When I pick up the pot and move it (like from one surface to another) the whole plant wobbles because there is so much empty space in the pot. I will not be able to get to the store for more soil for about another week. Do you think the plant can survive as-is that long?

Aloe Vera "leaves"

I have an old aloe vera that was so large and heavy it toppled over in the pot and now has a new generation of aloe veras. I want to trim the old plant but do not want to destroy the leaves. Can I cut them and freeze them to preserve them for future use?

Weak aloe vera

Hi, I just got a 2 aloe vera plants from my friend. However, I didn't have any soil so it stayed in my room for a while and now, its brownish in colour. I've planted my aloe Vera's but I used a professional seed raising soil which said it holds extra water. I can't buy a new soil or sand to mix it in. Would it be alright? And also it's the last month of Winter so would I have to bring it in my room? And my aloe vera is in a pot which looks much TOO big for it. I would really appreciate some answers. Thanks

Weak Aloe Vera

Hi Elisa,

It sounds like the plants have gone through a couple of different shocks: First they didn’t get any water or soil, and then they were planted outside and watered plenty. They might not come back, but the best thing to do would be to let their soil dry out to a depth of about 1 inch. Water sparingly. Also, this advice depends on where you are located. Here it is currently the middle of summer.

Reply

Hi,
Thanks for the tips. Right now, it's the last month of winter and my plants are so much better now. They are green in colour and thick with gel. However, should I water the plants once a week? Since I have this soil which "holds extra water" I'm not sure how much I have to water. Thanks, Elisa

Aloe Vera Care

Because you are using a water-retaining soil, you will need to wait longer between waterings. You should only water when the top inch of soil has dried out thoroughly. This may mean that you water once a week or once a month, depending on how fast the soil dries out. Remember that it’s always better to water too little than it is to water too much.