If you are an enthusiastic plant grower you have probably encountered the problem of your aloe vera stalks turning brown. This is one of the most common issues that aloe vera growers all around the world face on a daily basis.
Aloe vera is a sensitive plant and requires just the right amount of light and water for a healthy growth rate. It gives your living space a trendy look plus it has medicinal properties. It is a very practical and mostly low-maintenance plant.
However, when it comes to maintenance it can be a bit tricky if you don’t know how to take care of this plant or if you are a new plant grower.
Browning of Aloe Vera stalks can happen due to many reasons, mostly because of improper growing techniques and improper maintenance habits. Aloe vera stalks turn brown if kept under direct sunlight and if provided excessive water.
Aloe may be a low maintenance plant but It requires a very specific habitat for an accelerated growth rate.
However, some yellowing, especially the yellowing of the plant bottom, is totally natural.
Is your bamboo turning yellow? Find out why here.
What Does Aloe Vera Plants Require?
Aloe vera plants have some prime requirements in order to grow up to their full potential. Here is a list of some of the basic things that an aloe vera plant might require!
1. Water Requirement of the Aloe Vera Plant
Aloe vera plants are desert plants or succulents. They do not require a lot of water and are low maintenance when it comes to hydration. Overwatering can cause root rot or fungus that ends up killing your plant. This will also cause your stalks to turn brown.
In fact, the most common cause of yellowing and browning of Aloe vera stalks is improper soil moisture. Therefore, it should only be watered once every two weeks during its growth stage and once 3-4 times a week during the winter season.
Please make sure that the soil has no moisture before watering. You can do so by placing your finger 1-2 inches into the soil. This way you can determine whether your plant requires water or not. Additionally please make sure that your pot has a drainage hole as Aloe vera plants cannot tolerate stagnation. To sum it all up you need to provide just the right amount of water.
2. Light Requirement of Aloe Vera Plant
Aloe vera is a sensitive plant therefore special care should be taken when you need to determine where to place it in your house. It is prone to burning therefore it should not be kept in a place where it receives direct sunlight.
Therefore, you should place it in a place where it receives bright but indirect light. It will also grow very well in areas with high or low humidity with an average temperature of 55-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Soil Requirement of Aloe Vera Plant
Aloe vera requires a soil type that doesn’t retain a lot of water. Therefore, using a soil type that holds too much water can be detrimental to the plant and can cause root rot. However, using a soil type that doesn’t retain a lot of water can also be harmful to the plant.
Nurseries would recommend you to use a cactus mix or any soil type that doesn’t cause water retention or dehydration.
What Kind of Pot Should You Go For?
Repotting of Aloe vera is something that you should avoid. Aloe vera plants require tightened roots. Therefore, opt for a larger pot if the root percentage is more than the soil percentage.
Choose a pot that doesn’t allow moisture retention and helps the soil to stay dry. Therefore opt for terra cotta or clay pot instead of plastic containers. Additionally, please make sure that your pot has a drainage hole.
Should You Use Fertilizers?
Aloe vera plants are low-maintenance plants that do not require fertilizing. However, you can provide cactus feed during the spring season. Please make sure to provide none during their hibernation stage during winters.
Propagation Methods Of Aloe Vera
Aloe vera plants are very easy to propagate. You can propagate aloe vera through the leaves themselves. However, please make sure to not uproot the parent plant in the process. The leaves that grow off the parent plants are called pups.
You can follow the given steps to propagate aloe vera:-
- Detach the pups from the stalk of the main or parent plant.
- Keep the pups in a warm area outside under direct sunlight to make sure that they callous over.
- 3. At this point you will have to start planting! Plant them in a terra cotta or clay pot (make sure of the existence of the drainage hole) in a small amount of cactus soil mix. Make sure to water them and keep the plant in a shady area that receives bright but indirect sunlight.
Harvesting and use of Aloe Vera
The best part about harvesting Aloe vera is its ease. You can harvest Aloe vera by simply cutting a piece of the leaf. The cut part(not the entire leaf) will heal and dry up. Please make sure to not cut off the parent stalk.
You can take an entire leaf if the need arises. You can also store the remaining part of a leaf by wrapping it up in aluminum foil.
Aloe vera can be used as a cleaning product. Moreover, it is very well known for its healing properties and is used to heal burns, improve digestive health, heal acne, promote oral health. You also gift your propagated Aloe vera plants to your friends and family members.
Bottom Line
Aloe vera plants are a great boon to mankind. Aloe vera plants have medicinal properties that can be of great use on a daily basis.
Browning of the plant can be a real problem but with good care and high-quality manure, you can prevent them from turning brown.
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