How to Care for Aloe Vera Plants At Home

Keep your aloe healthy and ready when you need a bit of first aid.

Applying aloe vera gel for burns and sunburns may be one of the best-known home remedies. The simplicity of caring for the plant Aloe barbadensis makes it easy to keep fresh leaves readily available.

Things You'll Need

• Garden soil or dirt from the yard
• Coarse sand or perlite
• Shallow container

Instructions

1. Mix the soil with the sand or perlite to prepare a potting mix that will drain well and quickly, as aloes do not like to have their roots standing in water. The amount of sand required will depend on the consistency of your yard dirt.

2. Pour the soil into a wide, shallow planter and add the plant to the container. Aloes have a shallow root system so the plant will not need deep planting.

3. Water the plant every two to three weeks, waiting between drinks until the soil is completely dry.

4. Place your succulent in bright light. If you live in USDA Zones 10 and 11, your aloe vera plant may remain outside year-round. For other zones, enjoy your plant indoors any time there is a risk of a freeze, since the plants are 95 percent water.

5. Separate new clusters from the parent plant and transplant them in shallow containers to replenish your natural burn pharmacy.

Tips & Warnings

• Substitute commercial cacti potting soil mix for the garden soil and sand, if you prefer.

• It is rarely necessary to fertilize your aloe vera plant. If you choose to do so, dilute a 10-40-10 mix to half or weaker strength; you may add as much as 5 parts water to 1 part fertilizer.

References

• Aloe Up Florida: Care of Aloe Vera Plants
• The Garden Pages: How to Grow and Care for Healing Aloe Vera Plants