Do you grow your Organic aloe vera plant at home? This is your opportunity to grow an ornamental succulent for your houseplant collection. It also offers tons of utility so that it can be part of your homegrown medicine cabinets.
People who spend a lot of time outside tending to their gardens or growing their products must be aware of how to protect themselves from the harmful rays of sunlight.
Even with our best sun protection, we still get sunburnt occasionally.
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Every time I got sunburnt, I would run to the nearest grocery store to pick up a bottle of Organic aloe vera gel. I can tell you that cooling gel gently rubbing over my lobster-colored skin is the best thing.
Since I began growing Organic Aloe Vera Plant, I have a plant ready to make a fresh gel. It is free of all the preservatives and dyes found in store-bought products.
Organic Aloe Vera gel can reduce the time to heal first- and second-degree sunburns. This is according to research.
We’ll be talking more about its uses shortly, but suffice to say that this succulent is one of your favorite.
Are you ready to find out more? Here are my topics:
What is Organic Aloe Vera Plant?
Although Organic Aloe Vera Plant might look like a cactus, it is a member of the Asphodelaceae, not the cactus.
Although its botanical name is A. Vera is the botanical name for this evergreen perennial. However, there are many synonyms: A. barbadensis, A. indica, and A. elongata. The first aid plant, burn, and true aloe are all common names.
Organic Aloe Vera is the Latin name for “true,” and the Arabic alloeh word means “shining bitter substance.”
The plant produces thick, long leaves that can reach up to 39 inches from a short stem. When young, the succulent leaves are green with flecks and have serrated edges.
The tall central spike can reach 35 inches high and produce greenish-yellow flowers. They will only flower if the aloe is grown outdoors.
The leaves have three major components: the outer green “rind,” or skin, and a layer of latex. The mesophyll layer is known as the “gel,” It stores water for the plant to photosynthesize during drought.
Organic Aloe Vera gel, which is 99 percent water, contains various amino acids, enzymes, and minerals, as well as vitamins and anti-inflammatory hormones. It is used in both traditional and natural healing practices worldwide.
The gel can also be applied topically to treat skin conditions such as bug bites, second or third-degree burns, and acne.
You can also grow it yourself at home. Snap off a leaf, cut it open and scoop out the gel for sunburns or bites.
The gel and leaf skin contains a layer of yellowish latex. This layer contains aloin, which can have potentially dangerous laxative effects if inhaled. People with a latex allergy should avoid Organic Aloe Vera gel.
Experts at the Mayo Clinic say that aloe gel can be ingested in small amounts but that oral use of aloe latex is dangerous.
It is best to avoid any parts of the plant.
Organic Aloe Vera gel is a well-known health product. However, it has been purified and processed to remove aloin, the latex compound responsible for its laxative properties.
Lu Hui is a traditional Chinese medicine name for the plant. Its extracts are used to treat constipation and also kill parasites.
This plant is excellent for landscaping and can be used commercially or medically. It can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11 or indoors as an indoor houseplant, regardless of where you live.
Also, Check-Out: How to fix Overwatered Aloe Plant
This guide will focus on the indoor growing of succulents. You can get information about growing aloe outside here.
History and Cultivation
Although this plant is native to the Arabian Peninsula, it can be found all over the globe in semi-tropical, arid, and tropical climates. It has been naturalized in North Africa and parts of Spain, Portugal, and the Southwest United States.
Aloe was used therapeutically by Ancient Egyptians at least 6,000 years old. It was also known as “the plant that immortalizes.” However, it is unclear if this refers to its medicinal use or whether the plant can thrive without soil.
There are many stories that Organic Aloe Vera gel was used by Cleopatra in her beauty regimens and Alexander the Great to treat his wounded soldiers.
These stories may be true or false, but there is evidence of its use as a laxative 4,000 years ago. Sumerian clay tablets dating from circa 2200 BC record their medicinal properties.
Propagation
Although you can technically grow Organic Aloe Vera from seeds, it is difficult and time-consuming. It is easiest to propagate by removing and repotting offsets from existing plants.
Aloe makes propagation easy because it grows offsets (often called “pups”) that can be cut off and planted.
Growing Organic Aloe Vera from Pups
Pups are clones or offspring of parent plants that can be grown as an offset to the original plant’s stem and roots. They rely on the parent plant for water and nutrients until they can support themselves.
To propagate a plant from a pup, all you need to do is to gather some key materials.
- Plastic containers measure four inches, one per pup.
- You can find succulent potting mixes and cacti at Home Depot.
- To separate the offset from its parent plant, use a small trowel or blade.
If you have a healthy plant with one or more pups, it is worth looking closely. It is best to look for the highest one, usually around three to five inches. This indicates that the root system is healthy.
If the pup is in a large enough container or outside, gently loosen its roots with a trowel or knife.
If the pup is taller than 6 inches and its roots are strong, you may have to remove them. Take it out of the pot and place it in the container with succulents and cacti.
If you have a smaller potted flower, you can use a knife or a spoon to remove the root ball. You can shake or brush off as much of the potting mix you like, remove the mother plant’s offsets and place the pup into your pot.
Fill the pot with potting mix until all the roots are covered. Make sure that the stems and leaves do not touch the surface. The pup should be given good watering and placed in a sunny area outside or indoors. It should get at least six hours of sunshine each day.
The plant will need water every other day, so let the top inch of the potting mix dry between waterings. This will allow roots to establish, which should take approximately a month.
After the plant has been established, allowing the soil in the top 2 inches to dry completely between waterings is important.
After a month, or when there is evidence of new growth, transfer the pup to an 8- to 12-inch pot.
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How to Grow Organic Aloe Vera Plant
You can guarantee that your plant will grow into a long-living, healthy plant, whether you buy it from a nursery or propagate it from a puppy.
Organic Aloe Vera can be grown indoors in an 8- to 12-inch container. This will allow it to spread out.
Remember that plastic pots are fine. Terra cotta, however, is the best choice because of its porous clay material. This allows the soil to dry faster, so it doesn’t remain waterlogged.
The weight of the leaves can be kept in check by using a heavier pot.
You need to ensure that the bottom of your container is well-draining. These succulents don’t like wet feet.
Make sure to use a potting mix specifically designed for succulents and cacti. This will ensure adequate drainage and prevent root rot.
Regular houseplant potting mixture or garden soil should be avoided as they can retain too much moisture and become too heavy.
Aloe plants thrive indoors in bright, sunny locations. A South- or west-facing window would be a good choice. If the leaves turn brownish or reddish in the summer, it could indicate that the plant is getting too much sunlight.
The leaves will turn pale if they don’t get enough sunlight. They might appear slightly “leggy” or elongated when they stretch to get to the light source.
Plants thrive in temperatures between 55-80degF. You can also take your container outside during the summer, but you should bring it inside at night if it is expected to drop below 50degF.
Water deeply during dry summer months when the top 2 inches of the potting medium have dried completely.
Winter is a good time to let the top 3 inches dry out before you give it another drink. Water at the base, at the soil level.
Also, Check-Out: How to fix Overwatered Aloe Plant
It would help if you disposed of any water drained from the bottom into the drainage tray or saucer below.
Succulent fertilizer can be added to your plants, such as this Miracle-Gro plant food. It is usually available at Home Depot.
You may have to repot your plant every two to three years, especially if the plant is getting too heavy.
It’s also rewarding because you get extra plants. You’ll need to remove the pups as per the section on propagation. Then, repot the mother in a larger pot than you have and add fresh potting mix.
Repot the offsets to give them to friends as a simple and valuable gift. You could also expand your aloe plant collection.
Growing Tips
- It would help to choose a sunny spot such as a windowsill with west or south-facing window.
- Use a succulent-specific, well-draining potting mix.
- Between waterings, allow the soil’s top two inches to dry.
Where to buy Organic Aloe Vera Plant
Potted plants are usually available at your local nursery or garden center.
Inspect your plant carefully before you bring it home. Look out for signs of insect damage or yellowing. Always select the best-looking plants.
Pure Beauty Farms provides live plants in 8-inch pots, which are Florida grown. You can order them online at Home Depot.
Management of Pests and Disease
The main problem with indoor houseplants is root rot.
We’ll cover the most common pests to be aware of, so you can know what to look for.
Insects
These are the most common insects that aloe will encounter. Knowing their names and how they can harm your plant, you’ll be ready for the first signs of an infestation.
Aphids
Of course. If aphids love to eat it, is a plant a garden? Aloe aphids ( Aloephagus members) and other tiny creatures love the gooey sap in the leaves.
These yellowish, one to four-millimeter-long insects feed on the inner curl of the leaf, puncturing and sucking the juices. This can lead to the entire plant and possibly the leaf rotting.
Aphids can also leave honeydew on the leaves, leading to sooty mold. Every few days, check the base and the inner crevices.
You can wash off aphids with water and dry the leaves. Then spray the area with an insecticide soap like this one from Bonide, available at Arbico Organics.
Gall Mites
Gal mites ( Aceria Aloinis), aloe mites, or gall mites cause damage to plants that resemble cancerous tumors.
The mites inject a cancer-causing chemical into the leaves while they are feeding. The result is a warty appearance on the stem, leaves, flowers, and leaves.
If you have a plant that grows all year indoors, this pest will not be a problem unless you bring it outside during the warmer months.
If you have severe infections, you can trim the affected leaves. Otherwise, the plant should be removed and thrown away.
Snout Weevil
Also known as a “snout beetle,” this grayish, three-quarter-inch-long weevil (Lepidophorus inquinatus) of the family Curculionidae is one of the greatest threats to your aloe plant’s life.
The weevil suckers sap from plants faster than an aphid thanks to its downward-curving proboscis. It is rare and rarely bothers succulents outside in pots or on the ground.
A small, dark spot appears on the leaf after injury. It has a central mark. The weevils then mate and deposit eggs at the leaf’s base – right next to the stem.
The larvae feed on the aloe stem and then rot it from the inside when they hatch.
These beetles can be found on aloe leaves, so remove them and destroy them as soon as possible.
Maladies
Organic Aloe Vera can be grown indoors under the right conditions, such as adequate sunlight, well-draining soil, and good watering habits. You’ll probably never have to deal with any disease.
You may notice small yellowish spots, especially on the lower side of the leaves, indicating that your plant is suffering from aloe vera rust. This is caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi.
Although this isn’t a life-threatening disease, it can make your plant look bad and leave it susceptible to other diseases and infestations.
It can be treated by removing any affected leaves and spraying the rest with liquid copper spray, available at Arbico Organics.
Best Uses Of Organic Aloe Vera Plant
Organic Aloe Vera is a houseplant that is both ornamental and useful. It’s easy to care for. For interest and variety, you can make an indoor collection of succulents. Bring it outside to your patio or deck to be part of your container gardening in the summer.
Several people keep small potted aloe Verde plants on their kitchen windowsills so they can easily snap two leaves to extract the healing gel from minor kitchen accidents.
Organic Aloe Vera is available to treat minor burns caused by small fires that are lit in the kitchen.
You can harvest the gel even if you are not in a crisis. Cut off one of the leaves at the base.
To drain the yellowish latex, cut off the bottom inch. Next, place the leaf upright in the sink with the pointy side up. This will take approximately 10-15 minutes.
Once the leaf’s bottom is dry, remove the narrow, top-most part. This will give you a length of four to eight inches, depending on the leaf’s size.
Place the leaf on a cutting board. Cut off any spiny edges. Use a knife to remove the skin layer from the leaf carefully. You will find the leaf’s top very slimy and slippery. Take your time and never cut too close to your body.
The bottom portion of the leaf will remain, with a jelly-like layer of aloe gel covering it. To freeze the gel for future burns, place the gel in an ice tray. Or store it in an airtight container in a refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. It is best not to eat it.
You can use an ice cube or fresh gel to treat minor burns.
It is important to note that if you have a severe allergic reaction to latex, applying home-harvested Organic Aloe Vera gel to your skin is not recommended. This may contain latex traces, even after it has been processed.
If you find mold on the gel during storage, throw it out.
Beautiful, succulent, and sturdy beauty products
A. vera is the best choice if you want your houseplants mostly to take care of themselves.
You can easily make a beautiful addition to your indoor garden.
Following these tips, you can enjoy healthy, happy aloe plants for many more years.
Have you ever tried growing Organic Aloe Vera? Is there a better use for the amazing gel in the leaves than you think? Feel free to ask questions and share your stories below.
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