Aloe vera is a succulent shrub that has recently gained popularity due to its attractive appearance, as well as healing properties. Even in ancient times, this plant was used to treat many diseases. Aloe vera is used to treat various diseases of the skin, intestines, as well as to combat some eye diseases. Today, many flower growers can meet this culture in pots at home. However, in order to grow this plant successfully, it is necessary to adhere to some rules of care and maintenance. First of all, you need to know how to water aloe at home, what method to propagate, at what temperature to keep. Those people who have just recently started growing this indoor flower should get acquainted with some of the nuances of care and maintenance of aloe vera.
Features of growing aloe vera indoors
The main distinguishing feature of this plant is that it is very unpretentious in care. If a person does not know how to water aloe at home, and forgot to do it, then the flower can grow in dry soil for a long time. At this time, aloe will consume moisture that has accumulated in its own leaves. However, so that the plant always pleases with its attractive appearance, it is nevertheless necessary not to neglect the rules of care and maintenance, in particular, you should familiarize yourself with how to water aloe at home.
But before that, you should pay attention to the features of the soil in which the flower will be grown. Soil can be bought ready-made. Specialized stores sell special mixes for cacti and succulents. But the soil can also be prepared independently at home. For this, it should be noted that peat is not added to the soil, since the root system of aloe vera reacts very negatively to this type of soil.
If the soil is prepared independently, then it is necessary to take two parts of sod land, one part humus, one part coarse sand, and one part of leafy soil. Also, a small amount of charcoal must be added to the mixture, since it has disinfecting properties. To give the soil friability, a small amount of crushed broken brick should be added to it.
And how to water aloe at home? Answering this question, you should pay attention to the fact that watering should be infrequent in the winter. But in the summer do not overdo it. How often to water aloe at home in the summer? This is done only a little more often than in winter.
As for lighting, in summer, aloe vera requires a considerable amount of light, so it is best to keep it on the windowsill on the south side. Other details on how often to water aloe at home and under what kind of lighting to keep it, will be discussed below.
Plant Care Rules
Caring for aloe vera is a very easy task. This flower must be provided with a sufficient amount of light, which is a prerequisite. Thanks to this, the plant will grow and develop normally. If aloe vera will stand in a bright place, then for a long time it will delight the eyes of its owners, as well as give its healing properties.
How to water aloe vera at home? In this regard, the plant is also unpretentious. For this reason, caring for a flower can be called a real pleasure. Plants are able to exist without water for 1-2 weeks, so the owners can not worry, going on vacation. Thanks to this, many beginner gardeners love to grow aloe at home.
Lighting Rules
This succulent is a very photophilous plant. For this reason, it should be kept on the eastern or southern windowsills. Aloe vera is absolutely not afraid of direct sunlight. This is because in the natural habitat this flower grows in hot countries.
In summer, it is recommended to expose the culture on an open balcony or in the garden, so that it takes sun baths, and also receives an additional dose of ultraviolet rays, which cannot be obtained through window glasses.
Air temperature
With the advent of summer, as a rule, plants do not need special care. At this time, as already mentioned, it is best to keep the succulents on the loggia or balcony, where there is a sufficient amount of fresh air. However, more attention and care should be given to the flower with the advent of winter.
In winter, the plant should be kept at an air temperature of about 12 degrees. To do this, aloe vera is cleaned in a bright, cool room. You should pay attention to the fact that it is strictly forbidden to place a flower in the winter near heating appliances, since such a place is fatal to the plant.
Air humidity
In a natural habitat, this succulent feels good in conditions of arid desert air. For this reason, it does not particularly respond to the humidity level in the room. As a rule, the plant does not need spraying. And how to water aloe vera at home? This will be discussed below.
Features of watering
Answering the question about how to water aloe, it must be said that the frequency of this process will depend on the measure of drying of the soil in the pot. However, there are cases when the plant has grown greatly in capacity, which is why it completely blocked the visibility, as well as access to the soil. Speaking about how to water aloe, you should pay attention to the fact that excessive soil moisture can provoke decay of the root system. For this reason, the frequency of watering should be calculated based on some rules:
- First, how to water aloe vera in the summer. In the summer, the soil is moistened abundantly only 2 times a week. Watering at the same time is carried out from a watering can from above and from below. Water is simultaneously poured into the pan of the pot. All excess fluid after watering should be removed. Beginner gardeners who do not know how to water aloe at home in the summer should remember this rule. For irrigation, it is necessary to use warm and settled water. As mentioned earlier, spraying the plant is not carried out. If in the summer a dust layer forms on the leaf blades, then it is removed with a damp cloth.
- Now about how to water aloe in winter at home with the advent of winter. The plant at this time enters a dormant period. For this reason, novice growers should know how often you need to water aloe in the winter. At this time, watering is significantly reduced, it will be enough to carry out this procedure a couple of times a month.
Since aloe vera has fleshy leaves, moisture accumulates in them. For this reason, the culture is not demanding on water. But if inexperienced gardeners do not know how many times to water aloe at home, how to increase the frequency of watering, then this can provoke decay of the root system. For this reason, with the advent of winter, the flower is watered once or twice a month. In this case, you should pay attention to the fact that the soil must be dry before watering.
In order to properly water aloe at home in the winter, the process must be exactly the same as in the summer, that is, water must be poured from the watering can directly into the ground, as well as into the pan of the pot. All excess moisture must be removed from the pallet.
Also, to avoid decay of the root system, aloe vera must be grown in pots in which there are drainage holes. They are needed so that all excess water flows out of the soil into the sump.
Fertilizer application
During the period of active growth, which lasts from April to September, aloe vera needs additional nutrition, which is carried out once every 2 weeks. For this, special fertilizers for cacti are used. You can also use special liquid mineral complexes. During this procedure, it is necessary to ensure that top dressing does not fall on the surface of the leaf plates and on the stems.
In this case, you should pay attention to the fact that only adult plants are fed. If the culture is damaged, it must be cured before fertilizing. Young specimens do not need to be fed. Also, one should not feed plants after transplantation of which less than six months have passed.
Top dressing is applied to well-moistened soil. Fertilizing in dry soil is not allowed, as the plant can suffer greatly from this.
If aloe vera grows in a special soil mixture, then you can not feed it. But if the flower you just bought grows in plain soil, then the first dressing is applied no earlier than 2-4 weeks after acquisition. Aloe after transplantation is fertilized only after the first sprouts appear.
Transplant Rules
Periodically, succulent must be transplanted into a large container, as this plant very quickly develops the root system. In order for the flower to continue to increase in growth, the pot should be changed annually for the first 5 years. After this, the transplant is carried out every two years.
This is done in the spring, when the flower easily tolerates any manipulations, and also does not require intensive care. If he is not transplanted, then he will cease to grow.
To transplant aloe vera into a new container, you just need to remove the flower with an earthen lump from the previous pot. The new capacity should be approximately 20% larger than the previous one.
Before planting in a new pot, a drainage layer is poured on it, for which you can use broken brick, as well as a small amount of soil mix, which is pre-punctured in the oven. After that, the flower is carefully placed in a new pot, and the soil is covered with soil. The substrate is compacted a little, after which the rest of the earth is covered. Now the plant should be watered a little, after which it can be put in a permanent place.
Breeding methods
Flowering succulents at home is very difficult, as well as getting seeds from it. Therefore, the plant propagates by cuttings, by children or leaf plates:
- To propagate aloe vera by the method of cuttings, one cuttings must be cut with a knife. The length of the cut part should be at least 10 cm. The place of the cut should be dusted with ash. After it dries, after 3 days, the stalk should be planted in a moist substrate.
- For propagation by leaf plates, it must be cut off from the mother plant. After that, the sheet is placed in water. When the roots appear on it, the sheet plate should be planted in a permanent place. In this case, it is worth paying attention to the fact that the leaf is planted to a depth of not more than 4 cm.
- As for the method of reproduction by children, then, as a rule, they already have their own root system. Therefore, they simply need to be planted in a separate pot.
When breeding, you should pay attention to the fact that this manipulation is performed only in the spring or summer period.
Possible diseases and pests
Aloe vera is a very viable plant, but it can also undergo various kinds of diseases.
Possible diseases:
- The most common disease is root rot. It appears due to excessive watering. To cure the plant, it is necessary to remove all damaged parts on the root system, sprinkle them with ash, and then transplant aloe into a new substrate. In this case, water the plant no earlier than 1 month after transplantation. If root rot has hit the entire root system, then the flower can no longer be saved.
- Another possible aloe vera disease is dry rot. As a rule, this disease does not have any visible signs. In this case, the plant begins to dry from the inside, as a result of which it dies.
Possible pests:
- Shield. This pest interferes with the photosynthesis of the culture, due to which the leaves begin to curl and dry. An even more dangerous pest is a false shield, which injects its poison into leaf plates. To cure the plant, they should be wiped with a rag that is wetted in vinegar or alcohol, after which Aktara is used. Aloe vera should be transplanted, and the container should be sanitized well.
- Spider mite. This pest is the main enemy of aloe vera. The spider mite is very difficult to notice. The only signal of his presence are white spots formed on the leaf plates. To combat it, the drug "Actelik" is used. For prevention, it is recommended to wipe the leaves with a rag dipped in garlic tincture.
- Mealybug. This pest is easiest to remove from the plant. The fact is that this insect does not tolerate excessive moisture, so each leaf is wiped with vinegar. For wiping, you can also use the drug "Biotlin".
Growing aloe vera in indoor conditions is a very troublesome affair. The content of this plant will be within the power of even an inexperienced grower. However, in this case, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules for the maintenance and care of succulents. Only after that the flower will decorate the house with its attractive appearance. In addition, it is worth remembering that the juice and leaves of this plant are used in traditional medicine recipes for the treatment of many diseases.