Category: Aloe Vera Plant Care

Aloe vera plants are often used to treat sunburn or other minor burns, so some people like to keep an aloe plant around the house. These plants are relatively easy to care for, but if you’re looking for aloe vera plant care tips and methods, look no further. Continue reading for the best aloe vera plant care tips on the web.

Aloe Vera Plant Care Instructions

Although you can successfully raise an aloe vera plant in almost any type of soil, your plant will do best if you plant it in a mix of one third sand and two thirds potting soil when growing it in a container. This will help make sure that any extra water drains out of the pot. Remember this aloe vera plant care tip: You can only grow aloe plants outdoors if you are in zones 9 to 11, but aloe plants can benefit from being outdoors during the spring and summer. Just make sure you bring them back inside before the first frost comes.

Another important aloe vera plant care tip is to keep your plant in a place where it will be in direct sunlight most of the day, whether you plant it outdoors or plant it in a pot. Aloe plants grow best when they are kept at a temperature between 60 degrees and 80 degrees F in the daytime, and at a slightly cooler temperature of 55 degrees F at night. If the temperature goes below 40 degrees F it could cause damage to your aloe plant.

Aloe plants do not require much water, so do not water them every day. When you first plant your aloe vera, you will probably want to water it approximately once a week, but when it is more established you will only need to water it once every two to three weeks. Only water your aloe vera plant when the soil is totally dry to the touch, and then soak it thoroughly.

If you keep your aloe plant in a container rather than planting it outside you will need to change the pot from time to time, as aloe can grow fairly quickly. Choose a container that is three to four inches larger than the previous container and use new soil. You will probably only need to do this after three or four years has passed.

Another aloe vera plant care tip is adding fertilizer to the pot where you are growing your aloe vera plant will help keep it healthy. Water your plant, then add a 10-40-10 fertilizer and lightly water the plant again to minimize the chance of the plant roots becoming burned and to help spread the nutrients around. You can help conserve nutrients by removing the stalks of flowers as soon as the flowers stop blooming.  

Aloe vera is a succulent plant that has been revered for centuries. With many medicinal purposes, it is just a helpful today, despite the many synthetic and manmade products available on the market. From digestive relief to skin conditions, aloe vera has countless different topical and oral uses for humans. Here are just a few of the many aloe vera plant uses:

Aloe Vera Plant Uses: Relives Itching and Stinging

After receiving a big bite or bee sting, rubbing the cut aloe vera plant directly on the skin can relieve the pain quickly and simply.

Aloe Vera Plant Uses: Skin Conditions

Thanks to a property in the aloe vera plant that stimulates skin cell growth, it can be used for many different skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. The aloe vera rapidly is absorbed into the skin, causing the skin cells to regenerate at a fast pace and heal from inflictions faster.

Aloe Vera Plant Uses: Stomach Discomfort

Aloe vera is becoming more and more popular for its uses in treating intestinal and digestive problems. Those suffering from constipation might want to drink a juice made from the aloe vera plant to stimulate a bowel movement. The same juice can help someone suffering from irritable bowel syndrome to reduce the symptoms, which often manifest themselves in the form of bloating. It is now easy to find yogurts with aloe vera in the ingredients to help with stomach and digestive problems.

Aloe Vera Plant Uses: Asthma

Many cultures have used aloe vera to eliminate breathing problems, notably asthma. To do so, simply boils the plant in water. The steam from the mixture can be breathed in with deep breaths through the mouth to help someone breathe easier.

Aloe Vera Plant Uses: Sun Burns

This is perhaps the most common use for aloe vera. The leaves of the plant can simply be snapped off and rubbed over the burnt area to relieve pain and speed up the healing process.

Aloe Vera Plant Uses: Diabetes

For diabetics and any other people who need to keep an eye on their blood sugar levels, aloe vera can help. Boiling the plant in water and drinking it, or consuming a pure aloe vera juice without added sugars, can reduce your glucose levels rapidly.

Aloe Vera Plant Uses: Gum and Teeth Problems

For those who suffer form gingivitis, weak gums or tooth pain, aloe vera is a simple solution. Eating aloe vera will often be enough to help this, but another option is to use a toothpaste with aloe vera as one of the active ingredients.

With so many uses, the aloe vera plant is considered to be a miraculous plant to many. From its digestive functions to its cure for skin problems, aloe vera has countless medicinal purposes.

You can bring all of the health benefits of aloe vera into your home by raising your own aloe vera plant. A lot of garden centers and local stores sell these plants, but you have to know how to properly care for them so they grow large and full of that healing aloe gel. Below are some aloe plant care tips to help you raise your plant as efficiently as possible.

Aloe Plant Care Tip #1 – Make Sure Your Plant Receives Adequate Sunlight

If you are growing your plant outdoors, the first aloe plant care tip is to make sure it is placed in full sunlight. Partial sunlight can work in some climates, but make sure that it receives at least five or six hours of direct sunlight each day. If you are growing your plant indoors, make sure it sits close to a window where direct sunlight shines through. Make sure the light is not blocked by window treatments at the sunniest time of day.

Aloe Plant Care Tip #2 – Do Not Overwater Your Plant

Aloe plant care tip #2 may dispel a myth. Aloe vera plants need water, but they do not need very moist soil. They hold a lot of their water in the body of the plant, so it has more moisture in it than you may think from the feel of the soil. It is good to let the soil dry out, and then completely soak it through. Wait for the soil to become fairly dry again before watering again.

Drainage is very important, whether planted indoors or outdoors. Indoor pots should contain gravel in the bottom to help with drainage. Outdoor plants do not need as much watering and some are virtually carefree much of the year.

An aloe vera plant doesn’t need as much water during the winter months, as it goes into a semi dormant state.

Aloe Plant Care Tip #3 – An Indoor Plant Enjoys Being Outdoors Sometimes

Your children are indoor living creatures, but you do not shut them up all the time when the sun is shining and the warm breezes are blowing. Treat your aloe plants the same way. Protect them indoors when it is freezing outside, and then take them out to a porch when it is warmer. If you have a screened porch with a lot of sunlight, then that may be a good protective environment during the spring and early fall.

Aloe Plant Care Tip #4 – Choose Wider Pots as Opposed To Deeper Pots

Many plants need to be repotted into deeper pots as they grow, but aloe vera plants are a bit different. Their roots are shallow and grow outward, rather than downward. This means they need to be placed in wider pots, rather than deeper pots. If you do not give them larger pots, you can stunt their growth so you don’t get nearly as much out of them.

Aloe Plant Care Tip #5 – Make Sure You are Growing Aloe Vera

There are many different aloe plants, but they don’t all have the benefits that come with aloe vera. Make sure the plant you are raising is aloe vera and not one of these other options. They may look very similar, since they are all in the same family of subtropical succulent plants.

Growing an aloe vera plant is not difficult. Once it becomes established in its soil, it won’t take a lot of your time to give it some water from time to time. You will find many different uses for the gel inside the leaves!

It isn’t uncommon to walk into a home and see an aloe vera plant growing happily in front of a bright window. You don’t have to be a believer in holistic medicine or some crazy person who never uses conventional Western medicine. You just have to be a believer in the natural healing power of some plants to enjoy the many benefits of aloe vera. Whether you are interested in growing your own plant or just want to take advantage of products containing aloe vera, this guide will give you a comprehensive introduction to this native African succulent plant.

Understanding the Aloe Vera Plant

Egyptian stone carvings dated thousands of years in history are known to depict aloe vera plants. That speaks to the extremely long history behind this plant. It is native to sub tropical climates that do not have freezing weather. Since, they are succulent plants similar to the cactus, they are naturally found in very dry, warm climates. They are native to Africa, so that speaks to the climate in which they are used to growing.

There are many different types of aloe plants, but they don’t all have the medicinal benefits that come from the aloe vera plant. While these plants do often bloom with beautiful flowers, they are not grown for their beauty. They are grown today for their many health benefits and medicinal uses.

Various parts of the aloe vera plant can be used, but it is the gel inside the leaves that most people want. Those who grow the plant do so in order to make use of this inside aloe gel.

10 Ways to Use the Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe vera is used in a number of ways today and there is a lot of scientific evidence backing up many of these uses:

1. Skin Care
2. Asthma Prevention
3. Burn Soothing/Healing
4. Cuts, Insect Bites, Rashes
5. Diabetes Prevention
6. Psoriasis Treatment
7. Inflammation Reduction
8. Food Flavoring
9. Energy Enhancer
10. Nourishment

Aloe vera can be used on the skin or it can be ingested. It is a natural laxative, so many people have to watch how much they consume so they do not have problems running to the bathroom too often. Others use a lot of aloe vera specifically for this purpose. Natural, pure aloe vera gel products are best if a fresh plant is not on hand.

Growing Your Own Aloe Vera Plant

If you live in a semi tropical climate that doesn’t have a lot of very cold weather, then you may be able to grow your own aloe vera plant outdoors. This is advantageous if you are interested in growing multiple plants for medicinal purposes. If you live in a colder region where it does sometimes freeze, then you should grow your aloe vera plant in an indoor container in front of a window with lots of bright light. If the pot doesn’t have a drainage hole, then gravel should be placed in the bottom of the pot to help with drainage.

Ideally, this will be a pot that you can move outdoors during the warmer months so your plant can get that healthy sunshine it needs to grow. Just remember that it must always be brought back indoors if the temperatures drop to freezing.

Wherever it is planted, the aloe vera plant needs rich soil that drains quickly. During the summer months they will need to be watered more often than during the winter months, since a lot of water is stored within the leaves of the plant. It goes dormant during the cooler months of the year, so it needs very little water until it awakens for the warm months of the year.

One rule of thumb with aloe vera plants is to soak the soil, then let it dry out completely before you water again. An established plant can dry out a little without being damaged. Outdoor plants are even known to grow carefree in many places, especially when slightly shaded (but still in full sun if possible).

As your aloe vera plant grows, you should move it into wider pots to accommodate the maturing root system.

Important Note: Some people mistakenly move their plants into deeper pots, but the aloe vera plant has shallow roots that stretch outward, rather than downward.

The Many Benefits of the Aloe Vera Plant

Why would anyone want to grow this succulent aloe vera plant in their home? It can get quite big, doesn’t always flower, and is not the most attractive plant ever. Yet, many people want to grow aloe vera because the leaves can be broken or sliced open to gain instant access to the nourishing, soothing, healing gel.

This is helpful when someone is burned, cut or recovering with another type of wound. This gel can be used right out of the plant to soothe everything from sunburn to rashes and insect bites. It can even be consumed to energize, soothe and heal the body from within! To see what other benefits to the aloe vera plant there are check out the aloe vera benefits page.