Agave or aloe is a flower that is present on the windowsill of almost every lover of indoor plants. Its medicinal properties have long been known. Aloe helps in the treatment of various kinds of diseases. Due to its anti-inflammatory, healing and antibacterial properties, agave is often used in folk medicine for treatment and prevention. How to plant an agave, home care and other nuances will be discussed in this material.
Aloe is considered an unpretentious plant that does not require special care. However, there are some points that every grower should know.
Proper lighting
Caring for the agave flower involves the use of a large amount of light. Therefore, when choosing a place for a bush, preference should be given to the sunny side of the house. East and southeast are the best option for the plant. Aloe comes fromfrom a tropical climate where there is a lot of sunshine and a warm climate. In summer, the plant grows well on the window. As for the winter season, when the sunny day is short in our region, the agave needs, in addition to daylight, to install additional lamp lighting.
Water the plants
Given the plant's love for a hot climate, watering is also considered important in care. Unlike many indoor flowers, aloe is the easiest to look after. Agave care does not provide for almost none. As for watering, one or a maximum of two times a month is enough for the existence of the plant. It is also important to know that the soil must be completely dry between watering the plant.
For irrigation, it is necessary to take water at room temperature, while it must be settled for at least 10-12 hours. In the cold season, watering the bush is very rare.
It is also worth noting that caring for the agave at home is much easier compared to other indoor flowers. The plant also does not particularly need to spray the leaves. This should be done very carefully so that the liquid does not accumulate in the leaf joints.
Optimal temperatures
For a flower to grow well, it needs a certain temperature regime. For the summer season, the air temperature in the place where the plant is kept should not fall below 23 0С. As for the winter months, you need to keep the temperature from +13 to +15 0C. AtWhen frost sets in, it is especially important to monitor the temperature regime, since the agave is a heat-loving plant. If for some reason the air temperature drops to zero or below, the plant will die.
What soil do you need
For planting aloe, you should buy or select the appropriate soil. Land collected from the street will not work, because the necessary components must be present in the composition of the soil. Aloe soil should include:
- turf;
- humus;
- river sand.
Also, when planting a bush in a pot, it is necessary to put broken pieces of coal and brick on the bottom, which will work as drainage.
Planting aloe with and without roots
To plant aloe, you need to purchase a pot. There are no special recommendations regarding the choice of a specific shape or size. The main thing is that it must have enough space for the roots of the plant. You also need to take a pot that has holes in the bottom through which liquid can escape, preventing excess accumulation in the root system.
One of the conditions for good growth is top dressing, since home care for agave requires the correct composition of nutrients. Mineral-type mixtures should be taken as fertilizer, however, they should be carefully introduced into the soil so as not to fall on the stems. Concentrated fertilizer may harm the stems, or the plant will start to hurt.
The frequency of feeding is 2-3 weeks. With the right andWith the timely addition of fertilizers, the agave will grow well, and throw out color in the summer. It is also important to remember that the action should be performed when the soil is wet.
Caring for the plant in winter
In the winter season, caring for the plant's root system is very important, so excessive watering is undesirable and even contraindicated. With abundant soil moisture, the root system begins to rot, which ultimately leads to the death of the plant.
When transplanting a flower, it is important to clean the roots, removing rotten, damaged or dry branches from the total. He althy roots are a must for growing agave.
Every florist must know the rules for watering a flower and follow the basic instructions. Only if you follow all the requirements and recommendations, you can grow a beautiful and he althy bush, which, in turn, will delight its owner with flowering and useful properties.
Cutting
If your plant is already mature, then even with proper care, the agave must be cut. The upper parts of the stems and the sides are removed. When forming a flower of an attractive appearance, pruning should be carefully carried out so as not to harm the growing stems nearby. By removing excess, you rejuvenate the aloe, and the cut parts can be used as cuttings for planting. The agave is quite hardy and tenacious, so even frequent pruning does not cause significant damage to the plant.
How often aloe is transplanted
Root system of the agaveIt develops and grows quite quickly, so regular flower transplantation is necessary. For a young plant, transplantation is carried out once a year. If the bush is an adult, then transplantation is carried out at least twice a year. When transplanting, it is necessary to choose the right container, which should be one and a half times larger than the previous one. It is also worth knowing that manipulations should be carried out in the warm season. In winter, aloe is at rest, and transplanting can lead to the death of the flower, as it will not be able to get used to new conditions even with good care.
At home, the agave should be seated in a certain order and at the appropriate time to minimize stress on the plant. A bush is transplanted in the spring, when the flower has already moved away from winter and is full of strength for reproduction. The ground for this must be prepared in advance. Do not use the same soil as in the previous pot. It is also worth choosing a pot that has a larger size.
Somewhere a day before planting, the plant should be strongly poured with water. Thanks to the water, the soil will become sour, and it will be much easier to remove the plant from the pot with minimal damage to the root system. Since it is not recommended to use the earth from the previous pot, an aloe root is placed in the center of the new pot and a fresh earthen mixture is added. It should reach the same level as in the previous pot. After watering, you can add more soil.
Planting without roots of tree agave (aloe)
At home, aloe care involves transplanting a plant even withoutroots. This method involves the use of a cut cutting. With proper planting, the plant will take root and grow. The cut stalk must be laid down so that the cut is completely dry. After this has happened, the sprout is placed in a container filled with wet sand. The stalk is in the container until the roots germinate. After the roots have sprouted, the flower is planted in the prepared soil.
For proper plant growth, you need to know exactly how to care for the agave at certain times of the year. If everything is more or less clear with the warm period, then the flower needs to be prepared for winter. It is advisable to install a pot with a plant on a heated veranda, where the air temperature will not have strong drops. If a pot with a bush is installed on a windowsill, then it is important that there are no drafts. Watering the plant in the winter season should be rare and not plentiful. It is also worth knowing that it is not worth spraying it in winter. A sufficient amount of light can be obtained not only from the sun, but also with the help of special lamps. Proper care ensures the he alth and growth of the plant.
Diseases and pests of the agave
Even with proper care at home, the agave flower, like any plant, can be subject to various diseases. Drying leaf tips are considered the most common disease. If this happens to a flower, it means that it has not been transplanted for a long time. The roots in the pot have grown, they do not have enough space, therefore, nutrients do not enter the root system inin full.
One of the most dangerous plant diseases is dry rot. It is almost impossible to visually notice the disease, but it can lead to the complete death of the plant. In order to avoid such a disease, the plant should be prevented using special antifungal compounds.
Agave can also be brought diseases by pests that suck juices from it. The pest can be seen even without the use of special equipment. The mealybug resembles a cotton ball that is located on the leaves of a flower. In pest control, garlic tincture can be used. However, if this method does not help, then there are chemicals that contribute to extermination.
The agave flower does not require special care. There are some rules for its content, but they are quite simple. Growing a plant at home, you can not only have fresh medicine always at hand. Such flowers complement the room decor. With proper care, aloe produces a beautiful color in summer.
If you decide to have an aloe tree (agave) at home, growing and caring for it should be done correctly. If at the same time there is no experience in floriculture, then it will still be the best option. Often children are trusted to care for the agave at home, since the plant is unpretentious, but at the same time, the child shows love for flowers and other plants. It is necessary to teach the younger generation to floriculture in childhood, using ordinary plants. Ease of care, the healing properties of aloe make the plant one of the mostoften growing in the house.
