In This Post:
– Aloe Vera Growing Guide
– Tips to Take Care of an Aloe Vera Plant at Home
– Benefits of Having an Aloe Vera Plant at Home
– Top Reasons to Have an Aloe Vera Plant Indoors
When it comes to aloe vera, you can have it all: It’s easily maintained, best suited for arid and dry climates, ornamental and has the best healing properties any plant could offer. If you have always wanted to own an indoor plant at home, but don’t know how to go about it, then you have landed onto the right page. Keep reading as we will share a comprehensive guide on how to grow an aloe vera plant in Pakistan, the various benefits of an aloe vera plant and tips to take care of an aloe plant at home.
Without further ado, let us get started.
Aloe Vera Growing Guide
Growing an aloe vera plant at home is quite easy. These lovable succulents can be easily grown from seeds, but it is quicker to propagate if you use cuttings from an existing aloe vera plant.
Let us take a look at this step-by-step guide on how to grow an aloe vera plant at home.
- Purchase seeds from a local nursery or any online gardening store
- You can also extract seeds from an already existing aloe vera plant. (Maybe your friend has a potted aloe vera plant). The plant needs to be 4-5 year old at least in order for it to start flowering. You can harvest the seed from spent flowers.
- The seeds can be found in dried pods on the plant and can be easily extracted by splitting the pod
- The seeds are tiny, greyish brown in colour. Those seeds that are white or light-coloured are not mature enough to be germinated.
- Use a well-drained soil for best results. Make sure you keep the soil moist only until you see green foliage sprouting
- This may take around 2 to 4 weeks. When you see 2-3 leaves then transfer it in a large pot. Use 3 parts organic compost and 1 and a half parts coarse sand
- Make sure the container has a hole so that the water gets drained out
- Place the aloe vera root ball below the soil surface. If any of the green leaves are buried, then they may start rotting
- Cover the surface of the soil with pebbles and stones or a natural mulch. This will keep the soil moist and the water won’t evaporate from the surface
- An important tip: Do not water the aloe vera plant when you transplant it. The process of transferring the plant can cause damage to the roots. Let the plant heal itself first. The last thing it wants is standing water which can cause root rot
- Give it a light watering after a couple of days. The fleshy green leaves of the succulent aloe vera plant can retain enough moisture that can help it survive without water for a few days
Tips to Take Care of an Aloevera Plant at Home
Raising an aloe vera plant is quite easy, yet if you are not careful, the plant can suffer an untimely death. Let us take a look at how you can take care of an aloe vera plant at home.
- Choose a sunny spot that allows 8-10 hours of direct sunlight. If the temperature falls below 25 degree Fahrenheit in the winter season, then the plant may wilt and die. However, if it is freezing outside then you can transfer your potted aloe vera plant indoors.
- Place it on a window sill if you are short on space. Remember to keep it facing towards the west or north if you are living in the southern hemisphere.
- Aloe vera plants do not need to be fertilized. In case you feel that the plant is looking malnourished, use a high phosphorous, low nitrogen and low potassium fertilizer
- If you spot any weeds, pull them off gently as the soil of an aloe plant is more sandy. If you indulge in rigorous weed pulling, the roots can get easily damaged
- Don’t water the plants if the leaves turn yellow or start falling apart. Yellow leaves show that you are overwatering the plant.
- If the edges of the leaves turn brown, remove it from the sunny spot and keep it in a shaded place for some time
- When the leaves appear thin and curly, increase the amount of water
Benefits of Having an Aloe Vera Plant at Home
There are various uses of aloe vera plant to maintain both your internal and physical health. It’s like natural medicine that you can grow yourself.
Check out the following benefits of having an aloe vera plant at home:
- Heals burns – If you suffer from burns or sunburn, apply the aloe vera gel on the affected area. It has moisturizing and cooling properties that can heal any wound
- Quick moisturizer – One of the many uses of aloe vera gel is that you can apply it on your face as a quick moisturizer to keep your skin well-hydrated
- Best hair conditioner – The aloe vera gel can be used as a hair conditioner. It makes hair soft, shiny and lustrous
- Prevents dehydration – In hot climates and blistering summer heat, you can consume aloe vera plant to prevent dehydration. The fleshy pulp of the leaves contain water content that will keep you hydrated for a long time
Top Reasons to Have an Aloe Vera Plant Indoors
A stylish and ornamental plant, aloe vera helps clean the air from harmful pollutants such as formaldehyde and benzene, which are the most commonly found chemicals in household cleaning products.
The aloe vera gel is also full of vitamins and minerals. It helps in healing burns and sunburn instantly. If you have an aloe vera plant on the window sill and you have accidentally burnt your hand while cooking food, you can simply pluck a leaf and rub its sap on the burnt wound. It will help heal the wound instantly.
Another reason for keeping an aloe vera plant is that they are easy to maintain and do not require watering or weeding much. You also don’t need to fertilise the plant as it can thrive well in warm weather conditions. If you plant them in the garden, they can flourish and propagate quickly without the need to maintain them. They produce beautiful long shoots which contain bright red or yellow flowers that can spruce up your home décor and enhance the curb appeal of your home.
So, this concludes our piece on how to grow and take care of an aloe vera plant at home. Don’t forget to write to us at blog@zameen.com and we will surely get back to you. You can also check out our blog on how to start organic gardening on your own. Subscribe to the Zameen Newsletter appearing on the right hand side of the page. Stay tuned to the Zameen Blog, the best real estate blog in Pakistan.
