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Aloe Vera plant care in four (4) easy steps. Bonus: Ways to prepare it for use.
Aloe Vera plant care in 5 easy steps
1. The Set-up:
- Run down to your local nursery and get a seedling or mature plant.
- Have a talk with them and let them know what you’re looking for and what you intend to use it for. There are many species of Aloe Vera and you want to pick the on that’s right for you. There are 400 species of Aloe and Aloe Vera is one of them.
- Grab some soil, regular potting soil works well. You can also use it right from the ground. Make sure it’s nice and rich.
- Get a nice sized pot. A minimum of 12 inches (30 cm in diameter is fine).
- If you don’t want to run around collecting these items grab them off Amazon and save yourself the hassle.
2. Growing and showing
- If you get the seedlings from your local nursery you’ll get instructions on how to transplant and care for this plant. If you purchase online carefully unpack the plants and remove all the broken leaves.
- Place the plant in a sunny area and water it well.
- Leave the plant in the same pot for at least a week to make sure it recovers well. Aloe Vera is a succulent so it has enough resources to sustain itself before the damages begin to show.
- Water this plant three times a week and apply plant food if it’s not already in your potting mix once a month.
- This plant will do well in the ground or in a pot.
- No pesticide is required.
3. Harvesting
- Leaves that are are mature when there are no more white spots.
- Choose the leaves that are at the base of the plant rather than those in the middle.
- Use a sharp knife and carefully cut the leaf at the base in the white collar.
- Gently twist the leaf off but leave a bit of the collar on to support the plant.
- Let some of the yellow latex drip out or wrap in tissue before you take it inside.
4. Propagating
- Tiny plants will rise around the base of the plants as time goes on. You can carefully remove the young plant called “slips”.
- Use a small trowel or even your hands to remove the plants and put them in their own pot.
- It it’s a larger slip you can carefully remove to plants and soil and carefully take time remove the slips from the mother plant
- Re-pot all the plants.
- During seasonal changes the plants will flower and may produce seeds. The plants must reach maturity (4 years) before the seeds are viable.
- You can save the seeds and sow them later. Aloe Vera Plant Care will remain the same.
Aloe Vera Plant with tiny slip
Aloe Vera Plants in Bloom
Preparing for use
- Cut the leaf in 2 to 3 inch pieces and trim the thorns off the sides and keep in the water.
- Let the yellow liquid ooze out for 10 minutes, repeat. And refill with fresh water.
- Use a spoon to lift the flat part of the leather off the gel
- Cup the curved part of the leaf in your hand and firmly scoop it out with a spoon leaving the other part of the leather clean
- Scoop the gel into a container.
- Store in the fridge covered for one (1) day maybe two.
- Use this gel as you wish.
Three (3) ways to use Aloe Vera
Add same amount of Aloe Vera and water to a blender. Pulse gently for one (1) minute and strain the debris. Add a small amount of water to release more juice. Repeat. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or until it’s smelly.
Option 2:
Aloe Vera Gel
Add Aloe Vera and half the amount of water to a blender and pulse for fifteen (15) seconds. Strain off this gel and store in the refrigerator for seven days (or until it’s smelly).
Option 3:
Aloe Vera Drink
Rinse the Aloe Vera in water very well and collect the water. Repeat. Use this as Aloe Vera Juice for hair or skin. Cut the Aloe Vera into bite sized cubes. Mix with lemon, orange and pineapple juice. Sweeten to taste.
The benefits of Aloe Vera are long and almost endless. A few include moisturizing the skin, preventing ulcers, healing wounds and improving overall health.
Talk to your health care provider before ingesting Aloe Vera or starting any supplement or diet change.
Aloe Vera plant care is relatively simple. These plants do well in the ground, on a terrace, front porch or in a large pot near a sunny window or door.
Your plant will be as nutritious as the soil it’s in and the amount of sunshine and care that it gets.
As you keep caring for you plant and see the benefit you’ll fall in love with your plant even more!
These plants propagate quickly and before you know it you’ll have more plants than you need and some to give as gifts or even to sell.
To find out more about other healthy things to have around your home please check our other posts here.
Live well!
