How to Care for Potted Aloe Vera and Key Points for Preventing and Treating Common Diseases

Aloe vera is a highly ornamental plant. Its leaves are thick and fleshy, packed closely together, and look very beautiful from a distance. Many office workers keep a pot next to their computer desk, because it not only purifies the air but also brightens up a dull environment. So how do you grow potted aloe vera? What are the key points for preventing and treating common diseases?

1. How do you grow potted aloe vera?

1. The soil must have good drainage

Aloe vera likes to grow in loose soil that drains well and does not easily compact. Ordinary soil can be mixed with some sand, gravel and ash residue; if leaf mold and grass ash can be added, so much the better. Soil with poor drainage and aeration will obstruct root respiration, causing rot and death, but soil that is too sandy often leads to the loss of water and nutrients, making aloe vera grow poorly.

2. Keep the temperature at 15-35°C

Aloe vera is afraid of cold, having long grown in environments that are frost-free all year round. It stops growing at around 5°C, and at 0°C its life processes are impaired; if the temperature drops below 0°C, it will suffer frost damage. The most suitable temperature for growth is 15-35°C, with humidity of 45-85%.

3. Water should not be too little or too much

Like all plants, aloe vera needs water, but it fears waterlogging most of all. In rainy, damp seasons or when drainage is poor, its leaves easily shrivel, its stems and roots rot, and it may even die.

4. Plenty of sunlight, but avoid scorching exposure

Aloe vera needs ample sunlight to grow. Note that newly planted aloe vera should not be exposed to the sun yet; it is best to let it see sunlight only in the morning, and it will take ten days to half a month before it gradually adapts and thrives in the sun.

5. Use organic fertilizer as much as possible

Fertilizer is indispensable to any plant. Aloe vera needs not only nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, but also some trace elements. To ensure that aloe vera is a green, natural plant, use fermented organic fertilizer as much as possible; cake fertilizer, chicken manure and compost are all fine, and worm castings are even more suitable for growing aloe vera.

6. Overwintering management

Potted aloe vera stops growing at 5°C, suffers chilling injury when the temperature falls below 3°C, and below 0°C its leaves will be frostbitten and eventually the whole plant will die. Therefore, in some parts of our country, the temperature must be kept above 5°C, and corresponding measures to raise and maintain warmth must be taken. Potted aloe vera can be moved indoors or into a greenhouse to overwinter. Watering should be controlled and light increased, and the pot can be placed on a south-facing balcony sheltered from the wind. If the humidity is very low, it can be moved out after 9 a.m. on a clear day and moved back indoors before 3 p.m. In addition, a transparent plastic bag can be slipped over the plant; this lets sunlight in while also raising the temperature and humidity, with excellent results.

2. Key points for preventing and treating common diseases of potted aloe vera

The common pests and diseases of aloe vera mainly include anthracnose, brown spot disease and leaf blight. For potted aloe vera at home, the fight against pests and diseases should focus on prevention: choose high-quality, disease-free varieties to plant, strengthen fertilizer and water management, and use protective agents to prevent the occurrence of pests and diseases. Of course, if the aloe vera has already been infected by pests or diseases, chemical agents can also be used to control and prevent their development and spread, but by then the diseased spots have already appeared and cannot be eliminated, and its ornamental value declines accordingly. In fact, the simplest method is this: if a plant is diseased, just throw it away.