How to plant aloe properly at home

Aloe is a medicinal plant, and quite popular. Previously, it could be found in almost every home. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for modern flowers to supplant those that were known. But aloe is one of those plants that are popular at any time. Therefore, many have the question of how to plant aloe in order to get a beautiful and useful flower.

How to plant aloe properly at home

Before planting a succulent plant, it is recommended that you study all the features and prepare the necessary materials and tools. When choosing aloe, planting and caring at home does not require much effort and cost.

Planting aloe has its own nuances

What time of the year is it better and is it possible in winter

Planting and transplanting a flower can be done at any time of the year. However, it is better to give preference to spring. At this time, the flower is better accepted and grows faster.

What land is needed for aloe

South Africa and the Arabian Peninsula are considered the homeland of aloe. The lands there are poor, with a small amount of nutrients. Basically, the soil is sandy or even rocky. However, aloe grows and develops well in such conditions.

For a home flower, you can make the soil yourself. The simplest composition is the following:

1. Take and mix 1 part of humus and 2 parts of coarse and fine sand.
2. Add 1 part vermiculite and perlite.

The ready-made soil for aloe, although not very nutritious, but the culture likes it.

Of course, house flowers are already used to a different land, so the recipe for creating a suitable soil for aloe is slightly different:

1. Connect the sod land with greenhouse soil and humus in a ratio of 6: 1: 2.
2. Add 2 parts of peat and sand.

In such soil there are many nutrients that are necessary for the normal development of the plant.

In what container is aloe grown: the size of the pot

Aloe has a small root system, and the leaves are large, powerful and fleshy. Therefore, narrow and high containers are not at all suitable for a flower, aloe simply will not develop. In addition, such a pot will constantly fall.

For culture, it is better to choose a shallow and wide container, preferably made of clay or ceramics. In plastic containers, moisture evaporates longer. As a result, root decay or the appearance of fungal diseases is not excluded.

A small plant is best planted in a wide pot

How to properly plant aloe in a pot

Planting aloe in a pot is easy. It is important to strictly follow the entire sequence of actions and prepare everything on time. The landing procedure is as follows:

1. Before planting, it is important to carefully examine the roots on the plant. Be sure to remove the damaged and sick. They are cut with a sharp knife, the cuts are sprinkled with charcoal or activated carbon.
2. Prepare the container and suitable soil.A drainage layer up to 2 cm high is poured onto the bottom of the pot (expanded clay is used). A small amount of soil is poured on top.
3. The aloe root system is gently straightened and the plant is placed in a pot. Ground is poured on top, slightly crushing it. It is required to do everything carefully, aloe has rather fragile roots that are very easy to damage.
4. The root collar should not be under the ground, the flower is planted so that it remains above the top layer of the earth. Otherwise, rotting of the roots and the whole plant is not excluded.
5. After planting is complete, the plant is watered a little and left alone.

How to grow an aloe from a scion without roots

Having taken out or received as a gift a shoot that has no roots, the question naturally arises of how to plant aloe in this case. Subject to certain rules and conditions, this is quite possible.

Rooting sprouts

Are there any chances of success

There are several cases when you have to plant a sprout without roots:

• from the lateral process;
• for plant rejuvenation;
• in case the roots have rotted, but the crown is still intact.

How to plant an aloe plant without a root so that it begins to grow? Before planting, the stalk is left for a while to dry out a little. To do this, it is laid on a clean dry cloth and left in a dry, shaded place.

To root the sprout, use pure river sand or a mixture that consists of garden soil and sand (there should be more of the second). Irrigation of the cuttings is carried out in the container tray. When new leaves begin to appear on a plant, it means that it has taken root.

Shoots prepared for planting

How to grow aloe from leaf and seeds

It is also quite possible to grow aloe from a simple leaf. The procedure is quite similar to planting a sprout without roots. However, this method is not often used by flower growers, because it is more time-consuming and expensive. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to grow a full-fledged plant from a leaf; often it simply rots and dies.

How to grow aloe from a leaf:

1. To begin with, choose a suitable planting material. The sheet should be dense, without damage and traces of disease, located at the bottom of the outlet. It is cut off with a sharp knife near the base.
2. The leaf is left in a dry, semi-dark place so that it dries out a little. After a few hours or days, the cut site is treated with charcoal or activated carbon.
3. Sand is poured into a glass, moistened well. A sheet is placed in it, deepening it a few centimeters. The container is not covered with anything.
4. It is important to monitor the condition of the soil, if necessary, irrigate to keep the sand moist.
5. After about a month and a half, small leaves will appear near the base, which will gradually gather into a small outlet.
6. After the leaves reach 5 cm in size, it is allowed to transplant the flower to a permanent place.

For lovers of experimentation and patient growers, the method of planting and propagating by seeds is suitable. This method is very laborious and time consuming. Planting aloe seeds is carried out as follows:

1. Prepare the seeds. You can buy them in the store, at home aloe practically does not bloom, so it is impossible to get your own planting material.
2. The seeds are soaked in water for a day to make them easier to germinate.
3. A suitable soil is poured into a glass, moistened and a seed is placed there.
4. The temperature for germination should be at least 22 ° C, it is required to constantly maintain the necessary humidity and lighting for which fluorescent lamps can be used.
5. As a rule, the first shoots may appear after a week. When young sprouts reach a height of 5-8 cm, they can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Sprouts can be germinated in a glass of water

Caring for aloe at home after planting

After planting, the plant needs quality care. If important rules are not followed, aloe can die without reaching the required growth.

The basic rules are:

• suitable lighting. The plant is very fond of bright light, so the brightest place is chosen for it. It is important to install the container so that the sun's rays do not fall on the leaves, so as not to cause burns on them. In winter, artificial lighting may be required for aloe;
• temperature. Aloe is a thermophilic plant. In summer, the room temperature will be comfortable for him, it is allowed to take the pot out to fresh air. In winter, aloe begins a dormant period, a suitable temperature for it will be 14 ° C;
• aloe transplant is carried out when the pot becomes small. For a new planting, a more spacious container is prepared. Drainage is poured at the bottom, transplanted by the transshipment method together with a lump of earth.

A young plant must be handled carefully so as not to disrupt its growth and development.

Leaves in water to get roots

How to feed aloe

For fertilizing aloe, mineral preparations are suitable, which can be bought in specialized stores. The procedure is carried out from May to October every 3 weeks. In the winter period, feeding is not needed, because the culture begins a dormant period. When carrying out the procedure, you need to pay attention to some features:

• in the first six months after planting, it is not recommended to feed aloe, because such a procedure is meaningless and unnecessary;
• if the aloe was planted in a special soil for succulents, then fertilization is not necessary for 8-9 months;
• all fertilizers are applied together with water for irrigation, they are not used on their own to avoid root burns;
• in the summer, twice a week, you can feed with a special fertilizer for cacti. This will stimulate the growth and development of culture;
• if the plant is sick, then it can be fed only if the cause of the disease has been established and a way to eliminate it has been selected.

Planting leaves for rooting

How to water properly so as not to destroy a young plant

During the rooting of the flower, the moisture of the soil is monitored. After the culture is planted in a permanent place, it is worth carefully monitoring the condition of the soil in the pot.

For irrigation, do not use tap water immediately. It is required to leave the container under the lid for several days so that it settles. In winter, aloe should not be watered with cold water, the temperature should be 6-8 ° higher than room temperature.

Spraying the flower is not particularly necessary. You cannot carry out a similar procedure if direct sunlight falls on the leaves. This can cause severe burns.

It is recommended to periodically wipe the leaves with a soft cloth from dust accumulation.

You can grow aloe from seeds

Potential problems during and immediately after boarding

In most cases, planting aloe goes smoothly. Subject to all the rules, the flower quickly takes root and begins to grow and develop. However, sometimes there are small problems, for which it is better to prepare in advance. Why can't a flower take root?

A fairly common problem of the death of a young plant is rotting of the root system due to excess moisture. In such a case, you need to carefully examine the plant. All bad roots must be removed. The sprout is placed in a container with an antibacterial or antifungal solution and left for a while.

After that, the culture is left to dry for about 5 hours. After this time, the sprout can be planted in prepared soil, but watering can be excluded. Irrigation is not carried out for about 2 weeks. At this time, the aloe is being watched. If rotting has not begun again, then you can start watering the culture, but in minimal portions.

Mealybug becomes another problem for a young plant. If the egg-laying of a pest is found between the roots, then the following steps should be taken:

1. The roots are washed well with soapy water, then the sprout is turned upside down with the root system so that the chemistry does not remain on the leaves and in the sinuses.
2. The old soil and pot must be thrown away and replaced with new ones.
3. The culture is treated with special insecticides and the flower is placed in a new pot and soil.
4. The plant is observed for some time.

As practice shows, one treatment is often not enough, therefore, it will need to be repeated, but with the use of a different drug.

Preventive treatment for pests is carried out regularly to avoid the death of the plant.

Small sprouts from seeds

What to do if it does not take root

If the aloe does not take root, then it is recommended to carefully check again whether all the actions were performed correctly. The plant may have a lot of moisture, the room temperature is not suitable, it is possible that unhealthy sprouts were used. It is recommended to try planting the flower again after replacing the soil and pot.

Growing aloe vera at home does not require much effort and time. However, only strict adherence to all the rules and taking into account the features will allow you to get a really strong and healthy plant. It is recommended to closely monitor watering, not to leave the flower in the sun, and periodically treat it with special prophylactic agents. You should not wait for flowering at home, aloe blooms very rarely. If you wish, you can try to stimulate it in different ways, but so that the plant itself does not suffer. Thus, knowing how to grow aloe, you can easily get a healthy crop at home, which is used for medical and cosmetic purposes.