Aloe Vera
Information on the plant, care and use

You will find a brief summary of the most important information here.

• Die Aloe vera is a succulent plant and belongs to the asparagus family.
• As a houseplant, the aloe vera 70 cm large. Even larger specimens can be found in the wild.
• The plant blooms in spring with clustered flowers . The flowers are red, orange or yellow.
• The desert lily is watered once a week in summer . In winter, the aloe is watered approx. every 2 weeks.
• The true aloe is fertilized with succulent fertilizer . There are various options for this, such as fertilizer sticks or liquid fertilizer.
• Repotting should be done when the roots grow out of the bottom of the pot . The new pot should be 4 cm larger in diameter.
• Die Aloe vera is propagated by child . Propagation by cutting off a leaf is not possible.
• As earth is Succulent earth optimal . In general, care should be taken to ensure that the soil has good water permeability. This can be ensured with a proportion of sand. Nutrient-rich soil is not required.
• The aloe does not tolerate frost . The location for the plant should therefore be frost-free. The plant likes very bright light. In a full sun location, the leaves will change color, but this will not harm the plant. A bright, not full sun location is ideal.
• Aloe vera gel can be extracted from the leaves of the plant . You can find detailed instructions on how it works besthere.
• A cut off Leaves of the plant can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen . Refrigerated, it will keep for about 8 weeks. Frozen, the leaf will keep for 8 months.

How to water your aloe vera correctly

In summer, aloe vera should be watered twice a week. In winter, watering once every two weeks is sufficient.

The true aloe ( aloe vera ) is a succulent plant and therefore requires relatively little water. Nevertheless, you should make sure to water the aloe with the right frequency and use the right amount of water. Otherwise, your plant may die if watered incorrectly, either due to waterlogging, disease or drought. Watering is an important part of caring for plants, as they need water to transport nutrients to the leaves and, conversely, to return nutrients from the leaves to the inside of the plant.

Fertilize aloe vera correctly

Aloe vera should be fertilized every 2 weeks in spring and summer if you want the plant to grow as quickly as possible. Succulent fertilizer is the perfect fertilizer. It gives the aloe all the nutrients it needs to grow and thrive. Make sure that you do not fertilize the plant too much. Unfortunately, the saying "a lot helps a lot" does not apply here. Excessive fertilization hinders plant growth. Fertilization methods include liquid fertilizer, solid fertilizer and fertilizer sticks. You can find out about the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods in our detailed article on fertilizing aloe vera.

Repotting aloe vera. A step-by-step guide with helpful tips.

An aloe vera should be repotted as soon as the roots penetrate the holes in the bottom of the pot. The new pot should be about 4 cm larger in diameter than the old pot. We have created a step-by-step guide on the correct procedure for repotting an aloe vera. This also contains useful tips on repotting aloe vera that you may not yet know.

Propagate aloe vera

There are various methods of propagating aloe vera on the internet. These include propagation by seed, propagation by leaf cuttings and propagation by suckers. Since aloe vera only rarely flowers in our latitudes, propagation by seed is not really a suitable method. Propagation by leaf cuttings works even worse. In the often short articles in which the propagation of an aloe vera by leaf cuttings is shown, the leaves are simply cut off and more or less stuck directly into moist soil. directly into moist soil. We have tested various methods with leaf cuttings. None of them were successful.
The only sensible method of propagating an aloe vera is by means of offspring that grow on the mother plant. From a size of 3-4 cm, this can be carefully separated from the mother plant and placed in its own pot. You can find out exactly how you should go about propagating your aloe vera by means of sprouts in our detailed article on the subject.

Aloe vera soil - Which one does the plant prefer?

Succulent soil is very suitable for the plant. The soil has a high sand content, which ensures good water permeability of the substrate. This prevents waterlogging and root rot. As aloe vera does not require nutrient-rich soil, it does not need any special soil. The true aloe (aloe vera) is a succulent plant that is used to nutrient-poor soil due to its origin. This is located on the Arabian Peninsulas, which are dry tropics. It is advisable to recreate the soil there for the aloe vera in your home. You can also make the substrate yourself. A mixture of sand and composted soil is well suited for this. The exact composition and substrate requirements of the desert lily can be found in the article on soil for aloe vera.

Everything you need to know about the right location for an aloe vera plant

Have you bought an aloe vera and don't know where to put it, or is your plant doing badly in its current location? Time for a change of location! But where? Here is an overview of the most important things:

• Aloe vera does not tolerate frost and therefore cannot be kept outside all year round
• Aloe vera likes a lot of sun, but the tips of the leaves can dry out if exposed to direct sunlight for too long
• Excessive moisture damages the plant. So it's better to water a little less
• The perfect location for an aloe vera is in the conservatory. Here the desert lily gets enough sun, is protected from frost and is warm.
• In summer, a sunny spot in the garden is also suitable. Direct sunlight can cause the leaves to turn slightly reddish. However, this is completely normal and does not harm the plant.

Brown leaves on an aloe vera

Even if the plant is well cared for, the aloe may develop brown leaves or brown tips. Too much sun or heat is a possible cause of brown, dried leaf tips. However, the brown tips are not fundamentally detrimental to the health of the plant. If you want to prevent brown tips in the future, move the plant to a less sunny or hot location. A sudden change of location from a darker spot can also trigger brown tips. In future, make sure that you gradually acclimatize the plant to the conditions of the new location. Another cause may be a lack of water.
However, if the leaves become brown and muddy, too much water may be the cause. If root rot has already set in, it will be difficult to save the plant. You can find out more about this in our article on brown leaves and tips on an aloe vera plant. A location that is too dark can also be the cause of muddy brown leaves. In this case, move the plant to a lighter location and wait to see if it recovers.

How you should store aloe vera leaves

It is best to keep an aloe vera leaf whole. This way, most of the leaf is naturally protected by the skin. Cuts cause the leaf to dry out more quickly and are often the place where the leaf spoils. Make sure that you place the cut leaf vertically in a glass or similar for a few hours before storing it. This allows the aloin-containing juice to run off. The leaf is best kept in the fridge or frozen. The leaf will keep for about 8 weeks in the fridge. The structure of the aloe vera gel remains largely unchanged. Frozen, the leaf will keep for up to 8 months. After thawing, however, the structure of the gel changes so that it no longer forms a homogeneous mass on its own.

Make your own aloe vera gel. This is the best method.

Did you know that you can easily harvest the gel from an aloe vera plant yourself? In this article you will find a video and step-by-step instructions on how to do this.

Aloe Vera - The product at our partner store.

We have a partner store where you can buy an aloe vera. When you purchase an aloe vera, we receive a sales commission. The plant will not be more expensive for you.

Aloe Vera Saft

Aloe vera juice has always been popular. It can be drunk as well as used for skin care. Have you ever wondered how the juice is extracted from the plant? The juice is extracted from the gel of the aloe vera leaf. Care is taken to ensure that the aloin-containing juice is completely drained.

Aloe vera and its use and effect on the skin

The plant is said to be a medicinal plant. It is therefore widely used in skin care. This has only been proven to a limited extent. The use of aloe vera on the skin is popular, for example for sunburn or minor burns. This involves harvesting an aloe vera leaf and then waiting until the aloin-containing juice has run off. The aloe vera leaf is then cut open and the inside is rubbed over the skin so that the aloe vera gel is spread over the skin. The effect is cooling and in some cases skin-soothing due to the moisture of the gel. The gel is also used to moisturize the skin. However, care should be taken with wounds. It should therefore only be used on wounds in consultation with a doctor. Please note: Discuss the effect with your dermatologist or GP. Allergic reactions may occur. Then the effect is no longer cooling but the skin becomes irritated.

• Cooling treatment for insect bites
• Treatment for minor burns
• Cooling treatment for sunburns

When using the green plant, make sure that you do not apply aloin to your skin. Aloin is a poisonous sap contained in the leaf. The aloin can be removed from the leaf by standing the cut leaf on end. The poisonous yellow leaf juice will then run off. To be on the safe side, remove the bottom part of the leaf afterwards.

Have you been lying in the sun in the garden for too long and got a sunburn? You can use a sliced aloe vera leaf to cool it down. The gel soothes the skin and has a cooling effect.

Aloe vera products and their ingredients

The gel from the plant is often processed into cosmetic products. In most cases, little remains of the plant's ingredients, which are important for the application. Often, the raw products can simply be used.

Further applications in cosmetics, for example for hair or skin care.

Aloe vera is used in a wide variety of hair products. The most common include shampoos, conditioners and conditioning sprays. The cactus-like succulent is also popular in cosmetics, especially in natural cosmetics, along with many other well-known herbs. It is also said to promote health.