How to grow Aloe vera

Aloe vera · Aloe, Medicinal aloe, Burn plant

Succulent with a rosette of thick, fleshy, grey-green leaves edged with small teeth; the leaves hold a gel long used on minor burns and sunburn. Easy to grow and slowly spreads by offsets.

Quick facts

Type	Houseplant
Family	Asphodelaceae
Light	Full sun
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Soil for sowing	from 10 °C
Where it grows	At home

When to plant

Sow straight into the bed after your last spring frost, once the soil has warmed.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 14 days	10…27 °C	balanced (NPK), 74 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 104 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 134 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 164 days into the stage
Winter rest	every 28 days	10…20 °C	—

Growing notes

Light

As much light as possible, ideally a sunny south- or west-facing window; it will also grow in very bright indirect light. In shade it grows poorly.

Soil

Coarse, very free-draining mix, such as cactus compost or one part potting soil, one part sand and one part perlite. Use a pot with drainage holes and never leave it standing in water.

Care

From spring to early autumn water thoroughly once the compost has dried out; in autumn and winter water only enough to keep the leaves from shrivelling. Wet compost is the commonest cause of root rot. Keep it above 10 °C and feed with a general liquid fertiliser monthly from May to August. Repot about every two years and pot up offsets separately. The plant is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten; the gel is safe on the skin for most people.

Pests and diseases of Aloe vera

Scale insects

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.