Aloe vera is a succulent shrub that has recently gained popularity due to its attractive appearance and 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 ailments. Today, many flower growers can find this culture in pots at home. However, in order to successfully grow this plant, 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 only recently started growing this indoor flower should familiarize themselves with some of the nuances of the care and maintenance of aloe vera.
Features of growing aloefaith in room conditions
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 use the moisture that has accumulated in its own leaves. However, in order for the plant to always please with its attractive appearance, it is still 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 characteristics of the soil in which the flower will be grown. The soil can be bought ready-made. Specialized stores sell special potting mixes for cacti and succulents. But the soil can also be prepared at home. To do this, you should pay attention to the fact 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 of humus, one part of coarse sand, and one part of leafy soil. Also, a small amount of charcoal must be added to the resulting mixture, as 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 winter. But in the summer you should not overdo it with it. How often to water aloe at home in the summer? This is done only slightly more often than in winter.
As far as lighting is concerned, aloe vera requires a lot of light during the summer, so it is best kept on a south-facing windowsill. Further details on how often to water aloe at home and what kind of lighting to keep it in will be discussed below.
Rules for plant care
Caring for aloe vera is very easy. This flower must be provided with enough light, which is a prerequisite. Thanks to this, the plant will grow and develop normally. If aloe vera stands in a bright place, then it will delight the eyes of its owners for a long time, and also give its healing properties.
How to water aloe vera at home? In this regard, the plant is also unpretentious. It is for this reason that caring for a flower can be called a real pleasure. Plants are able to exist for 1-2 weeks without water, so the owners may not worry when going on vacation. Thanks to this, many beginner growers love to grow aloe at home.
Lighting Rules
This succulent is a very photophilous plant. For this reason, it should be kept on east or south windowsills. Aloe vera is absolutely not afraidexposure to direct sunlight. This is due to the fact that in its natural habitat this flower grows in hot countries.
In summer, it is recommended to put the culture on an open balcony or in the garden so that it takes sunbaths, and also receives an additional dose of ultraviolet rays that cannot be received through window glass.
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 succulents on a 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. For 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, as such a place is detrimental to the plant.
Humidity
In its natural habitat, this succulent thrives in dry desert air. It is for this reason that it does not particularly respond to the level of humidity in the room. As a rule, the plant does not need spraying. How to water aloe vera at home? This will be discussed below.
Irrigation features
Answering the question of how to water aloe, it must be said that the frequency of this process will depend on the degree of drying of the soil in the pot. Howeverthere are cases when the plant has grown strongly in the container, due to which it completely blocked 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 cause the root system to rot. It is for this reason that the frequency of watering should be calculated based on some rules:
- First, how to water aloe vera in summer. In summer, the soil is moistened abundantly only 2 times a week. Watering is carried out from the watering can from above and below. Water in parallel with this is poured into the pan of the pot. All excess liquid after watering should be removed. Novice flower growers 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 a layer of dust has formed on the sheet plates in summer, 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, beginner growers should know how often to water aloe in 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. It is for this reason that the culture is not demanding on water. But if inexperienced flower growers do not know how many times to water aloe at home, how to increase the frequency of watering, thenthis can cause root rot. 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 winter, the process must be exactly the same as in summer, that is, water must flow from the watering can directly into the ground, as well as into the pot pan. All excess moisture must be removed from the pallet without fail.
Also, to avoid root rot, aloe vera must be grown in pots that have drainage holes. They are needed so that all excess water flows out of the soil into the pan.
Fertilization
During the period of active growth, which lasts from April to September, aloe vera needs additional feeding, which is carried out 1 time in 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 crop is damaged, then it must be cured before fertilizing. Young specimens do not need feeding. Also, do not feed plants that have been transplanted for less than six months.
Feeding is applied to well-moistened soil. Applicationfertilizer in dry soil is not allowed, as the plant can suffer greatly from this.
If aloe vera grows in a special soil mixture, then it can not be fed. But if the newly purchased flower grows in simple soil, then the first dressing is applied no earlier than 2-4 weeks after purchase. Aloe after transplantation is fertilized only after the first shoots appear.
Transfer Rules
Periodically, the succulent must be transplanted into a large container, as this plant develops its root system very quickly. In order for the flower to continue to grow in growth, the pot should be changed annually for the first 5 years. After that, transplantation is carried out every two years.
This is done in the spring, when the flower easily tolerates any manipulation, and also no longer requires enhanced care. If it is not transplanted, then it will stop growing.
To transplant aloe vera into a new container, you just need to pull the flower, along with an earthy clod, 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 bricks, as well as a small amount of soil mixture, which is pre-pierced in the oven. After that, the flower is carefully placed in a new pot, and soil is poured on top. 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 on permanentplace.
Reproduction methods
It is very difficult to achieve flowering of a succulent at home, as well as to get seeds from it. Therefore, the plant propagates by cuttings, children or leaf plates:
- To propagate aloe vera by cuttings, one cutting must be cut off with a knife. The length of the cut off part should be at least 10 cm. The place of the cut should be powdered with ash. After it dries, after 3 days the cutting should be planted in a moist substrate.
- For propagation by leaf plates, it must be cut from the mother plant. After that, the sheet is placed in water. When roots appear on it, the leaf plate should be planted in a permanent place. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the fact that a leaf is planted to a depth of no 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 just need to be planted in a separate pot.
When breeding, you should pay attention to the fact that this manipulation is performed only in spring or summer.
Possible diseases and pests
Aloe vera is a very resilient plant, but it can also be subject to various kinds of diseases.
Possible diseases:
- The most common disease in this case 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 themash, after which the aloe is transplanted into a new substrate. Water the plant at the same time not earlier than 1 month after transplantation. If root rot has affected the entire root system, then the flower cannot be saved.
- Another possible disease of aloe vera is dry rot. As a rule, this disease does not have any visible signs. In this case, the plant begins to dry out from the inside, as a result of which it dies.
Possible pests:
- Shield. This pest interferes with the photosynthesis of the crop, due to which the leaves begin to curl and dry out. An even more dangerous pest is the false shield, which injects its poison into the leaf plates. To cure the plant, they should be wiped with a rag that is wetted in vinegar or alcohol, after which the Aktara preparation is applied. Aloe vera should be transplanted and the container well disinfected.
- Spider mite. This pest is the main enemy of aloe vera. Spider mites are very hard to spot. The only signal of its presence is the white spots that form on the leaf plates. To combat it, the drug "Aktelik" is used. For prevention, it is recommended to wipe the leaves with a cloth soaked in garlic tincture.
- Mealybug. This pest is the easiest to remove from the plant. The fact is that this insect does not tolerate excessive humidity, so each sheet is wiped with an vinegar solution. You can also use Biotlin for wiping.
Growing aloe vera indoors is very easy. 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 to treat many diseases.
