Aloe Vera is one of the most beneficial plants you can add to your garden. This amazing plant comes with a multitude of skin healing properties, and it’s easy to grow to boot! Once you start growing this wonderful plant, you’ll wonder why it took you so long.
Aloe is a succulent, meaning it retains water in its leaves. The gel inside of the leaves has been used medicinally for centuries, making it a very valuable plant for any home.
Growing Aloe
Aloe is ultra simple to grow, and if you don’t have a green thumb, it’s the perfect plant for you. Aloe thrives on being neglected. All it needs is a sunny window and occasional watering to grow. You don’t even need to remember to re-pot it often, because it actually thrives in cramped conditions.
Aloe Vera can grow outdoors in growing zones 9 and higher. If you live in a cooler climate, never fear! You can grow aloe too, as it also thrives indoors as a house plant. We’ve had the same Aloe plant growing on our windowsill for three years now, and it’s never failed us.
Tips for Growing Aloe
- Aloe loves sunshine, and the more the better! Eight or more hours a day is best, although it will survive in less.
- Unlike most plants, Aloe prefers a crowded root system. Don’t be tempted to put this plant in a big roomy pot, it will do better with a smaller one.
- Plant Aloe in loose, sandy soil with good drainage. If you’re buying your soil, get a type specifically mixed for succulents or cactus.
- This plant only needs to be watered when the soil completely dries out. Dipping a finger an inch or so into the soil will tell you when it’s time to water. If you don’t feel any moisture, give that plant a good drink.
- Cut back on watering in winter, when the plant will go dormant.
- Remove off-shoots and replant in another pot. This will help your main plant stay healthy and give you new baby plants for your new Aloe collection, or to give as gifts.
- Aloe is very easy to propagate. Like most other succulents, you can remove a leaf from the main plant and use it to grow a new one. After cutting off the leaf, allow the base to scab over, then plant in a pot as you would a seed. Keep the leaf moist until you see new plants sprouting out of it. Voila! New plant!
Uses for Aloe
The very best thing about aloe is its wonderful uses for your skin. If you happened to, say, fall asleep on your beach towel in the blistering hot sun, aloe will be your best friend to help you clear up that sun burn. Aloe works wonders on other skin ailments as well. Use the gel to clear up rashes and to speed up recovery from insect bites and stings. You can even put Aloe gel on scrapes to help them heal. To use Aloe’s healing properties, cut off a leaf from the outside of the plant and squeeze out the gel inside directly onto burns, scraps, and stings.
With the ease at which this plant will grow and the medicinal qualities it holds, it’s an absolute winner for your home garden or window sill. So, what are you waiting for? Go get yourself a new plant!
Aloe is one of my favorite herbs and it will even grow in the house during the cold months as a house plant. Very awesome.
I planted a few baby aloes and they are alive but they don’t seem to be growing they are the same size as they were when I planted them how do I get they to grow
It might need re-potted. They like lots of room even though they dont need it. 🙂