Aloe vera, a popular indoor plant, has well-known leaves that contain a cooling gel that may be applied to sunburns and other skin irritations. When you add aloe vera plants to your indoor or outdoor garden, do you not know how big you want them to be?
Several growth elements do affect the size of their plants. This page talks about the average plant size as well as the largest sizes that several popular succulents can reach.
Aloe Vera Plant Overview
| Common Name | Aloe vera |
| Botanical Name | Aloe barbadensis miller |
| Family | Asphodelaceae |
| Plant Type | Succulent, herb, perennial |
| Mature Size | 12-36 in. tall |
| Sun Exposure | Full, partial |
| Soil Type | Sandy |
| Soil pH | Acidic |
| Bloom Time | Summer |
| Flower Colour | Yellow, red, orange |
| Hardiness Zones | 10-12 (USDA) |
Aloe Vera Care
Aloe vera needs sandy soil or cactus potting material to thrive properly in containers. If this succulent is to be cultivated outdoors in zones 10 through 12, plant it close to others with similar requirements. Potted aloe not only looks wonderful on patios and decks but also works wonders as a first aid for small burns and insect bites.
Early summer or late spring is a good time for outdoor blooming. In any case, the plant must be extremely mature to bloom at all, and it might not even bloom each year if its leaves are being taken for food. Aloe is an easy-care houseplant for novice gardeners, requiring minimal watering and almost no fertilization.
Light
Aloe vera needs bright, natural light to grow. Try to get outside for at least six hours in direct sunlight, taking a quick break in the afternoon for shade.
Aloe belongs indoors, under a window that lets in plenty of indirect light. Direct sunlight can scorch the plant’s sensitive skin, while insufficient light can make the plant lanky and weaken its leaves, causing them to wrinkle.
Soil
In its natural habitat, aloe vera frequently grows in nutrient-poor soil on sandy slopes with assured drainage. To guarantee adequate drainage in a pot, use a potting medium made of cacti or regular potting soil combined with coarse sand and perlite.
Aloe grows best in slightly acidic soil (6.0), but it can tolerate neutral or alkaline soils due to its extreme adaptability.
Water
Aloe benefits from regular irrigation as long as the soil completely dries out in between treatments. If the soil is dry for long periods, the leaves will pucker and shrivel. Aloe vera doesn’t require any watering during its dormant winter season, as long as it receives adequate water throughout its growing season.
If the winters are damp where you live, think about planting aloe in stones or gravel. By allowing the water to drain off, this will stop deterioration.
Temperature and Humidity
Aloe’s natural habitats are arid, tropical, or semi-tropical; hence, it does best in conditions that are comparable to these. Keep your container plant inside if night-time lows are predicted to fall below 40°F.
The ideal temperature range for the plant is between 55°F and 85°F. Aloe does not require extra humidity and can thrive in arid climates. A relative humidity of 40% is optimal.
Fertilizer
Aloe vera does not require any fertilization and thrives best in poor soil. Nevertheless, fertilizing potted aloe in the spring once a year could support the plant’s robust growth.
Best for a yearly feeding, use a half-strength liquid (10-40-10 houseplant fertilizer). Aloe often grows well outdoors without fertilization.
Pruning
Aloe vera should only be pruned if its leaves are withered and shrivelled. Praise those who have been harmed by the environment as well. Additionally, trim back any outside leaves that turn brown at the tips of your aloe vera plant.
To do this, trim the damaged leaf entirely at its base, or use clean garden shears to cut off just the infected tip. Whether the leaves are dead or alive, pruning them off around the base will stimulate new development and improve the plant’s appearance. Never cut the center of an aloe leaf.
Propagating Aloe Vera
Replacing the offsets, or pups, that develop at the base of the plant is the most efficient method for growing aloe vera in larger quantities. Mature plants usually yield an abundance of pups, which makes it easy to transfer them to other pots or parts of the garden or to offer them as gifts to friends.
Here’s how to cultivate aloe vera from pups:
- Collect a pot, cactus potting medium, gloves, and a trowel.
- Put your gloves on and add potting mix to the pot.
- Find the puppies under the mother plant. Pry up a pup with a trowel and cut the taproot that ties it to its mother.
- To allow any cuts to heal into calluses, keep the puppy flat and dry near a light window for a few days.
- When placing the puppy in the pot, it’s crucial to cover any roots. The area right below the primary crown should be backfilled.
- Give the plant some water before placing it in a sunny window. It could take three to four months for the roots to grow. Give it some time.
Potting and Repotting Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera’s broad, shallow roots want to stretch out close to the surface. When the plant becomes larger and needs to be repotted, it is advisable to move up to a broader container rather than a deeper one. Report your aloe if it becomes rootbound or if the puppies seem to be too close to one another.
- Take care to avoid damaging the foliage when removing the mother plant and her young from their container.
- When reintroducing puppies into the wild, they should be given time to dry out after being trimmed or removed from their mother.
- You need to use a bigger container for the cactus soil medium.
- Place a fresh pot on top of the mother when the soil line is just below the center crown and all of the roots have been covered.
- Every plant should have enough time to completely dry out in the surrounding soil before receiving additional water.
Overwintering
If you live in a cold region, bring your aloe vera plants inside and put them in containers for the winter, as frost might damage the plants.
Plants in their hardiness zones outdoors can be kept on the ground without irrigation for the duration of the dormant season. Cover your aloe plants with blankets or sheets to keep them warm until the unexpected frost has passed.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Aloe vera is susceptible to aloe mites, aloe scales, and mealybugs. After misting the plant with water, use a gentle cloth to remove mealybugs from the plant. For 14 days, sprits this solution every three days on leaves affected by scale. To protect this plant and any others nearby from mites, trim the affected tissue.
A fungus called aloe rust develops yellow patches on the leaves that eventually grow larger and turn brown. Both high humidity and chilly temperatures have the potential to cause it. Bacterial soft rot is another deadly and mobile rot. Since there is no treatment for overwatering, the first line of defence is to avoid it.
Common Problems with Aloe Vera
One of the most frequent errors made by gardeners is overwatering aloe plants. Regularly wet soil promotes root rot and mushy leaves. When roots rot and promote the growth of bacteria or fungi, plant degradation can spread throughout the entire structure.
In their most extreme phases, decay and root rot cannot be treated. Additionally, it has been shown that aloe leaves can flex and break. To remedy this, move your plant to a brighter spot or add fluorescent lighting to enhance natural light.
Container Size
Selecting a container that fits your plant’s size is the easiest and most effective way to control its growth. For aloe, regular repotting is not required. Smaller pots lessen the chance of overwatering. Repotting your aloe plant every few years is all that’s required to keep it hydrated and healthy.
Because they develop more slowly than other plants, you will need to leave about a 1-inch space between the walls of the pot and the plant. Extending the material 1 ½ to 2″ beyond the root system is sufficient for depth.
By doing this, the roots won’t girdle or round the container and can instead spread out into the surrounding soil. All you have to do is slide your potted aloe into the prettier pot. In addition to getting the look you want, your aloe plant will be content in its more suitable dwelling container.
Conclusion
Once more, if you follow the right gardening instructions, your aloe vera plant will undoubtedly grow. However, there are simple ways to prevent your aloe from having the same iconic look as Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors.
You can maintain the ideal size of your aloe plant for yourself with careful pruning, container sizing, illumination, and the avoidance of overfeeding.
FAQ
What kind of pot ought I to use?
The presence of drainage in a pot is an important factor to take into account when choosing one for any indoor plant. Sadly, a lot of ornamental pots are lovely, but they only live up to the ornamental part of their name—they’re not useful. They frequently don’t have drainage holes, and to avoid root rot, almost all plants require some form of drainage.
For succulents and cacti, terracotta or unglazed clay pots work well because they are porous and maintain greater air circulation in the root zone than plastic or glazed pots.
How frequently should I water my lawn?
Though its growing requirements are similar to those of a cactus, this succulent is different. Cacti belong to the Cactaceae family of plants, whereas aloe is a member of the Asphodelaceae family. In context, it’s well known that dogs and cats like to live in houses. Despite being animals, they belong to different families: the Felidae and the Canidae, respectively.