Aloe Vera: How to Grow and Maintain this Plant

Aloe vera is an indoor plant that is very easy to grow. Decorative, it brightens up our interior while playing the role of a real pharmacy. Indeed, its foliage has incredible medicinal properties. Here are the things you need to know to grow this plant.

1 – WHY GROW ALOE VERA?

Among all houseplants, aloe vera remains the most beneficial. Moreover, some call it the “miraculous plant”. Some reasons to welcome him into your home:

• To brighten up the house: this plant with a thousand virtues decorates the house with subtlety. On its own, it brings a natural and modern touch to the room. Its sumptuous foliage adorns the window edges with charm. The shades of color it displays reflect the light and are close to pinkish green. For an even more aesthetic effect, it is advisable to choose the pot carefully.
• Health benefits: It’s always good to have a few pots of aloe vera at home. When applied externally, aloe vera gel is effective in calming burns and soothing sunburn. Ancestral medicine used this plant to accelerate the healing of wounds. Internally, it calms stomach pain by improving digestion and stimulates metabolism.
• In cosmetics: aloe vera provides natural hydration to the skin. It fights acne while reducing the signs of aging, even cellular ones. Applied to nails or hair, the gel acts as a strengthening, revitalizing and regenerating treatment. Every home cosmetics lover needs at least one jar of aloe vera.

2 – HOW TO GROW ALOE VERA INDOORS?

Aloe has won over many amateur gardeners for its hardiness and its tolerance to forgotten watering cans. To keep it happy, plant aloe in a terracotta pot with well-draining soil. Your best bet is to mix equal parts sand and potting soil or purchase a special mix for this plant. Terracotta also dries faster than other plastic or glass containers.

Replace your aloe if the weight of the plant causes it to tip over, but don’t worry about giving it plenty of space. This plant grows well in comfortable conditions.

Place your aloe vera in a bright, sunny location. Otherwise, it will fall asleep and stop growing. Water the plant thoroughly about once every two weeks, waiting until the soil is completely dry. Since this is a desert species, keeping dirt wet will cause the roots to rot. Soft or brown leaves also signal that you have overwatered it.

If you want, you can move your potted plant outside for the summer, but don’t put it in direct sunlight right away. Gradually move it to a brighter location every few days to avoid overexposure.

3 – WHAT TEMPERATURE FOR ALOE VERA?

At home, indoors, aloe vera, which comes from warm countries, will acclimatize very well to a temperature between 18° and 20°.

Take it out from May to September, on your balcony, if the climate is mild, but on condition that you bring it into your home during the cold nights.

Aloe is a succulent plant and because it retains a large amount of water in its leaves it does not tolerate frost, but is able to survive the hottest summers,

4 – HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR ALOE VERA?

Planting an aloe vera plant is undoubtedly child’s play. But what about maintenance?

Those who don’t have a green thumb can relax, taking care of this plant does not require great gardening skills!

Aloe vera is a very resistant plant that grows mainly in arid or even desert environments. So it doesn’t need a lot of water. Once planted, it is recommended to wait around two weeks before watering it for the first time.

During the spring-summer period, the plant will simply be watered once every two weeks, possibly once a week in cases of extreme heat. During the autumn-winter period, one watering per month is more than enough. The ideal would be to use non-calcareous water.

Although it needs a lot of light, it is advisable to avoid exposing it to direct sunlight, which will dry out the leaves. It is better to favor a bright corner such as near a window, while carefully checking that the leaves do not yellow.

The plant tolerates cold very poorly, so it must be protected during the winter. It can be stored at a temperature between 18°C ​​and 20°C all year round.

Aloe vera reproduces quickly, and small plants will have grown in the original pot very quickly. These are shoots that can be replanted in other pots, once they have reached a height equivalent to four fingers.

In addition to this little routine, it is necessary to harvest the main plant approximately every 3 years. Repotting should be done at the beginning of spring, and in a pot with a slightly larger diameter. The procedure is the same as when planting for the first time, you just have to pay attention to the roots.

5 – EXTRACT THE ALOE VERA GEL

Aloe vera gel has indisputable therapeutic virtues.

To harvest the gel, simply cut a leaf at the base and then cut it into pieces a few centimeters wide.

Then cut these pieces lengthwise to extract the gel that you can use in multiple ways.