Growing, Harvesting and Caring Aloe Vera
The name Aloe Vera is derived from an Arabic word Alloeh which means a bitter substance with glossy shining on it.
Aloe Vera known as a succulent is extremely well known for its medicinal use.
The gel present inside its leaf contains nutrients like Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, Folic Acid, and Niacin, etc.
Health Benefits of Aloe Vera
Aloe for Skin: Being an excellent antioxidant and antibacterial Aloe Vera medicines are beneficial for multiple kinds of skin irritations like Sunburn,
Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema, etc. It also helps to treat burn wounds.
Aloe on dry skin: A mixture of Aloe Vera extract, a pinch of turmeric, a teaspoon of honey and milk and a small amount of rose water can be applied on
your skin for 20 minutes.
Aloe on Acne: A mixture of Aloe Vera Gel, blended walnut with honey rescues the skin from Acne and leaves it smooth and clear.
Aloe for Sensitive Skin: A mixture of Aloe Vera gel, rose oil, yogurt and cucumber extract is beneficial for sensitive skin.
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Aloe as a scrub: A mixture of Aloe Vera gel, sugar and lemon juice can be used on the skin to remove dead skin, scars, and tan.
Aloe for Hair: Aloe Vera contains an enzyme called Proteolytic which repairs dead scalp. It can be used as a natural conditioner for shiny and
smooth hair. Aloe Vera improves hair growth and reduces dandruff.
Apply a mixture of Aloe Vera Juice and Coconut Oil in an equal amount on your hair and leave it for 6 to 8 hours for the best results.
(Source: NDTV Food)
It reduces the sugar level in your blood. Aloe Vera is helpful to reduce Constipation and maintain your oral health.
Pot Selection:
Pot should be relatively small as you do not need to bury your plant inside the soil. Select the pot which is wide and not deep, wide because of roots of Aloe Vera spread horizontally. The pot must have holes at the bottom to drain out excess of water.
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The material of the pot:
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(Note: If you choose deeper pot the horizontally growing roots will not reach the bottom and the soil will unnecessarily hold the water which might cause rotting.)
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Observe your Aloe Vera plant, if any insects are wandering over it tries to make use of natural pesticide instead of toxic to save your plant from insects without harming them.
Once the Aloe Vera is mature enough choose a thick, large and smooth the leaf and cut it much near the trunk without harming other leaves.
Cut off the edges and start peeling the skin as if you peel off the skin of the fish. Remove the skin on all the sides until the white, translucent, and gel-like flesh is visible. Check this video to know more about how to harvest Aloe Vera.
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Aloe Vera loves spreading. So if you want to repot your plant take 3 times bigger pot than the base of the Aloe (Base is a mixture of roots got fixed into the soil). But remember, When you fill the soil to cover your plant base in the new pot, only and only the plant base should get covered and not part of its leaves.
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Do not water your plant frequently in the Winter season.
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If you have just repotted it, stay away at least for 2-3 days. Let it be familiar with its new home.
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Never, never overwater it. Overwatering will spoil your efforts by rotting the roots (Rainwater can be the best option).
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Make less use of fertilizers when the plant itself can grow well especially in winter season.
Sowing
Temperature:
Aloe Vera Plant Care
Sunlight:
Soil:
Watering:
Fertilizers:
Pests and Cure
Harvesting Aloe Vera
Repotting Aloe Vera
NPK 10-40-10 (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium in 10-40-10 percentage respectively) fertilizers can be used for Aloe Vera fertilization once in a month.
Note: Avoid granular fertilizers for Aloe Vera. Water your plant thoroughly (not much) a day prior before feeding it to flush out unwanted substances and salts collected as left behind the stuff of the previous feeding.
You can use seeds or leaves to sow Aloe Vera. Pour some amount of moderately moist soil in a pot, spread the seeds, and cover them with the soil. Add a little water, not much.
If you are using Leaf of Aloe Vera to plant then take a long leaf (3 inches) of Aloe. Cut it at the base and put it in a warm place for at least 2 weeks to form a thin layer on the cut-side (It will safeguard the cut-side from getting infected by the soil).
Place the leaf cut-side down into the soil. Add a little water, not much.
75 degrees Fahrenheit that is 25° - 40° C is the ideal temperature for Aloe Vera plants. Winter suits Aloe Vera very well.
Direct sunlight for at least 6 hours (It can tolerate some amount of lighter shade in between). So accordingly choose the right place for your plant.
Aloe Vera requires less soil to avoid overwatering. Generally, Aloe can grow in dry and poor soil. But ideally, it grows well in well-drained loam to coarse sandy loam. (pH range up to 8.5).
Don’t overwater your Aloe Vera. It is fine if you water it deeply once in 3 weeks to keep the soil moist. Let it dry well (At least 2 inches below the surface).