Aloe flower: home care and main varieties
Content:
A herbaceous and perennial plant is the aloe flower. Everyone has heard of him, and in almost every home he can be found on the windowsill. But not everyone knows how to care for him and how to ensure that this decorative flower, a resident of Africa, feels great at home.
Description of the flower
Home care for aloe is simple, more on this below, and now a brief description of the plant. Aloe, agave belongs to the Liliaceae family. The most common type in the house is a tree-like shrub.
The plant itself has a stem with fleshy leaves located on it, curved and with thorns along the edge. If all the conditions are met, knocks out an arrow with scarlet flowers. But most often it is an ornamental succulent plant, in which the leaves are collected in a root rosette, dark green, fleshy. Plant shape and size depend on a particular species.
Aloe is an ancient plant
Aloe is a home flower, known for a long time for its healing properties, as it contains many useful compounds and vitamins. It is used in folk medicine in recipes for colds and for treating wounds and burns. The benefits are great for the skin and hair in folk masks. It is a natural antibacterial and antiviral agent, and the leaves have a bright but mild laxative effect.
Common varieties
In nature, there are about 400 species and varieties of aloe. But the most common varieties of aloe are as follows:
- tree-like - a shrub, in natural conditions it reaches a height of up to 3 m. It is he who is often called an agave;
- spinous aloe - small succulent, has a sharp edge of a leaf collected in a rosette, the flower has a bright and striped color;
- variegated aloe reaches a height of no more than 30 cm, and its color corresponds to its name. The spotted leaf can be covered with specks and stripes of dark light colors. It is also called tiger aloe;
- quiver aloe - cockerbum, or a trembling tree that grows up to 9 m in height. It is he who is called the symbol of the south of Namibia;
Aloe tree is most often found in apartments
- folded - a shrub or a small tree, no more than 3-5 m with a short, strongly branching trunk;
- aloe vera grows in the vastness of the Mediterranean, has a low shoot, but fleshy leaves. It is most often used in traditional / alternative medicine;
- the smallest, not exceeding 10-12 cm of aloe, is called the Descoings variety;
- frightening aloe is a massive shrub, reaching 2 or more m in height, with thick and fleshy leaves, decorated with reddish-brown thorns along the edge.
The terrifying aloe is striking in size
These are the most common and well-known types of aloe, but not the only ones.
Home care
How to care for aloe? Everything here is quite simple, but also difficult at the same time, because this plant came to Russia from arid and hot countries. But with proper care, the indoor prickly handsome man will delight with his color.
Watering
For aloe, care begins with proper watering. It is carried out after the surface of the soil in the pot dries up, but this is in the summer.If it's winter on the calendar, you should water less often. Water so that the water does not get into the outlet itself, and when it pours into the pan, let the plant stand like this for 10 minutes, after which you need to drain the rest.
Drought is not terrible for a flower, because the foliage of the plant, the fleshy mass absorbs a sufficient amount of it, and even if you leave it for a week without water, it certainly will not suffer. It is important not to overdo it with water in winter.
Lighting
Growing aloe requires adequate lighting. This is a light-loving plant, therefore it is recommended to place it on the south side of an apartment or house. The main thing is to avoid direct sunlight to avoid burning the foliage. If we talk about winter lighting, then there is little natural light, therefore artificial lighting with the help of fluorescent lamps or fluorescent lamps is permissible.
With the right lighting, the plant will delight with bright greenery.
Temperature and humidity
Almost every specialized description of aloe care in the literature also provides for such important factors as humidity and temperature. With regard to humidity, the flower is not fundamental, it calmly tolerates both humid and dry air in the room.
When growing a flower, temperature is more important. In the winter months, the plant feels comfortable at a level of 12-14 ° C. This provides him with a period of rest.
Soil and fertilizing
As for the composition of the soil, you can buy the land ready-made in the store and add a little charcoal and brick chips to it. If you cook it yourself, mix turf, leafy earth, sand and humus in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1. Charcoal should also be added to the mixture. The pH level of the earth is slightly acidic.
It is worth feeding the plant from mid-spring to the first frost with an interval of 3-4 weeks as needed. After the plant is dormant, no fertilizer is applied.
A young plant is transplanted every year, but an adult is transplanted every 2-4 years, depending on its size. Deeper pots should be chosen, and laying on the bottom of the drainage layer is mandatory.
Examples of caring for a flower in a pot
There are a number of tips on how to care for aloe in a pot at home. In early May and at the very end of October, before the first frost, it can be taken out into the street, caring according to the rules described above. The main thing is to understand that 80% of the flower consists of liquid, so even the first light frosts will have a detrimental effect on it.
Maintenance in winter provides for a dormant period: a minimum of watering and no feeding. At this time, it is in a state of sleep, so there is no need to disturb it once again. In the question of whether it is worth pruning aloe, there is a simple answer: if these are tree-like, tall varieties, then yes. This will stimulate the growth of side shoots and rejuvenate the plant.
It is important to know what diseases and insects harm the plant. Most often he is struck by:
- root rot. It spoils the root system, and the plant rots. The reason lies in the excess moisture. If found, it is worth replanting the plant or rooting young shoots;
- dry rot is already the opposite pathology, which arises from a lack of moisture. In this case, the plant dries out from the inside and it is almost impossible to save it;
- shield. It sucks out all the juices from the plant, and this leads to its weakening and wilting. To combat it, you can treat the plant with a vinegar solution or with store-bought preparations, following the instructions;
- A spider mite is a small reddish spider that braids a plant with cobwebs. Against him, it is worth treating the plant with infusion of tobacco and soap, rinse under running water.If it is not possible to remove it in 2-3 treatments, it is worth resorting to store-bought preparations.
Aloe bloom
Many owners believe that aloe bloom is a rare occurrence, and the prickly doctor blooms once every 20-30 years. But, if all the conditions of detention are observed, the plant will take the artificial habitat for natural and will bloom often and abundantly. Often, only one arrow is knocked out in the upper leaf axil. The blossoming flower contains a large amount of nectar, therefore it has a bright and very rich aroma. Most of them resemble bell flowers, but narrower and more elongated.
How to get aloe to bloom
Reasons why it does not bloom
Aloe blooms subject to all conditions of detention, but there are a number of reasons why it may not knock out the buds for a long time:
- the plant is still young;
- lack of natural / artificial lighting;
- excessive waterlogging or improperly selected substrate;
- it was not transplanted for a long time;
- the room is too humid;
- lack of early and full wintering and a state of dormancy;
- defeat by one or another disease.
And the main thing is sufficient daylight hours.
Aloe blooms very beautifully
Reproduction methods
Aloe can be propagated both by seeds and by cuttings. The first method is troublesome as such, but even a beginner can handle the second.
Seeds
At the very beginning, a layer of drainage is formed at the bottom of the flowerpot, then a layer of nutritious and light earth, into which the seeds are sown. Sprinkle with soil is not worth it, just spray it from a spray bottle and cover with glass or film, airing once a week. The flowerpot should be protected from direct sunlight, the temperature should be kept within 20 ° C.
Seedlings are planted in individual flowerpots one month after the emergence of sprouts. Subsequent transplants are carried out at intervals of every 3 months. After that, they provide care as for an adult plant.
Children
In the spring, children are separated from the mother bush, young shoots with part of the root system are planted in a separate container. While the plant takes root, it is sheltered from direct sunlight, and after the aloe takes root and grows, they provide care as for an adult plant.
Thus, aloe is not that difficult to care for. It is not for nothing that he is kept in every second apartment. Not only does it look spectacular and unusual, it also brings great benefits in the treatment of various diseases.
