Written from the home-garden experience of Shami, who has grown plants for 8+ years in Malappuram, Kerala. All photos are our own.
Every plant parent should have an aloe vera in the garden. It's useful in many ways, and the part people use most is the gel inside the leaves. Many people apply the gel on their skin and hair, and in the garden it's used as a homemade rooting aid for cuttings. This post is mostly about growing the plant, and I've put a short, careful note on using the gel at the end.
Botanically it's Aloe vera, also known as Aloe barbadensis Miller, in the family Asphodelaceae, and it comes originally from the Arabian Peninsula. The genus Aloe has hundreds of species, and only a few of them have traditionally been used as medicinal herbs, aloe vera being the most common. Aloe vera itself comes in more than one form. Mine has pale green leaves with white spots and orange flowers. There's also a grey-green form with yellow flowers, and that's the one usually preferred for gel.
The potting mix: 50% soil, 50% lake sand
I've heard many people say they can't get a healthy aloe vera, and I think it mainly comes down to the potting mix. If moisture stays in the pot for a long time, the plant won't grow the way you expect, and if the roots catch a fungal infection, it won't grow either. This is the mix I use:
- 50% soil (not very hard soil, because this is a succulent and won't grow in it) and 50% lake sand
- Neem cake
- A few small pieces of ash brick or charcoal (karikatta)
Coconut husk isn't needed in this mix. When you plant, remove the bottom leaves and keep only 3 to 4 leaves at the top or centre. The leaves you remove can go for gel.
Repotting every 2 to 3 years
When you grow aloe vera in a pot, you have to change the pot or repot it after 2 to 3 years. Only then do new shoots come up from the sides of the plant. If the pot is full of roots, it's hard for new shoots to come up, which is why I say repot after 3 years. When you do, you can take the big plants for your own use and repot only the medium-sized ones.
The best time to repot is the cooler months, around December and January here in Malappuram. Aloe is a succulent, and in the cold weather it's in a semi-dormant stage with not much growth, so that's a good time to disturb it. After the cold months, the plant grows faster.
- After repotting, water enough, but don't water it daily. Make sure the top soil has dried before you water again, or the roots will die.
- Place the plant in shade.
- After 2 weeks, check whether roots have come. If they have, move it to sunlight slowly, a little more every day, step by step.
Light and heat
Aloe vera grows in good sunlight and in partial sunlight, but it's better to put it where it gets direct sun. In our experience, 2 to 3 hours of sunlight a day gives a healthy plant with bigger leaves. Morning sun is better, because in harsh heat the tips of the leaves can get burnt. If you grow it indoors, put it where it gets enough light, like beside a window.
It grows mainly in hot temperatures, up to about 45 °C. Above that, the leaves get sunburnt.
Water: where I lost plants
If the plant gets too much water, it will die. I've lost many plants this way, to over-watering in the rainy season, so be careful then, and move the pots somewhere sheltered or do whatever is needed to keep the rain off.
Aloe stores water in its stem and leaves, so even in heavy sunlight it can live for days without any water. In our experience:
- In direct sunlight: water every 3 to 4 days.
- In shade: once a week is enough.
- Indoors: once every 10 to 12 days.
Whichever spot it's in, make sure the soil is dry before you water.
Feeding
This plant doesn't need many fertilizers, only a small amount of organic ones. Give them in the growing stage, which for us is March to October, because we have enough hot weather here. If you live somewhere with a different hot season, feed in those months instead.
- Banana peel liquid: soak banana peel in water for some weeks, and don't forget to dilute it before pouring it on the plant. I use 1 cup of the liquid to 4 to 5 cups of water.
- Cow manure powder mixed in water.
- Dried azolla powder.
The best fertilizers for this plant are nitrogen-rich ones.
Pests
I've never had a pest attack on aloe vera.
Propagation: pups work, leaves didn't
Small plants grow at the side of the parent plant. Take one and repot it into another pot, and that's how you propagate aloe.
I've seen leaf propagation in many places and many videos, where you cut a leaf and plant it. It didn't work for me. It was a fail. I tried it many times and looked after the cuttings very carefully, but after some days the leaves dried. I've also seen videos where people root the leaves in water, and I tried that too, and it failed as well. Many people show success with these methods, but from my experience they weren't an option. I don't know whether it was my watering or something else.
Flowers: rare, and worth the wait
It's very rare to see an aloe vera flower. The plant has to mature first, usually 3 to 4 years, and then a stem comes up from the centre with the flowers on it. The flowers are somewhat orange and start as tiny balls, and once they bloom they fade away within a month. In our area it usually flowers between September and December.
My grandmother used to say the flowers were used to make a kind of honey.
Using the gel: a few careful notes
When I pick a leaf for gel, I always choose a green one. I never take gel from the yellowish leaves.
- Gel and latex are different. The clear gel is in the inner leaf. The yellow latex sits in the outer layer of the leaf, and it's a strong laxative.
- On skin, the gel is generally considered low-risk. Please see a doctor for anything more than a minor problem. Aloe gel isn't a substitute for medical care.
- Drinking it: I know many people make aloe juice at home. The latex can cause stomach pain, cramps and diarrhea, and health agencies advise against oral use in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. If you're thinking of taking it by mouth, talk to a doctor first.
- Pets: aloe is a problem plant for cats and dogs if they eat it, so keep it out of their reach.
These are notes from my own growing and from what I've read, not medical advice.