How do I get an Aloe Vera plant to flourish?
Question:I have a couple of Aloe Vera plants that just won't seem to do well. I've seen beautiful plants that are thick and lush. Mine have only a few skinny stalks/leaves and the leaves seem to seem to die easily. They are in regular flower pots and as you water them, over the months, the shallow roots become exposed due to soil settlement. Because the roots are so shallow, I feel like all of the moisture drains to the bottom and the roots near the surface die from lack of water. Am I watering too much? Should I use a different type of container, perhaps more shallow or use a differenty type of growing medium such as pea gravel? Should I fertilize them? My normally green thumb is brown when it comes to aloe. Help!
Answers:
Aloe Vera is a dessert plant. Desserts are hot, and dry. When it does rain it usually soaks the hell out of the soil. This is what you want to recreate for your aloe.
You want to give it time to dry out, and then water it again. Also you can try a succulent potting soil designed to retain water at the rate best for succulents. Other succulents include Jade Trees, and Cactus.
I water all of my succulents once a week, maybe two if the soil gets really dry too quickly.
Also if the roots are becoming exposed, bury the plant deeper. When you first do it the plant might look silly, but then when the water displaces some of the soil you will have the roots underground.
use sandy soil put in direct sun, they do great in arizona and like i said out doors direct sun water very little as you see yours are getting rooty.
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