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

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.

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

Full sun or not?

The heading for aloe plants (next to the photo) indicates "full sun." However in all responses to email questions on this, a more indirect lighting is recommended. Perhaps the heading is incorrect?

Part Sun

Hi Merna, thanks for bringing this inconsistency to our attention. Aloe plants do best in indirect sun.

aloe drainage

I just got an aloe plant and I noticed that the container does not have any drainage holes. Is it necessary? If I replant, do I need to put stones in the bottom of the new pot? Should the plant be watered from the dish or from the top? Thank you!

Aloe Drainage

Hi Jem,

Drainage holes are not necessary, but aloe plants are sensitive to over-watering. If you decide to replant, stones in the bottom or drainage holes are perfect. Water from the top: If you water from the dish, the soil will soak up all of the excess water and not just what the aloe plant needs. We hope this helps!

Brown tip

I just bought an aloe plant and on a few of the leaves the tips are brown. What do I do about this?

A Dry Subject

Hi, Chris: More likely than not, this plant has had too much water. Make sure that it is totally dry for a day or two before giving it a moderate watering. Thanks for asking and good luck!

First Time Dividing

Hi. So my aloe is huge, had him for 3 years. He started producing babies a while ago and I just left them because the pot was big enough. Well with Mother's Day coming right around the corner I decided to gift the babies, 5 bigger ones and a tiny baby. They all have their own root system though and I didn't have to cut them away from Big Daddy. Do I still need to callus them? I may have done a boo boo by replanting them already? I didn't find this article until after I replanted them while making a care sheet for the new aloe owners.

First Time Dividing

No they'll be fine. I have grown aloe for over 30 years and never heard of this method. Not to argue with article because I'm sure they're benefits. Just saying I've never done the callus method. Always put them in soil immediately and haven't lost one yet. So I know yours will be fine.

First Time Dividing

Letting the offsets callus over protects the plants from potential disease. It’s not a necessary step, but it helps ensure the new plants will be healthy.

Rethinking location

Do aloe plants grow better inside or outside?

Both

When I first had mine (3 years ago) I kept him in a large well lit window. When I replanted him to a bigger pot it was summer and I left him outside on my covered porch where he wouldn't get wet in the rain but still had sun and fresh air. By the end of September I had to replant him again. Was getting colder at night so he stayed in for the winter. What I'm getting at is if you have a good dry porch space, yea, they love that. If not then they do good inside too. I keep mine in a morning/ afternoon window now just because he got too big to move, he doesn't get evening sun but he's doing good.

Savanna my aloe plant

Hi, I've noticed on my aloe that a couple of her leaves are turning brown, I brought her over from Jamaica and survived the journey so when I got back I just grabbed some soil from the garden and planted them both together and seemed to be ok the first few weeks, so today I bought some cacti mix and repotted them separately, the new soil feels quite moist so should I just leave it to go dry before watering them? And when I do water them should I do it until the soil is completely wet or just partially wet?? Newbie here

Excited for my new plant!

I know the preferred place for the plant is the kitchen but my whole house is tiny. How do you think it would do in the bathroom, too wet? Also, if I'm not using the aloe leaves for anything very often, should I trim one off periodically to keep it smaller? Or does that promote growth?

best place for an aloe plant

The bathroom probably isn’t a great place, but you could put your aloe in the living room or bedroom if the kitchen is not an option. Aloe vera grows best if placed in indirect sunlight or under artificial lights. Aloe vera leaves will not grow back. The wound seals over quickly and the plant will continue to grow new branches and leaves from the center.

Newbie Aloe plant owner!

Hi, I got gifted an Aloe plant recently but don't know how to look after it. It took a few days for my cactus/succulent soil to arrive and my plant looks like it's dying. There are 2 plants in one small pot and some baby plants growing too. I brought 2 pots for them but then I read online that the pots need to have a drainage system however mine are black clay pots with no holes. Do I need pots with holes? also what do I do with the baby aloe plants? Put them in separate small pots? Some of the leaves have fallen off and some are turning brown. Is it too late to save the plant?

aloe vera plant care

Aloe vera plants do not ask for much: They thrive in poor soil (the soil you ordered will be perfect) in a pot with drainage holes (yes, you need drainage holes) and require little water and no food. Only water when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch, then water well, letting most of the water drain out the bottom. Brown leaves usually mean too little water. Even though aloes like dry weather, they need to watered correctly. When you water the plant, go slowly until its leaves plump up. Give it some time. It won’t recover immediately. Remove some of the soil around the baby plants and, using a clean knife, cut them off the mother plant. Plant the babies in individual pots with fresh soil and water as needed.

Don't know where to start

Bought little grocery store aloe. Kept 8 same pot for 3 years until roots broke pot. Plopped it in a big old metal corn pot. Now the thing weighs 70 plus Lbs and looks like it has outgrown this pot. Hundreds of babies, and every other size. It has been 5 years....I don't even know how I can get this out of pot to thin out. Are aloes hardy enough to be manhandled? There is one 'baby" that is growing outside pot resting on table that is 2 1/2 feet tall and at least that wide. I do use it alot, almost daily. The more I use, the more it grows. Don't want to damage Bertha, any suggestions where to start after years of neglect?

giant aloe "Bertha"

Congratulations on your success! You can divide the plant. I might be easiest if you could remove it from the pot…but it’s not critical. Use a sharp knife and cut off the “babies,” capturing, if possible, a hunk of root with them. It may be that you will have to cut off a few pieces and eventually be able to remove the plant from the pot. When you can do that, separate it into as many babies as you want and replant them. You do not mention the soil mix you use (we’ve seem 3 parts cactus mix combined with 1 part potting soil); whatever you’re using seems to be working so the operative word would be “Repeat.” A healthy plant should easily survive division, especially one as healthy as yours. Keep on keeping it on!

New Aloe

Hi. We bought a new, healthy aloe plant and repotted with cacti soil. The leaves are still in good condition. Nice, green and plump. However, they are all now practically horizontal. I wouldn't see flopping as they are not flimsy or limp. Plant was dry when we took it home and have only water once when reporting. There's still moisture in the top 2 inches but i certainly wouldn't consider the plant as over watered. Any ideas why the leaves are lying flat, and how to resolve. Appreciate your advice. Many thanks

flat leaf aloe

It sounds like your plant is not getting enough light. (If leave become thin and curled, it’s lacking water.) Indirect light is best, so put it closer to a sunny spot.

My aloe plant

I got an aloe vera plant a week ago and it has a bit of brown on it and it's really small. Should I water it everyday or there's a specific routine and amount of water. I live in Nigeria by the way.

I have a question. I was

I have a question. I was given my first aloe plant at the end of this past summer, it was just two little stems when I got it. I planted it in a small pot and it started to grow almost right away so I replanted it into a bigger pot with a hole in the bottom for drainage and it slowed down in growning, my question is...is my pot too big, did I replant too early, or since winter is just over should I give it more time? The stems are still nice and full and green also.

aloe vera care

It’s fine to repot to allow for more growth, but be sure to not increase the new pot by more than two pot sizes; too large a container can hold too much moisture that could lead to root rot. As long as you don’t have this issue, you probably just need to give it more time. Plants do not grow much in the wintertime.

Need Help

Hi, my Aunt about a month or two ago brought over her huge aloe plant and my family all had fun digging out all the babies which i got to keep 3 of. I've never gardened in my life so when I got them I guess I over watered one of them which caused a bit of rot, luckily it was only a little bit and it seems a lot better now.
Only issue is now i haven't watered them in a while (im scared to over water them again) and there seems to be some issues? Sort of like the pictures farthest right leaf is has odd bumps which might be because of irregular watering? Im not sure.
Not only that but the very tips of a few leafs are tan-ish and have no water in them. Is this because of me not watering very much? The rest of the plant is still very green and plump so i don't quite know whats going on.
These are my first plants and from what ive heard aloe plants are extremely tough so I would hate to accidentally kill them. Any feed back would be very helpful!

tips of aloe plant turning brown

Aloe vera thrives in poor but well-draining soil (cacti mix is good; use no compost or mulch) and with very little water. Water only when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch. Water it well but never let it sit in water. It likes bright sunlight, like that of a south or west facing.

easy grow

In 1993, I cut 2 large leaves off my mother-in-laws aloe vera. One leaf, I cut it into inch pieces, slicing the leaf open and laying the jel over a 2nd degree burn on my son's arm. Every 4 hrs, I would put a new piece over the burn. No scar on my sons arm. The other leaf, I stuck it in a pot of soil. I have given several hundred aloe vera plants since. My daughter has joined in the fun of giving. Last week, she transplanted 65 babies off her grandmothers plant. I transplanted 47 out of 2 small pots. We gave away 30 plants at the VA hospital in less than 15 minutes. One lady suggested we sale them. Nope. That would take away the fun of giving.

Power of Giving

Well said. I just got a few plants when I was in Arizona. I can't wait to see them grow, and I definitely plan on giving some away.

Aloe flowers

I put my aloe vera in cold dark workhsop for 6 months never watered it. Just left it alone with now it as had loads of babies and each baby as produced a flower..i have about 14 flowers is this unusual

aloe pups

It depends on the size of the aloe. Most aloes probably produce 5 or 6 pups, but we’ve known of a big mama who produced 25 to 30! You can just twist off the pups and give them away if you wish!

Question

There are two aloes in one pot at my workplace. One of them grew out of the pot very long. If I place the long stem onto another pot without detaching the plants will it re root in it? I don't want to immediately detach them because it's not mine but it looks like it should be separated.