Aloe

Aloe (Aloe) is a perennial succulent from the Asphodel family. Sometimes the plant is also considered to be a member of the Liliaceae family. More than 250 different species are united in this genus. The homeland of the flower is the hottest and driest African regions. The aloe plant is able to survive in rather extreme conditions due to the moisture reserve in the leaf blades. This makes aloe an excellent and unpretentious indoor plant. But in order for the selected type of aloe to better show itself from the decorative side, the plant still needs some care.

Description of aloe

Aloe leaf blades often extend directly from the root. They are usually long and fleshy. The foliage of some species has thorns, and some are covered with a waxy coating. Aloe inflorescences resemble brushes or panicles and consist of bright yellow, orange or red tubular or bell-shaped flowers. But at home, only a few representatives of the aloe genus bloom.

Due to a number of special properties, this plant can be found in the pharmaceutical and food industries - tonic drinks are made from it. Some of the types of aloe have medicinal properties, therefore, since ancient times, they have been widely used in medicine. So aloe juice is able to accelerate the healing of burns and purulent sores. It is included in the composition of cosmetic masks with a rejuvenating effect. It is also possible to obtain a substance with a laxative effect from the foliage. Usually, for medicinal purposes, two types of plants are kept at home: tree and faith.

In home floriculture, you can find a number of different species and subspecies of this plant, differing in size and external characteristics.

Brief rules for growing aloe

The table shows brief rules for caring for aloe at home.

The juice of some types of aloe is considered medicinal. Among other things, it helps to relieve inflammation, heal wounds, have an antibacterial effect and stimulate the immune system, but this medicine must be used with great care.

Home care for aloe

Aloe is such an unpretentious plant that it requires minimal, purely symbolic care. Correct and completely simple care for aloe will make the plant not only a home doctor, but also a wonderful decorative decoration that will complement the interior.

Lighting

Aloe is very light-loving, southern window sills are perfect for it, while even the direct rays of the flower are not scary, although in a too sunny and sultry place it can still be slightly shaded. But if the plant was kept in a darker corner for a long time, it is gradually taught to light, increasing the level of illumination. If the bush lacks natural light in winter, lamps can be used.

Temperature

In spring and summer, aloe grows well in indoor conditions. The optimal summer temperature is + 22-25 degrees. With the onset of warm days, the flower can be taken out into the air, trying to choose a place sheltered from precipitation for it. If the plant remains at home, it is recommended to ventilate the room with it more often.

In winter, the plant is at rest, so it is better to keep it in a cool (no more than +14 degrees) corner, although the plant can withstand a drop in temperature up to +10 degrees. If the aloe remains warm, it will begin to stretch out due to lack of sunlight.

Watering

Due to its succulent structure, aloe is able to withstand dry periods, but it is not recommended to leave the plant completely without watering and overdry it with an earthen lump. During the growth period, aloe is watered as soon as the top layer of soil in a pot with it begins to dry out. In winter, this is done several times less often, trying to wait at least a couple of days after drying. If a pot of aloe at this time is kept in a room with a low temperature of about +15 degrees, you can wait until the soil is almost completely dry so as not to provoke the development of diseases due to waterlogging.

It is important that water for irrigation does not enter the central part of the outlet. Retention of moisture in this place can quickly lead to decay, and it will no longer be possible to save the plant. You can practice sump watering.

Humidity level

Air humidity does not play a significant role for aloe, it grows well in almost any conditions. But sometimes too dry air can cause the edges of the plant's foliage to dry out. In this case, the aloe can be sprayed gently.

The soil

A soil suitable for a flower should consist of two parts of turf, as well as leafy soil and sand. To give it a looser texture, you can add a little charcoal, perlite or brick chips to it. You can use purchased soil for succulents. The reaction of the mixture should be neutral or slightly acidic. Peat additives are undesirable.

Top dressing

The plant begins to feed after the end of the rest period, starting in spring and ending in September. Fertilizers are applied monthly, and with the onset of autumn, feeding is interrupted until the new season. Aloe is less than six months old and you should not feed recently transplanted specimens.

Transfer

The plant is transplanted when the previous capacity becomes small for it. Young, more actively growing bushes are moved every 2 years, and the rest - half as often.

To avoid damaging the roots of the plant, water the aloe abundantly the day before transplanting.After the flower is moved to a new place, the soil can also be watered a little, and then not moisten the soil in the pot for about a week.

The planting pot should exceed the size of the root system so that about 3 cm remains to the walls on each side. At the same time, there is no need for an excessive depth of the container, but there should be room in it for a sufficient drainage layer. It is advisable to choose clay models with holes at the bottom - excess moisture does not stagnate in them, and oxygen continues to flow to the roots. Before use, such a pot must be thoroughly rinsed.

Bloom

Aloe forms tall peduncles with bright inflorescences, but for flowering it needs a very long daylight hours and certain temperature conditions - coolness. It can be difficult to recreate such a climate in an apartment, so aloe practically does not bloom at home. If the plant nevertheless released a peduncle, after the end of flowering it is cut off.

Breeding methods for aloe

Growing from seeds

The seed method of reproduction of aloe in comparison with the rest is considered quite long. It is necessary to lay a drainage layer in the planting tank, and then fill it with sandy soil. Sowing seeds is carried out at the very end of winter or early spring. Seedlings will need regular moisture as well as airing. The sprouts must be protected from direct sun. The optimal temperature for their content is +20. Monthly seedlings dive into individual pots. Three months after transplanting, they are moved to larger pots, trying not to overmoisten. Such plants are already cared for in the same way as adults.

Reproduction by shoots

To propagate aloe vegetatively, you can take the same light soil as for seeds. In spring or early summer, young root shoots are separated from the bush, planting them in their own pot. It's good if such a child already has its own roots. If they are damaged during separation, it is necessary to dry the shoot a little in the air, and only then plant it in the ground. For stability, children can be tied to pegs. Once the seedlings are rooted and start to grow, they can be cared for in the same way as an adult aloe. To speed up the appearance of roots, the shoots can be previously held in a container with water.

It is also possible to propagate aloe using the tip of the shoot, its parts or leaves. For such a procedure, a plant with 8 or more leaf plates is suitable. After cutting, the shoot is dried for several days in a shady place so that the cut has time to tighten. For disinfection, it is additionally sprinkled with coal powder. The prepared stalk is planted in the sand no deeper than 3 cm. Such planting material is not previously kept in water - this usually leads to decay. Until the roots appear, the plantings are watered moderately, trying to prevent the substrate from drying out. A week after rooting, the seedlings are moved into small pots with ordinary soil. This method of reproduction can be practiced almost all year, but it is better to do it in the spring - the roots appear the fastest at this time.

Diseases and pests of aloe

The bulk of aloe diseases are usually caused by mistakes in flower care.

• The faded color of the foliage and its lethargy can be caused by excess moisture in the substrate. In this case, the soil surface does not have time to dry out. The reason may be insufficient quality or unsuitable soil in terms of composition. Only the lower leaves of the bush can be soft, the upper ones must remain elastic.
• Yellow foliage is a reaction to stress or inappropriate growing conditions. For example, a plant may be cramped in a pot, lacking nutrients, the room is too hot, or the roots of the flower have been damaged.
• Shoots are pulled out due to lack of lighting. In this case, aloe can quickly lose its decorative effect. To avoid this, the bush is illuminated with lamps, trying to lengthen the daylight hours.
• Decay of shoots or roots is associated with over-watering. Aloe stalks can rot due to water droplets entering the outlet.Such diseases develop especially quickly if the room is too cool. To save the plant, the affected areas of the bush must be removed, transplanted into fresh soil and try to adjust the watering regime, with a break of 3 weeks. If the root is severely damaged, you can try cutting a healthy green part.
• Drying of the tips of the leaves is associated with high dryness of the air. Although aloe is not very susceptible to moisture changes, too low a level can still affect the appearance of its leaves. In addition, brown spots can form on them due to insufficient frequent watering. Drying out of the entire leaf may indicate the depletion of the plant: an unsuccessful choice of a pot or insufficiently nutritious soil. Under normal conditions, only the old lower leaves of the bush over 5 years old can dry out.
• Falling foliage can be caused by ice water for irrigation or any drastic changes in plant maintenance.
• Dark spots on foliage usually mean the flower is freezing. If the pot is in a cold draft, or in a room with aloe no warmer than +8 degrees, the plant needs to be moved to a warmer and more protected place. Care should be taken to ventilate the room on cold days.

Spider mites, scale insects, aphids, as well as mealybugs are considered pests of aloe. But the flower is rarely affected by them. The worm and tick can be removed with a soapy solution, the scabbard can be removed with a cotton swab soaked in vinegar, but strong foci will have to be treated with an insecticide.

The main types of aloe with photos and names

White-flowered aloe (Aloe albiflora)

This species has no stem at all. It has narrow foliage about 5 cm wide. Its length reaches 25 cm, the plate itself has a gray-green tint. The edge of the foliage is covered with lighter thorns, and on the leaf itself there are many light dots. The species forms a half-meter peduncle with snow-white flowers. Such aloe multiplies rapidly with the help of root babies.

Fan aloe (Aloe plicatilis)

Either aloe umbrella (Aloe tripetala), lingual (Aloe lingua), or lingual (Aloe linguaeformis). A shrub with a stiff stem, growing up to 5 m. It is characterized by strong branching: its trunk diverges into branches, and each has its own rosette. The leaves in them are fan-shaped. The number of plates in such a socket sometimes reaches 16 pieces. Each leaf has a linear shape with a rounded top. In length, it usually does not exceed 30 cm, and in width - 4 cm. The edges of the leaf are usually smooth. Each rosette can form a tall brush stalk with about 30 red flowers.

Such a plant will need more frequent watering.

Aloe vera

Or aloe Lanza (Floe lanzae), Barbados (Aloe barbadensis), Indian (Aloe indica). Such a plant has short shoots. It features small rosettes formed from green lanceolate leaves. Often there are light spots on them, and pinkish thorns on the edges. With its compactness, the length of the leaves can reach 50 cm. The plant can form a noticeable peduncle, on which there are several brushes with light yellow flowers. There are also red-flowered varieties.

Aloe descoingsii

It features a short stem. Forms small rosettes from miniature (up to 4 cm) elongated triangular leaves. The surface of the grayish-green leaf blades is covered with light specks. The dimensions of the peduncle-brush reach 30 cm. It consists of one-centimeter orange flower-tubes. The species is easy to propagate by root shoots.

Aloe jacksonii

Forms a kind of bush with a small stem. It has 10 cm foliage with small thorns at the edges. At the same time, there is one larger thorn at the top of the leaf. The foliage, both on the front and on the seamy side, is covered with a waxy bloom and light specks. When blooming, a 20-cm peduncle with red flowers is formed.

Aloe dichotoma (Aloe dichotoma)

A tree-like plant, reaching a height of 8 m. It has green foliage with a bluish tint.It can be up to 40 cm long and 6 cm wide. The surface of the leaves is covered with a wax coating, and there are small thorns along the edge. Peduncles can include from 1 to 3 inflorescences of tubular yellow flowers.

Aloe arborescens

It is this aloe that is usually called "agave". The name is associated with the long life of the plant. Differs in the largest green mass. It can be in the form of a bush or tree, reaching up to 3 m in height. Above, its shoots actively branch, and in the lower part they begin to bare over time. The leaf blades are fleshy and thick, sword-shaped, but slightly curved. The length of each leaf reaches half a meter, and the width is 6 cm. The leaves have a smoky green color, and at the edges are covered with thorns up to 3 mm long. The flowering period is in May or June, but the species hardly blooms at home. The color of the flowers of the tree-like aloe is pink, yellow or red.

Aloe camperi

Stunted view. Has curved glossy green foliage. It can be up to 50 cm long and 5 cm wide. There are small teeth on the edge. Inflorescences are red, orange or yellow flowers up to 5 cm in size.

Aloe cap-shaped (Aloe mitriformis)

It has a short stem. Has a tight rosette of rounded triangular leaves. Their length can be 20 cm, and their width - 15 cm. The color of the foliage at the same time varies from grayish-blue to ordinary green. From the inside and along the edges, the leaves are covered with small thorns. The rosette forms a tall peduncle, the inflorescence on it consists of bright or slightly more delicate red flowers. At home, flowering is rare.

Short-leaved aloe (Aloe brevifolia)

Forms lush rosettes. The shape of the leaves can be different: including lanceolate or triangular. The length of the leaves reaches only 11 cm, the width is 4 cm. Along the edge of the leaves, as well as on their outer surface, there are small light teeth. The foliage is bluish-green in color. Red flowers are located on the vertical peduncle.

Aloe bellatula

A stemless species that lives in Madagascar. Has 15 cm foliage, growing directly from the root. At the same time, its width reaches only 1 cm. The dark green leaves are complemented by small light growths and specks, and are covered with small thorns along the edge. The flowers are shaped like bells and have a coral color.

Aloe marlothii

Shrub up to 3 m tall. It has oblong fleshy leaves on which there is a waxy coating. The leaves are gray-green in color, in length they can reach 1.5 meters, and their width is 30 cm. On the surface and from the inside of the leaf, as well as along its edge, there are many reddish thorns. The flowers are colored red-orange.

Soap aloe (Aloe saponaria)

Either soapy aloe or spotted (Aloe maculata). It has a branched stem with several rosettes. It has flat-curved green leaves. In length they reach 60 cm, and in width - up to 6 cm. On both sides, the foliage is covered with light greenish specks, and along the edges there are thorns up to 0.5 mm in size. Small inflorescences-brushes are colored yellow, but sometimes they can be reddish.

Aloe aristata (Aloe aristata)

Forms a bush with small stems. Has small foliage. It is colored green, but has light tubercles, and small thorns are located along the edge of the leaf. The shape of the plate resembles a triangle, and at its top there is a long, light thread. The impressive peduncle forms a group of racemose inflorescences, each containing up to 30 orange flowers with a reddish tint.

Aloe distans

Stems of this species can grow up to 3 meters. It has small ovoid leaf blades with a sharp point in the upper part. The size of the foliage is 10 cm by 6 cm (at the base). Rows of small white thorns run along the edge and middle of the leaf. The color of the flowers is yellow.

Aloe striata

Or gray aloe. Stemless view from South Africa. Forms dense rosettes with gray-green leaves.At the edges, the fleshy foliage has a reddish tint. The edge of the leaves is smooth, their length reaches 50 cm, width - up to 15 cm. The peduncle forms several inflorescences of small red flowers at once. The period of their formation falls on the middle or end of spring.

Aloe tiger (Aloe variegata)

Or variegated aloe, ausana (Aloe ausana), point (Aloe punctata). Compact shrub up to 30 cm in height. It does not have a stem, its elongated leaves reach 15 cm in length and up to 6 cm in width. The foliage is colored dark green and strewn with light dots and strokes. Flowers can be red, pink or yellow.

Aloe ferox

The bushes reach 3 meters in height. Aloe ferox has an erect stem, in its upper part there is a rosette of half-meter leaves about 15 cm wide. The leaves are greenish, but sometimes they have a red tint. Along the edge, the leaves are covered with teeth, sometimes appearing on the surfaces of the plates themselves. A large peduncle with red-orange flowers appears from the outlet.