How To: Take Care of an Aloe Vera

Hello.

If you know me, you know that I LOVE plants. Growing up, my mother would plant all sorts of different trees, flowers, and well... plants in the yard. I remember she even had a Peace Lily that was 8 years old (unfortunately it did sadly die).

She wasn't much of a succulent person, but I thought as a new plant owner, an aloe would suffice.

When I was 14, I went to Home Depot with my mom on a journey to find a plant. When I arrived, I found myself wanting an aloe. It's known to be drought-tolerant and easy to care for...perfect for a beginner. So, I picked up the plant off the shelf, took it home, repotted it, and decided to name it Stanley. It's 2023, and I've had Stanley for 8 years. He is still alive.

So, here are 3 things I find most important to keeping an aloe alive:

1. Repotting Every So Often

When I first got Stanley, I repotted him a few days after having him so he could adjust to the house environment. Already, he was trying to escape out of his new pot so I knew he was ready for a new place to settle into.

I repotted him in a clay pot and he liked it for a while. It's a general rule to let your aloes live in the pots for a while unless you see rapid growth like the plant itself toppling over the pot or the roots trying to escape from the bottom. Usually, every 2 to 5 years is good.

• Best Soil for Aloe: Sandy, Dry and Well draining soil mix. This is a soil I've found good for Stanley.

• When To Repot: Generally every 2 to 5 years.

• Best Pots: Drainage holes, clay or terracotta work well, but almost any pot should be fine.

When repotting your aloe, I find it best to do it in the spring before the summer when your aloe will be in its best growing season. If you do while growing, you might shock it when repotting and that can cause your plant to die. It's also best to not move your plant into a pot too big or too small. If you get one too small, your plant will start to have the roots coming out the top which exposed roots is never ideal. Too big could mean too much shock for you plant, but typically too big is better than too small.

It's also important when repotting to grab from the base of the plant and not the top, you don't want to pull any roots out. I find it best to grab the base of the plant, gently wiggle and pull. Then take your soil and fill the pot about a little over halfway and then place your plant in its new home. Then cover the rest with soil. Make sure the base is fully covered.

Stanley is now in a pot made from recycled materials. He is living his best life, sprawled out and all.

2. Drainage & Rocks

It is highly important for Aloes, and pretty much every plant to have good drainage. I noticed the first while I had Stanley he would have yellow or wilting leaves. I didn't understand what could have been causing it but then I found out I was using the wrong soil so it wasn't receiving the proper drainage. But even with the right soil, there was still something wrong.

The drainage hole wasn't actually allowing for proper drainage (let me explain). Certain pots, particularly ones with just a hole at the bottom and not one with a ring around it to catch the water don't do a proper job of draining. In my experience, those types of pots tend to pool the water around the pot, and depending on what type of pot you have, it can seep back into the pot thus not draining properly.

Stanley had to have a lot more drainage from the bottom than I thought. So now, he's in a pot with a drainage hole and rocks on the bottom. Perlight is great and typically just an inch or two of rocks and then placing your plant into the pot is good. But, if you're looking for something more aesthetically pleasing, these rocks may strike your fancy:

• Mosser Lee: Pearl Stone Soil Cover

• Mosser Lee: Marble Nuggest Soil Cover

Do Not, and I mean DO NOT put too many rocks where the roots cannot grow. If the roots can't grow, your plant might get root rot which in some cases is treatable but it's better to avoid it than your lovely plant potentially dying. I also don't recommend any rocks with a shiny coating on them, as the coating may wear off and get in the soil, potentially harming your plant.

3. Sunshine with Careful Watering

Now, I know I keep going on and on about drainage. You may do all the measures to make sure it doesn't retain too much water, but it's also important to not give it too much water in the first place. Aloe plants are drought tolerant meaning they don't need watering all that often. Depending on the size of your pot, I recommend watering every 2 to 4 weeks. Stanley is in a 10-inch pot, where I roughly give him about a cup of water every 3 weeks, that's what works best for him, but every plant is different.

Here is my rough guide of how much water and roughly the time frame you should be watering your aloe. Remember every plant is different, and it's important to check if your aloe's soil is wet all the way down to the bottom of the pot or not to know if it's ready for watering. I also recommend if possible collecting rainwater rather than tap. Tap water can have harsh chemicals that can hurt your plant, so rain or filtered water is best!

Guide for watering your aloe based on the size of the pot:

​Pot Size (inches)	Amount of Water (in cups)	When to Water
1 to 3 inches	1/8-1/4 of a cup	Every 2 weeks
4-6 inches	​1/4-1/2 of a cup	Every 2 weeks
7-9 inches	1/2-3/4 of a cup	Every 2-4 weeks
10-12 inches	1 to 1 1/4 cup(s)	Every 2-4 weeks

Aloe plants also need a TON of sunlight. If you live in Michigan (like me) it can be hard to grow an Aloe because during the winter, many days are dreary and the sun sets around 5 pm. It's best to find a bright, indirect spot in a south or west-facing window. If that's not possible, an east-facing window with a grow light would also work.

If you notice your aloe not doing well during the winter months, I recommend getting a grow light for your plant or potentially placing it in a room where there is a bright light on a good amount of the day to help with getting the light it needs. Aloes need roughly 6-8 hours of light every day!

Stanley has never needed a grow light but every plant is different and can be a little quirky depending on the air quality, temperature, and humidity levels.

---

With all these steps in mind, you're now ready to take the best care of your aloe! The key things to remember is to make sure your aloe is in a good size pot with good drainage and plenty of sunlight. All those things considered, your aloe should be thriving.

Keep exploring.