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Cacti & Succulents

how much to water my aloe vera plant?

14 years ago

Hi when my aloe plants dirt is completely dry do i wet the soil until it starts coming out of the drain hole? Or is there a certain amount i use like 1 cup?

Thanks!

Featured Answer

michelle377

14 years ago

Hi Kurite,

When watering your aloe plant hold it over the sink (if you can) and allow the water to come gushing out the bottom. Make sure the water runs out the bottom for a minute or two, this ensures that the root ball inside is absorbing all it can. You want to do this with any plant you have.

Comments (10)

wantonamara Z8 CenTex
14 years ago
I think watering an aloe well when it is dry in the summertime is a good thing if it comes from a summertime rain area. Some come from a wintertime rain. I don't usually water my aloes in the winter hardly at all. I grow most of my aloes outside in zone 8b. As for watering all your plants in the sink. I hope someone in your house is a good plumber. I have a lot of plants and this would be impractical and back breaking since many of my Aloes have grown to a large size. A hose outdoors is a good thing.
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http://faq.gardenweb.com/discussions/2765911/how-do-i-care-for-my-aloe-vera-plant "Many aloes produce 'pups'. When the pup is fully formed, detach it from the mother plant, let it callus over for a few days in a cool, dry area, and pot it up. If it has roots, pot as you would a regular aloe, allowing for the fact that it is smaller and should be in a suitably sized pot for its size. If it has no roots, let it callus over, place the cut/broken end ON the soil, and support it with top dressing. DO NOT WATER IT-it has no roots, so watering the soil will likely cause rot. Instead, mist it every few days. Roots should start forming within a month. When growth is evident, it can be watered."
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If the part of the smaller plant is brown, it may or may not be a problem: squeeze it gently to see if it is soft. If soft, there could be rot or hopefully, only waterlogged and may dry up. Take them out of the soil, let sit on some newspaper or kitchen towels to dry up, in well ventilated spot (not direct sun). Make sure you get off all the mucky soil - wash it off if necessary. It won't die if out of soil for a while (even few days). How about the leaves - are they just limp or yellowish-looking and very soft? Photo would help... I am not familiar with your soil either (but many members from UK use it - hopefully they will see your post & comment), but I would mix it with min 50% of perlite. If you could get some grit, it may help, mixing approx. 20% of soil and 40/40% of perlite. Make sure there are drainage holes in the pot. Do not press soil down too hard when potting, just firm it up. Poking around perimeter of the pot while adding soil will help it to settle down. You could always use some larger rocks to support the plant after potting - while it is growing roots to anchor itself in the pot.
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It needs well draining mix, and more light. Soft leaves are usually sign of overwatering. If that's the case, leaves will start getting very soft and almost yellowish in color. Even if your mix is dry on surface, it may be wet around the roots. Mixing lots of coarse perlite with soil may help. Light color of the leaves is because of lack of light, not water. Those new leaves are extremely thin and have almost no chlorophyll. Even new leaves should have darker green color and be rather short, with spines - just like older leaves, but small. Pls. put it in better light, but slowly - they could burn very easily now.
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Did you put it out in the sun w/out doing it GRADUALLY? Turning more purple is the plant's reacting to stronger light. Unfortunately, potting it larger was a mistake & makes the plant more vulnerable to root rot. Especially since your mix doesn't seem to have much Perlite. If mine, I'd amend that soil w/ lots more Perlite or Pumice so that it's 50/50 of each parts of each, to be sufficiently fast draining. Is this your first Aloe? Generally speaking, it's recommended that Aloes be potted in a pot size only one or 2 inches bigger than the rootball. My pix below, are different Aloes than A vera. But pls note the proportion of plant to pot size, much smaller than what you're using. (I grow indoors only.) Also, pls note how coarse my mix is. So I'd recommend you amend your soil & then pot it down smaller to a more appropriate sized pot.
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christoula
14 years ago
does this watering apply to all aloes?
aloefreak1
14 years ago
I would think so. I water my aloe plants two or three days after it completely dries out. I drench them in water and they do fine.
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
14 years ago
Christoula,

You should know that this information applies to most Aloes - see wantonamara's response re depending on the Aloe, because a fixed watering schedule doesn't apply to all Aloes, just most.
christoula
14 years ago
Thanks Cactusmcharris! (and aloe freak lol) I have an aloe (I think) plicatilus, ..I say I think becuase out of nowhere a few months ago it began turning. I brought it back from Florida March of '08 when it was only three pieces branching.. it has now more than doubled in size, has a good 15 leaves now. But the growing has slowed as its turning?? Not sure whats goin on here.. any ideas?
Christina
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
14 years ago
I don't know what you mean by turning but these want minimal/no water in the summer - it's from areas that are primarily winter-rainfall. The lower leaves turning black are a normal pattern of growth.

The linked information found via Google is informative and accurate.

'plicatilis' - folded or pleated

Here is a link that might be useful: The Pleated Aloe
christoula
14 years ago
Thanks so much! Yes, mines just like that..much smaller tho, but it was growing like that..fanning out, but each leaf is now "turning" in a clockwise direction. so that looking from above the plants shape would be circular.. does that help the mental picture? ive tried posting pics here, just wont happen! lol Thank you for the link again, and thanks for the watering info!
Christina
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
14 years ago
Yes, turning branches aren't abnormal, Christoula - all's right with the Aloe, but you could post a picture that might help things.

Here is a link that might be useful: We need a picture at this juncture
tropicalbreeze
14 years ago
I water my once a week depening on how dry . i do no they hate the cold i losta lots of plants to the cold sign tropical breeze

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