How to grow Aloe Vera

Where to plant

Outdoors, aloe vera needs a sunny, well drained spot and a climate where frost is rare. It grows in the ground in South and Central Florida, Hawaii, coastal Southern California and the low desert of the Southwest, where it tolerates heat, drought and salty coastal soil. Sources differ on how much cold it takes: UF/IFAS lists it for zones 8 to 11 but notes it is injured by frost in North Florida, while NC State lists zones 10 to 12. In practice, treat any frost as damaging and cover the plants on cold nights in zone 9.

In the Mid-South, the North, the mountains, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, grow it in a pot. Put it outside in a sunny spot once nights stay well above freezing, and bring it indoors to the brightest window before the first frost.

How to plant

1. Buy a potted plant or take a rooted pup from an established clump in spring or summer.
2. In the ground, plant in sandy or gravelly soil, or build a low mound so water runs off the crown. In a pot, use a cactus and succulent mix, or one part potting soil to one part sand and one part perlite.
3. Set the plant so the base of the leaves sits just above the soil. Burying the leaves invites rot.
4. Water lightly to settle the mix, then wait until the top of the soil dries before watering again.
5. Space plants in the ground about 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) apart, as each one spreads by pups into a clump.

Watering and feeding

Aloe stores water in its leaves and is very drought tolerant. Root rot from too much water kills far more plants than drought does. From spring to early fall, water thoroughly when the surface of the mix is dry, and never leave the pot standing in a saucer of water. From fall through winter, water just enough that the leaves do not shrivel.

Aloe needs little or no feeding. Fresh mix every couple of years when you repot gives a potted plant what it needs, and plants in the ground in sandy soil grow on without help.

Pruning and care through the year

• Repot about every two years into a pot slightly larger than the last, leaving 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5 to 4 cm) between the roots and the side of the pot.
• Divide crowded clumps by lifting the pups with some roots attached and potting them up on their own.
• Indoor plants that stretch, pale or flop need more light. Move them to a brighter window or under a grow light.
• Outdoor plants send up tall spikes of yellow to orange flowers in late winter or spring once they are a few years old; indoor plants rarely flower.

Harvesting

Cut the largest, plumpest outer leaves at the base with a clean knife, taking only a few at a time so the plant keeps growing. Slit it open and scoop out the clear inner gel, leaving behind the yellow sap just under the skin.

The yellow sap just under the skin contains anthraquinone compounds that irritate the skin and act as a strong laxative, so keep it out of the gel. NC State notes the gel is safe for most people on the skin, but the leaves can cause contact dermatitis in some, so test a little first. Use the gel soon after cutting.

Growing in pots

A pot is the best way to grow aloe across most of the country. Use a wide, fairly shallow pot with large drainage holes, since the roots spread sideways and the plant becomes top heavy. A cactus and succulent mix, or potting soil mixed with sand and perlite, drains well enough.

Propagation and saving seed

Aloe vera is propagated almost entirely from pups, the small offsets that come up around the base of the mother plant. Once a pup is a few inches tall, ease it away with some roots attached, let any broken surface dry for a day, and pot it up in dry succulent mix. Water lightly after about a week.