Aloe Vera
Aloe vera (syn. A. barbadensis miller)
Through the year 🗓️
☀️ Summer now
Happy to summer outdoors in gentle sun; water deeply but always let it dry out fully.
🍂 Fall
Taper watering as the light fades and stop feeding for the year.
❄️ Winter
Near-dormant: water monthly at most, keep above 55 °F, and give it your sunniest sill.
🌱 Spring
Growth resumes. Ease the watering rhythm back up, and repot if pups are crowding the pot.
The details
Light & placement
- Light
- Bright light; tolerates several hours of direct sun (acclimate gradually)
- Ideal PPFD
- 300–600 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹
- Grow-light distance
- 12–18 in below LED
Water & feed
- Watering method
- Soak-and-dry: water deeply until it drains, then let the soil dry out completely. Keep water out of the central crown.
- Fertilizer
- Balanced or cactus/succulent feed at ½ strength, ~1–2× in spring–summer; none in winter.
Home & habit
- Soil
- Gritty cactus/succulent mix with excellent drainage; pH ~7.0
- Humidity
- Low; tolerates dry air (30–40%)
- Temperature
- 55–80 °F
- Mature size
- 1–2 ft tall & wide
- Repotting
- Every 2–3 yrs or when crowded with pups
- Propagation
- Offsets ("pups") removed and potted; division. Leaf cuttings rarely root.
When something looks wrong
- Overwatering signs
- Mushy, translucent, yellowing leaves; soft base; root rot
- Underwatering signs
- Thin, curling, puckered leaves with browning tips
- Common pests
- Mealybugs, scale, fungus gnats (in soggy soil)
Common problems 🩺
The usual suspects when Aloe Vera looks unhappy. Most houseplant trouble is watering or light, not disease — see all plant problems if you are not sure which plant is the culprit.
Mushy, translucent, or brown leaves
Likely cause
Overwatering and rot — the number-one way to kill an aloe.
What to do
Let the soil dry out completely, use a gritty cactus mix, and water only when bone-dry.
Thin, curling, or puckered leaves
Likely cause
Underwatering, if it has genuinely gone months without.
What to do
Give it a deep drink and let it drain; the leaves refill within days.
Flat, sprawling growth
Likely cause
Too little light — it splays out reaching for the sun.
What to do
Move it to your brightest spot with some direct sun; it will grow upright and compact.
Reddish or brown leaves
Likely cause
Sun stress from a sudden move into strong light.
What to do
Normal in moderation, but acclimate it gradually rather than moving it into full sun overnight.
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