Secrets of growing aloe vera at home
Growing aloe vera at home is not difficult if the plant is properly cared for. Nothing complicated is required for this. But in order for the flower to develop and grow correctly, you need to know some secrets and apply them in practice.
Care features
The homeland of this medicinal plant is Africa. It has gray-green succulent leaves with tiny white blotches and small thorns around the edges. In hot countries, cultivation takes place on special plantations. When the aloe vera reaches a certain size, workers manually pick the leaves with the utmost care.
In our country, a flower can be purchased at a store. When making a purchase, carefully examine the shoots. They should be firm, fleshy, and free from scratches or brown spots. Pay attention to the root. It is easy to determine the age of the aloe by it. The older it is, the more powerful its root system. For planting at home, it is better to pick up a young shoot.
Certain factors are important for growing aloe vera:
- a sufficient amount of sunlight;
- correctly selected soil and fertilizer;
- watering.
It is advisable for the plant to purchase a ceramic spacious pot. Pour drainage on the bottom, which may consist of small fragments of brick or expanded clay. This is to prevent moisture from stagnating in the pot. It is easy to buy a bag with soil along with the scion in the store. But you can also make a formula at home.
- You need to take 1 part of leafy land, humus, sand and connect them to 2 parts of sod land.
- Mix the soil thoroughly, pour it into a pot, make a small depression and plant aloe vera there.
- Tamp the soil in a pot, pour with settled water and sprinkle on top with a small layer of dry soil.
Planting aloe vera at home is recommended in early fall. If done correctly, lateral shoots quickly form at the offshoot in spring and it develops well.
Lighting and watering
Since it is a tropical plant, it needs a lot of heat and light. But the scorching sun can burn the delicate leaves, and dark spots will appear on them. Therefore, place the flower pot in a well-lit place, avoiding direct sunlight.
In summer, the plant does well in the fresh air. The most comfortable temperature for him during this period is 23-26 ° С. In winter, aloe calmly tolerates a drop in temperature to 13 ° C, but does not tolerate a draft. From its effects, the flower can get sick and die.
Juicy leaves with a fleshy content hold water well. Because of this, the plant needs little moisture. It should be watered when the potted soil is dry. In the summer it is useful to do this once every 7 days with settled water. Make sure that the temperature of the liquid is several degrees higher than the thermometer in the room.
In autumn and winter, contact with water should be significantly reduced. Watering once a month is enough for the plant.
Important!
Aloe vera does not need additional air humidification, spraying the sheets with liquid from a spray bottle and excess moisture. From such care at home, the root system begins to rot, the leaves deteriorate, and it withers.
How to feed and fertilize?
For fertilizers to be beneficial, you need to adhere to certain rules when using them.
- A plant planted in new soil does not need feeding. There are enough useful microelements in the soil.Start fertilizing no earlier than 6 months after planting.
- Choose a cloudy day and moisten the ground before the procedure. Dissolve the fertilizer in water and pour it into a tray that is placed under the bottom of the pot. You can fertilize by watering the soil from above. In this case, proceed carefully and try to keep the liquid from getting on the leaves and trunk.
- The optimal frequency of using the fertilizer is once every 14 days from May to September. At this time, the flower is actively growing and needs additional nutrients.
The stores have a wide range of fertilizers intended for succulents and cactus... They are most suitable for feeding aloe vera at home.
Important!
If it was not possible to buy such preparations, remember that peat is harmful to the plant, and do not use products based on it. Aloe useful mineral and nitrogen-containing feed.
The preparations "Power of Life" and "Bona Forte" are considered good fertilizers. They enhance metabolic processes in plant cells, fully provide nutrients and strengthen the roots. They are sold as a concentrate, which must be diluted with water according to the instructions and used during active growth.
When using purchased products, do not exceed the recommended dose. An excess of minerals and vitamins can have the opposite effect: the flower will begin to dry out and deteriorate.
Top dressing with folk remedies
The soil for aloe vera can be enriched with all the necessary tools at hand. Suitable for this:
- sugar;
- shells from eggs;
- water that remains after rinsing cereals.
Sugar is added once a week. A teaspoon of sand is spread over the soil and regular watering is done.
The shell is a good fertilizer. Before using it, it must be washed, dried and ground into powder. Measure out a few teaspoons and sprinkle the earth with the product once every 2 weeks before moisturizing.
The water after washing buckwheat and rice is enriched with trace elements necessary for the growth of aloe vera, therefore, it is useful to water the soil with such a liquid once every 7 days.
How to properly transplant and propagate aloe?
The plant has a strong root system and needs to be replanted regularly. In the first 3 years of life, this is required to be done 1 time in 12 months, systematically increasing the volume of the pot. Then the procedure is allowed to be performed every few years. The new planting includes a complete soil replacement. Examine the root system carefully and remove sore and dry roots from it. This will prevent the development of diseases.
For reproduction at home, root shoots or cuttings are used. They are carefully cut with a knife and left in the shade for several days. When the cut dries up, it is planted in the prepared soil.
In addition to cuttings, seeds purchased at the store are suitable for propagation of the plant. You will need to treat an empty pot with a strong solution of manganese, pour soil half mixed with sand there, moisten it and lightly press the seeds at a distance of 2 cm from each other. The pot should be placed in a small greenhouse and placed under a lamp. Seedlings usually appear quickly. When 2 leaves are formed on them, the plant can be planted in a permanent pot.
Pest control
Aloe vera rarely gets sick. It is sometimes attacked by pests such as mealybugs and scale insects. You can help the plant at home with a special solution.
- Peel a few cloves of garlic, chop and mix in equal proportions with shavings of laundry soap.
- Dilute the mixture with a small amount of water, soak a cloth in the liquid and wipe the leaves and trunk once a day.
The plant sometimes withers due to over-watering. His roots begin to rot. If this happens, stop wetting the soil for a while. You can remove the aloe from the pot, treat the roots with wood ash, powdered coal, dry thoroughly and plant again.
Growing aloe is possible even for novice growers. If the recommendations are followed, it confidently stretches upward, becomes large and beautiful. Three years after planting, the young plant will become a faithful assistant in the fight against various diseases.
Aloe vera is an excellent bactericidal agent. Means from the pulp of its leaves can improve overall health, improve the appearance of skin and hair, which is why the flower is so popular.
Thank! I liked the article very much!