How nice would it be to learn how to grow aloe vera. Maximize its uses in the comfort of your home, especially during quarantine?
Aloe vera is a succulent and a close relative of cacti. It is an evergreen perennial plant which is popularly grown indoors. In ancient Egypt, the aloe vera was regarded as a sacred plant that held the secrets to beauty, health, and immortality. It also has history in China and Japan for treating burns and wounds in the sense that applying aloe gel to the irritated area helped wounds heal faster and scar less.
Proven medicinal benefits like boosting the immune system and preventing cancer and diabetes. It also relieves heartburn and lowers blood sugar. Lastly, it prevents wrinkles and skin aging, that’s why it’s also widely used nowadays in skin care products.
Aloe vera can, in fact, be eaten in salads or mixed with drinks from time to time for an extra refreshing taste, but it’s not recommended to be consumed regularly as it’s a natural laxative.
How to Grow Aloe Vera from Leaf
In learning how to grow aloe vera from leaf, we’re not talking about a single leaf here, but rather pups or offsets from the parent plant.
When cutting off aloe pups, they should be about a fifth of the parent plant, and there should be at least three leaves remaining on the parent plant once the pup is cut. It should also have its own root system attached to it for sure growth.
Use a sharp and clean garden knife to cut off the pup and then plant it in a container with dry cactus potting mix. If you don’t have this potting mix, you can make one on your own by mixing equal parts soil and sand.
Let the pup sit for one week before watering the soil. After that, the plant care would be similar to how you would take care of an adult aloe plant.
Aloe vera plants cannot tolerate stagnant water, so make sure to have a pot with a lot of draining holes. Water the plant only when the soil is completely dry. Also, place them on a south- or west-facing window since they need a lot of sunlight, too.
Aloe Vera Plant Care Problems
There aren’t many problems in growing aloe vera since it’s a fairly low-maintenance and easygoing plant. Even though you now know how to grow aloe vera, it would still be good to be aware of some aloe vera plant care problems on the off chance that they arise.
One of the most common aloe vera plant care problems is the leaves wilting or turning brown. This may be because of too little or too much moisture. There are a lot of aloe vera growers who make the mistake of overwatering the plant. Remember to make sure that the soil is completely dry first before watering the plant again.
If your plant has water issues, try repotting them in well-draining soil with sand consisting half of it. Once you successfully uproot your plant, check if some of its roots are rotting and then cut them out.
Browning may also be caused by chemical toxicity or nutrient deficiency in the soil. It can also be caused by a fungal disease or sun scorch. There’s really no single way to tell exactly what’s wrong with your plant, so try changing up a few things to know which conditions let them grow best.
If you see your plant creasing, being leggy, or having pale leaves, that usually means it doesn’t get enough light. To address this, you will need to place your plant near a sunny window where it gets bright but indirect sunlight, as being exposed to direct sunlight for the whole day may also cause your plant to get sunburnt.
Aloe Vera Plant Benefits
Now that you know how to grow aloe vera as well as how to troubleshoot problems you may encounter along the way, it’s time to learn about its benefits.
Aloe vera has natural soothing and moisturizing properties, so it is an effective remedy for burns. It also helps relieve pains from fresh wounds, and the best part is, it’s cheaper than drugstore ointments and the like.
Although, if you have severe burns or deep wounds, it’s best to consult a doctor first before applying aloe vera onto it, as it may only make it worse.
Aloe vera-based toothpastes help in promoting oral health. It effectively lowers levels of plaque and gingivitis.
Fresh aloe vera has proven to be effective in clearing acne. It lowers the level of inflammation caused by acne. It also causes less irritation on the skin compared to other cleansers or face washes.
Other aloe vera plant benefits include health-related ones. It has proven to be effective in relieving heartburn and other problems in digestion. It’s not dangerous for the body and it doesn’t have adverse side effects due to the low toxicity of the plant.
Aloe vera also lowers blood sugar levels, especially for diabetic people. Drinking only two tablespoons of aloe vera juice daily helps by a lot. It should be noted, though, that people who already take glucose-lowering medications should think twice before consuming aloe vera, as it can dangerously decrease glucose levels.
Conclusion
Aloe vera is one of the easiest plants to grow at home. Plus, wouldn’t it be nice to always have fresh aloe to refresh your skin, especially on a hot day? And, needless to say, one that’s free of charge and always available? Adding to that, you’ll be sure that what you apply on your skin, whether for moisturizing or treating minor burns, will be 100% aloe vera and not mixed with other chemicals that might harm or irritate your skin.
Here’s a tip: if you don’t want lumps in the aloe vera gel that you store in your fridge, use a blender or food processor to pulse the gel, and then use a strainer to filter out or break down some of the gel that may have clumped up.
Learning how to grow aloe vera at home will drastically help lower your expenses on skin care and minor wound and burn treatments. So, what are you waiting for? Get to planting your own right away! Happy gardening!
Read my other post on Urban gardening and Sustainable backyard gardening.
