Perhaps there is not a single person who has not met a plant called aloe at least once in his life. This unpretentious flower is a frequent inhabitant of our window sills. Even those who are not particularly keen on growing flowers in their apartment prefer to have a lifesaver on the window of this proven home healer and beautician in case they urgently need to cure a cold, wound, burn, stomatitis, eliminate problems with the digestive system or pimples on the face. Are there many people who have seen aloe flowers? And how many can confidently answer the question, does aloe bloom at all?
Biological characteristics of the plant
Aloe is a numerous genus of succulent perennials, including more than five hundred species of various herbaceous, shrubby and treelike plants with thick, fleshy, sword-shaped leaves covered with thorns. In some species, the length of the leaves reaches more than half a meter. The plant is able to accumulate moisture reserves in the leaves and due to them for a long time to do without watering. This feature has developed inplants due to the fact that the natural conditions for its growth are arid African regions.
In the wild, this tall plant forms dense thickets. Indoor species are significantly inferior in size to their wild counterparts. Does aloe bloom? The photo below shows a flowering specimen.
How often aloe blooms
Under natural conditions, flowering occurs once or twice a year. But does aloe bloom at home? It is believed that this event can happen once every twenty years, and then not always, but only if the plant is properly cared for. Some plants do not bloom during their entire life. Perhaps that is why a legend arose among the people that a flower of this succulent appears once every hundred years. Because of it, aloe is sometimes called agave.
Those who had the opportunity to see for themselves whether aloe blooms saw that this process begins with the appearance of a long peduncle. Usually its length is about thirty centimeters, but in some species it reaches eighty centimeters. Large tubular flowers appear on it, collected in inflorescences that delight the eye for six months.
At the end of flowering, fruits appear in the form of boxes with seeds. In different types of aloe, the inflorescences are painted in different colors. Consider how the most common types of this plant bloom on our windowsills.
Types of indoor aloe
Among the numerous varieties of this plant, the mostthe following are common among flower growers:
- Aloe Vera. A plant with a short stem, fleshy, rosette-shaped leaves of smoky green color with thorns along the edges. Does aloe vera bloom at home? Yes, but quite rarely. Usually its inconspicuous yellow-pink flowers appear at the end of winter. Whether aloe vera blooms or not, its popularity among indoor plant lovers is not affected. It is valued primarily for its excellent medicinal properties.
- Aloe tree. Its xiphoid leaves are gray-green in color, collected in rosettes. Grows very fast. It looks like a shrub. Inflorescences delight the eye with yellow, pink, red, and sometimes even scarlet hues.
- Aloe motley. Its leaves are brindle in color and grow in a spiral rosette, without a stem. Does aloe bloom at home? A photo of a blooming variegated aloe is presented below.
- Fan or folded aloe is a bushy plant with a branched stem. At the top of each branch is a large rosette of twelve to thirteen rounded leaves, painted gray-green. The inflorescence appears in the center of the rosette. It has up to thirty red flowers.
- Spinous aloe has leaves with white speckles along the edges of the leaf plate. It blooms with carpal inflorescences of red-orange tone, emerging from the center of the rosette.
Its racemes come in yellow, pink or fiery red.
The flowers of each species contain a lot of nectar, so flowering aloe does notnot only pleases the eye with its appearance, but also has a strong smell that can cause a headache.
Preparing for flowering
Having learned the answer to the question of whether aloe blooms, many indoor plant lovers begin to wonder how to achieve this at home. For successful flowering, the plant needs to create the right conditions.
Begin preparation for flowering no earlier than when the plant reaches ten years of age. The best time for this is winter. Before flowering, the plant must gain strength, so it needs a dormant period. To do this, aloe is left in a fairly cold room with a temperature of +10 to +14 degrees, low humidity and good lighting. It is better to install additional lighting in the room to increase the daylight hours.
You need to water the aloe through the pan, pouring settled water at room temperature into it and placing the pot there for about ten minutes. It is not recommended to keep the pot in water longer so that the roots of the plant do not rot.
Care during flowering
After making sure that the plant is ready to bloom, it is placed in completely different conditions.
The air temperature in the room during the flowering of aloe should be slightly above twenty-three degrees. The location of the plant should be as light as possible. Aloe, unlike most indoor plants, is not afraid of direct sunlight, so it can be safely kept on the southern and southwestern windowsills.
During flowering, the healing properties of the plant are completelysaved.
At the end of flowering, the peduncle is cut off at the base.
What conditions does a plant need to create in order to get it to bloom?
Water and fertilize
As mentioned above, aloe does not tolerate watering from above, only through the pan. The plant tolerates excess moisture much worse than its lack. Therefore, in no case should moisture be allowed to stagnate, otherwise the roots will rot. To prevent stagnation in a flower pot, there should be a thick drainage layer of expanded clay, brick chips or fine gravel.
So that the soil in the pot is not covered with green bloom, holes are drilled in its bottom before planting to drain excess water into the pan.
In the heat, the plant can be sprayed.
In the summer, during the growth period, once a month, aloe can be fed with a special mineral fertilizer for cacti. If it is added to water for irrigation, you need to ensure that this mixture does not get on the leaves. When propagating, the plant is fed after the appearance of sprouts. After transplanting, the crop can be fed only after six months, and if special soil for succulents was used, then you can do without fertilizing for ten months.
Landing
The capacity for planting aloe should be spacious, best of all - ceramic. The aloe root system grows quickly and requires a lot of space. The plant is transplanted, as a rule, when it becomes crowded.
For planting use soil for succulents, bought in a speci alty store. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot, then the soil. soil lightlymoisten and plant a plant in it. Immediately after planting, the flower is placed in a cool place out of direct sunlight. Later transferred to a sunny windowsill.
Aloe is usually transplanted in the spring. Young plants require an annual transplant, old ones can be transplanted every two to three years.
Signs associated with aloe
Aloe is not only called the "home doctor" for its unique healing properties, but some signs are associated with this plant. It is believed that it protects the house and the people living in it from damage and the evil eye, gives the inhabitants of the house a long and happy life. And if aloe blooms, it is regarded as a symbol of good luck, happiness and prosperity. People say so: if aloe blooms, it means that an angel has settled in the house.
It doesn't matter if you believe in omens. To achieve flowering of this plant is worth at least for the sake of aesthetic pleasure.
Have you ever seen aloe blossoms on your windowsill?
