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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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.
Aloe baby
A lady I work with gave me an aloe pup from her plant. She told me to remove the brown part at the both and to plant her right away which I did. However I didn't notice any root whatsoever. I don't know anything about these plants and now she look wilted. I've taken her out of the pit and put her on some napkins because I think she was too wet. Any hope of saving her
Aloe Vera Pup
Like all succulents, aloe vera are very susceptible to root rot, which can occur when the soil around their base retains too much moisture. It’s good that you took the pup out of the soil and are letting it dry out a bit. Does the base of the plant feel mushy or look discolored? If so, then this is root rot and you will want to cut it off, if possible. If you make a fresh cut, wait a couple days before potting the plant.
When you pot the plant, you will want to use a well-draining soil mix. Succulent soil mixes are readily available at garden centers and hardware stores, but you can also create your own by combining equal parts perlite and standard potting soil. Your soil should be slightly moist when you plant the pup, but do not water for about a week afterwards. Eventually, the plant should grow roots.
Aloe vera
Hi... I have a no.of aloe Vera plants, one in particular has grown really big and is starting bending round on itself,if stretched out it would be about a metre long.. I'm not sure what to do with it or how to or when to cut it back?
Large Aloe Vera
Wow! That sounds like quite a plant! You could cut the top 10 to 20 centimeters off (basically, right below the lowest leaves) and replant this cutting in a new pot. If you cut back the remaining stem to 5 or 10 cm, there’s a chance it may sprout some new leaves. If it’s kept indoors at an even temperature year-round, then it doesn’t really matter when you prune it. However, if it is exposed to cooler wintertime temperatures, it would be best to wait until late winter or early spring to make the cut.
New Plant
Hi all,
I just got a new aloe plant and because of the lack of windows in my apartment, I bought a grow light. I put the aloe plant directly under it (there is about a foot of space in between). In the article here, it says indirect sunlight. Does that apply to artificial lights? And if so, how far away do you think I should keep it?
Aloe Vera under Artificial Light
Sunlight is a lot stronger and harsher than your average grow light will be, so your aloe should be just fine under the artificial lighting. Keep the light at least a foot above the top of the plant, unless the light puts off a lot of heat, in which case it should be moved farther from the plant.
Help with aloe plant that has leaves going thin
I have aloe Vera plants growing but couple have gone all thin in places and dunno what to do as don't wanna water to much and don't want them going thinner is there away to sort it as I have try cactis food for succulent and cacti but nothing
Bent leaves
Some nice of my leaves are bent over on the outer edge of my aloe plant. I read on some other comments below that chopping these off would help. Where abouts should I chop them (how far down the leaf) & is there a max number of leaves you should cut at any one time?
Cutting off Aloe Leaves
If you don’t mind having odd-shaped tips, you can cut just below the bent parts. Otherwise, you can remove the whole leaf by cutting at its base. Note, however, that mature aloe leaves may bend slightly downward at the tip naturally. As far as removing leaves goes, it’s best to only remove one or two mature leaves at a time to ensure that the plant stays healthy.
Aloe
Hey, I have an extremely large aloe vera plant and it is like twelve+ inches from side to side
it is mostly healthy except that its leaves are not squishy like they should b with gel
i watered like two or three times in the last two weeks to encourage more gel but it isnt improving. the ends of the leaves are beginning to shrivel
please help!!!!!
Aloe
Hi Ethel,
There are a few reasons your aloe is not doing well. Aloe needs to be watered infrequently, only when the soil has just become dry; you could be watering it too much. Aloe needs partial sunlight: If it’s been in direct sunlight for a long time, it could be a little shocked. Last, the pot might be too small. Try repotting the plant in a larger pot with fresh succulent soil. We hope this helps!
What size pot should I plant aloe vera plant.
Please help how many aloe vera plant can I plant in a container? What size container and what type.Thank you in advance for your assistance.
growing aloe vera
The number of aloe vera plants depends on the size of your container. A general rule is that your aloe vera plant roots should take up ⅔ of the container. That may seem crowded but these plants like their roots to be tightly packed. When you pick a pot, for a wide mouth, not deep pot. And be sure the pot has drainage holes!
My New Aloe Plant
Hi! I just got a new Aloe Vera plant! I have done a bunch of research on it since I got it. Is it fine if I don't have a cactus potting mix? I just have normal potting mix. That's all I can get right now and I was wondering if my Aloe will be fine if I keep it in it. Also, one of my young aloe's leaves is turning s little brown... should I be worried? Another thing is it necessary to cut of mature leaves of the plant? One last thing. Do you have to clean your Aloe at all? Will it make it healthier if you do?? Thanks so much!
Aloe Plant Care
We appreciate your enthusiasm as a new plant owner! To answer your questions:
Potting Aloe plant
I want to repot my Aloe plant. It has leaves 12 to 14 inches long. What size pot should I choose? Does Aloe like to be root bound?
repotting
Usually, repotting is only needed if the plant becomes top heavy–crowded roots are tolerated by this plant. If you do decide to repot the mother plant(s), use a slightly larger pot more wide than deep; be sure to provide new potting soil with fresh nutrients. You will find guidance for repotting above.
Issues?
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess this is a 1st, at least for the aloe plants for you to address. I live in Chiang Mai Thailand, and my condo came with a nice little garden box on the patio, which includes a nice, healthy aloe plant. This past week, a pair of very tiny birds that resemble sparrows, only MUCH smaller, that I take to be a variety of "fly ctacher", have decided to build a nest in my aloe plant. My question is, do you see any issues with this, and if so, is there anything I can do to mitigate it short of eviction? Frankly, if it comes to it, i'd be willing to sacrifice the plant for the sake of the birds(cute little buggers), but obviously, the plants health is good for both me AND the birds- I get free sunburn medicine, they get free lodging. The built in box gets good indirect sun and has built in drainage, so it suits the aloe, it's 14 stories up, so protects the birds from predators. I'd like to think all three of us species can co-exist, but advice is welcome.
Dark green wilted leaves?
I bought an aloe Vera plant a little over a week ago, I went to water it and noticed that several of the leaves turned dark green and mushy. What causes this and how can I tend to my plant and save the healthy leaves?
RE: Dark Green Wilted Leaves
I had something similar happen to mine, it was sunburn. Crazy as it sounds they really do not like direct sun. Not sure if that helps you or not.
Need advice
I need advice on how to grow aloe commercially. Is there a phone number I can use to talk to you and ask you for some advice?
Thanks
Sorry, we are regular
Sorry, we are regular backyard gardeners and do not have advice on commercial production nor provide consulting services.
Flopping!
I had a question about my aloe, the leaves are big and juicy, very long and there is new growth in the centre, but the external leaves are flopping outwards is the best way I can describe it! I'm worried I'm doing something wrong. They're flopping to the point they are horizontal, but they're still big & juicy. I wondered if these need to be harvested for the plant to stay healthy? I'd really appreciate some advice! x
Juicy Aloe
Hi Abi,
It sounds like you are doing nothing wrong at all! Aloe plants can get too big and need to be harvested from time to time. Simply trim the outer floppy leaves off to keep the plant happy and healthy.
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