How to Save an Aloe Plant
Aloe is a succulent plant prized for its medicinal qualities. The sap from the aloe plant is useful for treating numerous skin conditions, including burns, eczema, acne, blisters and rashes, according to the Gardens Ablaze website. However, aloe plants have to receive adequate care to stay healthy. They are subject to problems like root rot and shoots can sap the mother plant of water and kill the aloe. With the right treatments, you can save your aloe plant and continue to reap its benefits. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Terracotta pots
- Cacti mix or potting soil
- Sand
- Fine gravel
- Pruning shears
Instructions
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Place the aloe in a sunny location. Aloe plants need a lot of light to do well.
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2
Cut back on watering the plant if the soil feels moist to the touch. Too much water can cause root rot, as aloe plants need about the same amount of water as cacti. If the soil is powdery, water the plant slowly, ceasing the watering before fully saturating the soil. Place the aloe pot in a second, larger pot with no drain holes that holds water and let the aloe absorb moisture from the second pot.
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Fertilize the aloe plant. Any plant in a closed container can deplete the soil of necessary nutrients.
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4
Check the roots. If the aloe has been in the same container for a long time, it probably has become root-bound. If this is the case, you'll see roots wound around the potting soil ball when you take the plant out of the pot. There will usually be shoots, or "pups," at the base of the main stem.
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Put fresh potting soil, gravel and sand in a new pot. Cut the main green aloe stem about two inches below the green growth. Peel away the section below the green growth until you get reach the white, onion-like skin of the stem. Place the stem in the new pot and water.
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6
Pull the shoots from around the base of the plant and transplant them into separate pots containing premixed cacti soil or potting soil, sand and fine gravel. Water the shoots.
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References
- Photo Credit aloe image by pix29 from Fotolia.com
