How to save an Aloe Plant

Aloe Vera is a very common succulent plant on terraces and balconies. Taking care of Aloe Vera is easy: it can be grown in pots or in the ground, it is suitable for indoor and outdoor cultivation and requires very little attention. It is ideal for beginners and its medicinal applications make it indispensable in many homes.

Light and temperature

Aloe Vera is a plant that loves the sun and high temperatures. It can be grown both indoors and outdoors as long as its position is sunny or very bright. This is why it can easily occupy that corner of the patio or terrace where there is a lot of light but a few hours of direct sun.

During the summer, the intensity of the direct sun can become excessive. Pay attention to the color of its leaves which will indicate it by acquiring reddish or brownish tones.

It should not get cold, so in winter it is advisable to move it inside the house, especially in areas with very low temperatures.

Soil and transplant

As a succulent plant, Aloe adapts to almost any type of soil with good drainage. If you want to add it to a rocky area, add a good amount of stones, volcanic rock, or clay balls to make sure that the roots do not remain in direct contact with the water.

Taking care of Aloe Vera is very easy, it can be grown without problems in pots and planters of all kinds, with special soil for cacti or in a universal soil that we can mix with the same materials seen above: stones, small volcanic stones or clay balls.

If it is comfortable, this plant grows to occupy all the space available in the pot, so it is advisable to choose the size carefully to avoid touching it later. Its leaves are endowed with thorns, for this reason, it is better not to have to touch them too often.

To transplant it safely, accompany the leaves towards the center of the plant and wrap them with a rag or newspaper. Lay it on its side and, with a few strokes, pull the plant out of the pot.

Take advantage of the decanting to remove the offspring that sooner or later appear around the base of the mother plant. Separate them by cutting as close to the mother as possible with a knife and transplanting them into new pots. Be careful not to water them too often! It is important to wait for the wounds caused by separation to heal before proceeding with watering these plants. Wait about a week – fifteen days, and they will survive without any problems.

Remove the offspring when they reach about 6 to 8 inches. Cut with the knife towards the bottom, gently pulling the new seedling, in order to extract as many roots as possible. If you did not plan to decant the mother plant, you can take it out of the pot to complete the operation and put it back once finished. It is a very hard and resistant plant, nothing will happen to it.

Irrigation

Aloe Vera needs little water and, in fact, excess watering is its worst enemy. The soil can dry out completely between waterings, the plant resists for many days without water. If touching the leaves feels hard and tight, you can wait a little longer. Watch the tips: when the plant is thirsty start to dry out.

We could give you more precise indications and recommend watering every 15 days in spring and summer, and every month or so during the winter, but the cultivation conditions can also be influenced by the type of exposure, the temperature, the size of the plant, and the pot. Our best advice is therefore to learn how to observe the plant.

In very rainy areas, it is advisable to grow them indoors or indoors: if the leaves become soft or yellowish, these are symptoms of excess water.

Fertilization

This is not a plant that needs a lot of fertilization, it can grow well for a long time even without it. In any case, it is recommended to fertilize in early spring and early October, before the first colds arrive. Use fertilizer for cacti and succulents, or one for indoor plants.

Healing properties of Aloe vera

In addition to being a beautiful plant, Aloe is grown for its many healing properties. Considered a miraculous plant, let’s see in detail some of the benefits of topical use through the use of its pulp.

Treating sunburn – Aloe Vera pulp can be used on first-degree sunburn to quickly soothe pain. And reduce swelling and the appearance of possible blisters. It is very useful in the treatment of typical burns that originate in the kitchen, such as sunburn, giving immediate relief.
Healing small wounds – Cuts, scratches and small wounds heal faster if, once properly disinfected, we apply Aloe Vera pulp.
Relieve mosquito and other insect bites – The swelling and pain will quickly subside once aloe is applied to the string .
Eliminate skin spots – The spots that can appear on the face due to the sun, during pregnancy or due to age, lighten considerably and can disappear by applying Aloe Vera pulp every day.
Regenerate the skin of dry feet – Try applying a piece of Aloe Vera pulp to the painful cracks that can form in cracked feet and let them act overnight. You will notice more hydration and much less pain over the next day.

Although not common, Aloe Vera can also cause some allergies. If you’ve never used it before, test it on a small area of skin before using it on the rest of your body.

How to cut Aloe Vera to use it on the skin

Only cut the leaf you need. You can keep it for a few days in the fridge.
Choose the leaf closest to the base of the plant. They are the largest and thickest, with a greater amount of pulp inside them.
It is not necessary to cut the whole leaf, just cut the portion you need. The wound formed in the plant heals in a few days and does not damage the plant. You will be able to cut another piece from the same leaf when you need it again.
Once cut, remove the edges of the leaf in order to remove the area of the thorns.
Remove the top of the leaf to gain access to the pulp. And be able to use it on a wound or burn with ease.
The pulp has a viscous consistency, so it can be a bit slippery. If you want to apply it to a wound for a while (or overnight), don’t remove the skin on both sides. It will help you keep it in place on your skin by covering it with gauze or a band-aid.