How To Care For Aloe Vera Plant Indoors and Outdoors

Aloe Vera Plant

Spiral Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe Vera is a member of the lily family. Common names of Aloe species are Indian Aloe, True Aloe, Chinese Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Burn Aloe and First Aid Plant. In India it is known as Ghikwar in Hindi and Korphad in Marathi.

You can grow your own aloe Vera plant easily, even in pot indoors or outdoors if you take care of your aloe Vera plant as described below.

Caring Tips For Aloe Vera Indoors and Outdoors

Taking care of aloe Vera plant at home indoors as a houseplant or outdoors is quite simple. 

Position: Where to plant Aloe Vera?

Growing Conditions For An Aloe Vera Plant

Where should you plant an aloe Vera plant at home, in shade, sun, outdoors or indoors?

1. Light: As Aloe Vera is a semi-tropical plant it needs lots of sun light and temperature around 20-25°C (70 -80°F).
2. The aloe plant can tolerate full sun for longer period of time but I have observed leaf curling and browning in my aloe plants when placed in outdoors in full sun in summers in Sydney.
3. I have placed my aloe Vera pots outdoor where they receive direct sun for 3-4 hours in the morning and they are doing very well.
4. In USA it grows well outdoors only in USDA Zones 9 and 10, and indoors in other zones as a house plant.
5. When growing indoors in pots, they should be placed in south or west facing sunny windows.
6. Aloe Vera Plant Care in Winter: Summer is good for aloe Vera plant, but it will not tolerate cold temperatures. In winter you should relocate your aloe Vera plant in a warmer place in your home. During winter, the plant becomes dormant. It should be shifted to indoors during frost and snow.

Soil For Aloe Vera

Often there is a confusion for the type of best soil for Aloe Vera.

1. Aloe Vera plants grow well in sandy loose soil of pH between 6 - 8 as do all the cacti and succulents.
2. Mix river sand and small size pebbles in the soil to make it loose and free draining (garden soil).
3. You can buy a special cacti soil from a garden shop. You can make your own soil, by mixing compost (make your own compost), sand and sphagnum moss or coco coir in 1:2:1 ratio.

Propagation of Aloe Vera

Growing Aloe Vera from Seeds

1. Aloe Vera can be grown from seed, but it takes a long time to germinate under greenhouse conditions and the success rate can be very low for home gardener, if you try at home.
2. If you have bought a small plant from the nursery, then repot it in a new pot. The pot should have holes at the bottom to provide drainage. Do not choose a very large pot as aloe Vera prefers a crowded root system.

Propagation of Aloe Vera from Pups

1. Generally aloe is propagated from existing plants with high success.
2. Propagate aloe Vera from offshoots or baby aloe or pups developed at side of mother plant.
3. When the offshoot begins to form leaves, it is ready to transplant. Carefully separate the baby aloe from the mother plant, allow to dry its wounded area.
4. (Optional) Dip the cut end of the offshoot in rooting hormone powder and plant in a pot. The rooting hormone will accelerate the root growth, but it not essential.
5. Water the plant to make the soil moist.

How To Grow Aloe Vera from Leaf Cutting

1. Aloe Vera can also be propagated by leaf cuttings. Cut a 10 cm (4 inch) part of a healthy aloe leaf and allow it to dry for 2-3 days in shade.
2. Insert the dried end of the cutting in soil to at least 1 inch inside. Moist the soil slightly.

Mulch for Aloe Vera

1. The plant should be mulched with stones or pebbles.
2. Do not mulch with organic mulches which keep the soil moist all the time.

How to Water Aloe Plant

How often should you water your aloe plant?

1. As Aloe Vera is a succulent plant so it is happy in dry and hot conditions. It does not need much water. Water only when the soil of the plant goes completely dry. Water the potted plants only little to make the soil moist.
2. The plant stores water in its spongy leaves. Hence, the water requirement of this plant is very less. Over watering or watering too often will cause leaf rot, the plant may die. Water the plant, only when the soil is dry. During winter, water only once a month.

Fertilizer For Aloe Vera Plants

Aloe Vera plant does not need much fertilizer. You can fertilize with a small amount of diluted phosphorus rich liquid fertilizer in spring. Over-fertilization can harm the plant.

Pests and Diseases

Aloe Vera is generally resistant to pests and diseases.

Video of how make Aloe Vera gel Rooting Hormone

How to grow aloe Vera from cuttings video

Repotting an aloe Vera plant YouTube video
Benefits of keeping Aloe Vera in bedroom video
How to use aloe Vera as natural rooting hormone
Aloe vera gel rooting hormone YouTube Video
How to propagate aloe Vera plant in water youtube
grow aloe Vera Plant in water only video

References

1. Reynolds, Tom (Ed.) (2004) Aloes: The genus Aloe (Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Industrial Profiles. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0415306720
2. Kemper Centre for Home Gardening: Aloe Vera", Missouri Botanic Gardens, USA.
3. Aloe vera 
4. BBC Gardening, Aloe Vera, British Broadcasting Corporation, Aloe vera