How do you care for aloe vera at home? An experienced flower grower sums up 3 tricks for upright, thick, plump leaves and pots bursting with growth

Aloe is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant of the genus Aloe, with thick, plump leaves arranged in a rosette or growing at the top of the stem, and edges bearing sharp tooth-like spines. The variety of cultivars is extremely rich. It is an ornamental plant with both beautiful flowers and foliage, and it also has benefits such as beauty and skin care. In recent years it has become deeply loved by many flower growers.

An experienced flower grower has summed up 3 tricks for growing aloe at home, which can make the leaves upright, thick and plump, and every pot will burst with growth.

1. Fertilizing

Aloe loves fertilizer. Besides needing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, it also needs other trace elements. If you only apply some simple inorganic fertilizer, although it will make it grow very fast, the overall state of the whole plant does not look very good, the leaves are not firm enough, and they lack luster, so the ornamental value is not high. It is best to use organic fertilizer, such as cake fertilizer, earthworm castings fertilizer, fermented sesame paste residue, etc., which can make it grow better.

2. Watering

Aloe likes water and is also drought-tolerant. It can survive for several months away from potting soil without dying. During the growing season, sufficient water can make it grow quickly, but it is averse to waterlogging, so when watering, keep firmly in mind the principle of "water when dry, and when dry, water thoroughly." Just water thoroughly once the potting soil shows signs of turning white and cracking. In summer, you can use the soaking method to water it: put it in a shallow basin of water, and the water enters the potting soil through the small holes at the bottom. Try to spray water on the leaves as little as possible, because the water flow will run along the leaves and collect at the head; if it does not evaporate in time, it will make the leaves rot.

3. Pruning

During the care of aloe, promptly prune away yellowed, dried-up and rotting leaves, otherwise they can easily infect healthy leaves. Also, the leaves at the very bottom of the plant will slowly age. On the surface you cannot see anything, and they are not much different from other leaves, but this kind of leaf will excessively consume nutrients and inhibit the sprouting of new buds and the growth of leaves. This kind of leaf should be pruned away in time. You can look at the back of the leaf head; if there are yellow-black spots, prune it off. The cut wound can be disinfected with alcohol or lime.

That is all for the introduction to aloe care. If flower growers have other additions, you can share them with everyone in the comment section below. If you want to learn more about flower growing knowledge, you can follow Hua Jiankang!