I recently bought an aloe vera plant in spain.?

Question

please tell me how to look after it. It looks more lime green than the lush green i expected

Answer 1

That is a very healthy color. Anyways leave the plant in a sunny window and make sure it does not receive any cold, water it when the soil is dry to the touch, your aloe will flower once a year usually in summer, you can cut a bottom leaf and stick it in the soil and it will start roots and then you can gently seperate it and then repot it in a clay pot, terra cota and clay pots are the best for aloes because they are very fast draining, put some rocks in the bottom of the pot as this assures good drainage, buy perlite for drainage, you can fertilize your aloe plant with a cactus fertilizer, it prefers to be in a cactus soil with rocks in the bottom and lots of perlite, you can use a slow release fertilizer what it does is feeds the aloe by its roots absorbing the nutrients, you can break a bottom leaf of the aloe plant and rub it on a sunburn, pimples, kitchen burn, minor cuts, rashes etc.... If you notice babie aloes growing at the side of the mother aloe you can seperate them when they reach 1/3 the size of the mother aloe. It would be great for it if it gets 12 hours of sunlight per day. If you notice that your aloe plant looks very brown and there is almost no gel in it anymore and it looks sick this is caused by direct sunlight and to much heat what you can do to cure it is put a big pot over it for a week and the sunburn will heal and go away i have done this and my baby aloes where almost dead so i did it and the color went back normal and if you are noticing that the tips of the leafs are turning brown you can cut the brown tips off so that the disease doesn't spread im not saying that yours has a disease, your looks very good by the description you are telling me. If you see insects chewing or eating the aloe you can use an insecticide and spray the insect directly and it will die, spray in the soil and in case there are eggs in the soil it will kill them but not harm the plant. Make sure in winter that you give it alot less water because it needs less. Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

Put it somewhere where it gets a goodly amount of natural light. Aloe vera does better outdoors, since it is not a house plant. If, however, you choose to have it indoors, don't put it in a window that gets direct sunlight since you don't want to cook the plant (windows magnify the sun's light and heat). Water it every so often and don't let the leaves start to look shrivelled at the ends. As it grows, transplant it to a bigger container. Use the same kind of soil for transplanting. Aloe vera can live "forever" even with a modicum of care.

Answer 3

Hello,
I have four maybe five of these now.
Mine do not like being watered to much. They all are doing real well in 12/12 light, the light is a 1000 bulb.

We only have these as indoor plants. I have never seen one planted outside. To much water will kill them, found out this the hard way. Once they start giving off babies there is no end!!

Anyhoo I do not know all the scientific stuff, but mine are living quite well.
Wish you the best!

Answer 4

here is come basic info about aloe vera...the second paragraph may be of some importance for you...

There are over 250 species of Aloes in the world, mostly native to Africa. They range in size from little one inch miniatures to massive plant colonies consisting of hundreds of 2 foot diameter plants. Although most Aloes have some medicinal or commercial value, the most commonly known is the Aloe barbadensis... better known as Aloe vera.

All Aloes are semitropical succulent plants, and may only be grown outdoors in areas where there is no chance of freezing (USDA zones 10-11) . However, they make excellent house plants when they are given sufficient light. Potted Aloes benefit from spending the summer outdoors. Older specimens may even bloom, producing a tall stock covered with bright colored coral flowers. Aloe flower nectar is a favorite of hummingbirds!

Because Aloe plants consist of 95% water, they are extremely frost tender. If they are grown outdoors in warm climates, they should be planted in full sun, or light shade. The soil should be moderately fertile, and fast draining. Established plants will survive a drought quite well, but for the benefit of the plant, water should be provided.

Because of their popularity, Aloe vera plants are available at almost every garden shop or nursery. Unless you live in area with a very mild climate, it's best to leave your Aloe plant in the pot and place it near a window that gets a lot of sun. You can move the pot outdoors during the summer months.
Aloe vera is a succulent, and as such, stores a large quantity of water within its leaves and root system. During the winter months, the plant will become somewhat dormant, and utilize very little moisture. During this period watering should be minimal. Allow the soil to become completely dry before giving the plant a cup or two of water. During the summer months, the soil should be completely soaked, but then be allowed to dry again before re-watering.

Aloes have a shallow, spreading root system, so when it is time to repot choose a wide planter, rather than a deep one. Use a planter with a drainage hole, or provide a 1-2 inch layer of gravel in the bottom of the pot to ensure adequate drainage. Use a good commercial potting mix with extra perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand added. You may also use a packaged 'cacti mix' soil. Fertilize yearly, in the spring with a dilute (half strength), bloom type fertilizer (10-40-10).
Aloes are propagated by removing the offsets which are produced around the base of mature plants, when they are a couple inches tall (or larger). They may also be grown from seed.

As to the claims of the medicinal properties of the Aloe plant, I can only speak from my personal experience. I have kept an Aloe plant around for years, primarily for burns. In case of burns, an immediate application of fresh gel has relieved much of the pain, and prevented blistering, many times. I also found it to be quite effective to relieve itching from stings, bites and various 'stinging' plants, such as poison ivy. It is also good for the same problems, when they are encountered by your pets.
When you need to use it medicinally, just remove a lower leaf from the plant, slice it open, and apply the gel on the affected area.



Keep in sandy soil that is well drained. Potted plants need filtered sun or full shade.

Answer 5

Any place that sells houseplants should have aloe vera for sale too-just keep looking.

Answer 6

When we moved We got one and its been like 4 Years and its still alive you just have to water it

Answer 7

We had one in a pot in the back yard while I was growing up. My mom just watered it and it lived for years and years.

Answer 8

It might not be getting enough sunlight. Try moving it to a more sunny area.