Aloe is a genus of plants of the succulents group, easily recognizable by its sharp fleshy leaves with spikes along the edges. Sizes range from miniature specimens to tree-like and even vines, which are commonly found in the wild. Their natural habitat is the tropics: arid regions of Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian Peninsula, where the medicinal properties of aloe vera were known 3000 years ago.
Varieties of Aloe
The aloe genus belongs to the Asphodelaceae family and is one of the most numerous, numbering over 500 species. Among them there are a lot of both decorative and medicinal varieties, sometimes both of these qualities are combined, making such types of aloe also useful in everyday life.
What does a flower look like
The most popular varieties:
- Aloe arborescens (Aloe arborescens), or agave - one of the most popular species grown at home. It is used mainly to combat non-healing purulent wounds, skin irritations, and stomach problems.
- Aloe vera (Aloe vera) - does not lag behind the agave neither in the number of useful properties, nor in the frequency of appearance in kitchens and window sills. Visually differs from aloe tree by small white spots on the leaves and a shorter stem.
- Aloe variegata, or brindle, captivates with its original appearance, namely, striped leaves (for which the plant got its second name) and the unusual structure of the rosette - it looks like the leaves are embedded in each other, which creates an orderly effect.
- Aloe ciliate (Aloe ciliaris) is the only species among decorative relatives that is an ampelous culture. Thin branching stems and relatively soft leaves make it suitable for growing in a cache-pot.
- Aloe suprafoliata is interesting because it changes the way the foliage system forms over time: a young plant releases leaves in two opposite directions, resembling a book (this, by the way, is due to its English name - “book aloe”), and with age forms a regular round socket. Noteworthy is the reddish border around the edges of the sheet.
- Aloe polyphylla (Aloe polyphylla) - a spiral-shaped arrangement of leaves makes this squat variety of aloe an ideal gift for avid perfectionists, because it looks in its harmony even in some way artificial.
- Aloe folded (Aloe plicatilis) - another piece of art in a pot, its fanciful fan rosettes on both sides of the stem are bent upward, creating an original recognizable shape.
The decorative value of aloe as a houseplant is not so much in its appearance as in its unpretentiousness to living conditions, which makes it a common choice for beginner gardeners.
Varieties of Aloe
How to care for succulents from the aloe genus at home, general rules
To grow this plant at home, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic rules of growing and understand how to care for aloe. Absolutely all types of flower are light and heat-loving, so the place is worth choosing from the sunny side. Excellent if the windows face south or east.
How to care for aloe vera
However, it is worth considering that the smaller the plant, the more it needs a small shade, since in the natural environment such varieties grow in the shadow of higher neighbors. It is undesirable for direct UV rays to fall on the leaves, otherwise they will be covered with orange spots.
Illumination and temperature
In the spring-summer season, the plant is comfortable growing at normal room temperature. In winter, when there is a period of rest, you need to move the aloe in a cool place (the optimum temperature at this time is 14 degrees Celsius) and, if necessary, fill the lack of natural light with a fluorescent lamp.
Watering rules and humidity
It is important not to overdo it, because it is easier to skip watering once than to save rotting roots and deal with other unpleasant consequences. Aloe is able to hold and use the moisture stored in the leaves for a long time, so ideally it should be watered only when the top layer of the substrate dries a few centimeters.
Depending on the size of the plant, the method of watering differs:
- large species are preferably watered from above, preventing water from entering the ground part and preventing it from stagnating in the outlet;
- small - pouring water into the pan and allowing the necessary amount of moisture to be absorbed.
The age of aloe also affects the frequency of watering - the older the flower, the less water it needs compared to young, only rooted specimens.
How to water aloe vera
Water quality plays an important role in aloe vera care at home. It is important to let it stand for at least a day: the water should not be too hard, straight from the tap. Aloe can also not be sprayed with a spray or put in the shower. If necessary, dusty leaves should be wiped with a damp cloth.
Attention! If the roots still rot, you can save the plant only at first. A thorough examination of the root system and transplantation will be required, excess moisture and decayed roots are removed while the survivors are dried. In the new soil of aloe, it is necessary to provide good lighting and allow recovery.
Top dressing and soil quality
To stimulate growth and flowering, the plant needs to be fed periodically. The basic rules for fertilizing a flower:
- Do not feed aloe right after a transplant: in fresh soil there are enough nutritious micro and macro elements needed by the plant. Fertilizer can be applied at least six months later, when your own soil reserves are depleted.
- Top dressing is carried out strictly after moistening the soil. A weakly concentrated solution is poured into a pan or carefully water the plant from above so as not to burn its ground part.
- Aloe can be fertilized from the beginning of spring to mid-autumn, during the period of active growth. Once a week or two will be more than enough.
Important! You can not feed aloe with peat or with preparations containing it. Mineral or nitrogen fertilizers are great.
Fertilizers will not bring benefits if the wrong soil is selected. Dense soil with high acidity is a nightmare for aloe, it can react yellowing and die soon if you do not take action (most often it is a transplant). Like all succulents, it does not withstand the lack of root access to oxygen and needs a good drainage layer. Brick powder, gravel, charcoal are well suited as baking powder.
The necessary components of the soil mixture for aloe (in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1, respectively):
- turf land;
- coarse sand;
- deciduous land;
- humus.
Aloe Fertilizer
When planting a plant in new soil, make sure that all three layers are in place:
- at the very bottom - a drainage layer about two centimeters in thickness;
- soil mixture;
- on top is a small layer of gravel or coarse sand.
An excellent choice for beginning gardeners will also be purchased soil, pre-disinfected and enriched with all the substances necessary for the plant. To take is the soil for cacti and succulents. If you could not find it, the usual universal soil mixed with coarse sand in a ratio of 4: 1 will do.
Shop primer for flower
Flower Tank Size
In a healthy aloe plant, the rhizome is constantly growing, and over time it becomes crowded in the old pot. The plant is recommended to be transplanted every few years into a larger pot, otherwise it will simply stop growing.
Additional Information! To find out if a plant needs a transplant, you can take it out of the pot. If the roots are entwined in a tight lump, displacing clods of earth - it's time to get to work. It is best to transplant in autumn or spring, when the plant is active, and can quickly adapt to new conditions.
Flowering and dormancy
Blooms aloe at home infrequently. To wait for flowering, you need to recreate the annual cycle of the plant in conditions as close as possible to the natural habitat, providing him with excellent care. In nature, the flowering period of aloe is up to six months. The color depending on the species varies from scarlet to pale yellow and white.
Note! Most decorative aloe varieties begin to bloom only at the age of ten years or later, so do not rush to wait for flowers.
To enjoy flowering in the spring of next year, you need to prepare in advance:
- In the month of March, begin to regularly feed aloe in accordance with the rules described above.
- In summer, when the nights are warm, take it to fresh air, gradually increasing the time spent on the veranda or balcony. Do not forget about timely watering.
- Beginning with the September cooling, it is necessary to stop the "external sorties" and place a pot of aloe on a well-lit window sill. It is important to increase the temperature of water for irrigation by six to eight degrees compared with the temperature of the air in the room.
- In winter, you need to prepare a cool and dry place for the plant, where it could wait the rest period, so the window sill above the battery is not the best place for wintering. At the same time, the level of lighting can be maintained by fluorescent lamps.
- With the advent of spring, you should increase the temperature in the room, stimulating the awakening of the flower. At this time, it is advisable not to disturb him with any movements and turns of the pot. You need to water twice a week.
How Aloe Blossoms
Aloe flower looks like an ear on a tall arrow growing from the center of the rosette, and remotely resembles a hyacinth flower with its many small buds. When the plant fades, you need to remove the flower stalk to prevent the formation of seeds. For aloe, this is a lot of stress, and it is better to prevent exhaustion, but to maintain care, as in preparing the plant for flowering.
Growing problems, diseases and pests
Homemade aloe is a flower that is relatively unpretentious in cultivation, but prone to diseases and parasites. Excessive fluid on the roots and low temperature can trigger root rot. Its symptoms are quite noticeable, but you can save the plant only at an early stage of the disease.
Note! Dry rot is more dangerous because there are no external symptoms other than a sharp deterioration in the condition of aloe. Its roots dry out rapidly, the plant dies. Dry rot can be prevented by proper care of aloe, since a healthy plant can cope with the beginnings of the disease on its own.
Of the parasites attacking the plant, the most common are spider mites and scale insects. The first of them is a millimeter insect parasite, whose presence is often impossible to detect due to its too small size. Signs of damage are a thin cobweb and drying, yellowish leaves. You can get rid of the spider mite with the help of acaricides, but for prevention purposes it is better not to allow the soil to dry out, since the ideal environment for this parasite is dry earth and not enough humid air.
Aloe disease
The scabbard is easily visible and looks like a wax-like plaque on the surface of the sheet. Insects multiply rapidly and form entire colonies, sticking to the pulp and inhibiting the plant's ability to photosynthesis. It is better to isolate the affected aloe from others, to disinfect the pot and buy a special remedy for scale insects.
Aloe (agave) is a useful and beautiful flower, care for which at home does not require much effort, but brings a lot of pleasure. The plant attracts not only with its appearance, but also with its powerful healing potential.
