Aloe Vera

The aloe vera plant is an easy, attractive succulent that makes for a great indoor companion. Aloe vera plants are useful, too, as the juice from their leaves can be used to relieve pain from scrapes and burns when applied topically.

Although considered a medicinal plant for humans, aloe vera's level of toxicity is mild to moderate for cats and dogs.

Light

In the garden, you want your aloe vera to get 2 or 3 hours of sun a day.  As a rule, it can take more sun growing in coastal areas than hot inland locations.  

In the summer if placed outdoors, it’s best protected from the hot afternoon sun and mine was actually stressed from being in too much sun. Move it to a spot on the back patio that got lots of bright light but only a couple hours of direct sun. 

Outdoors, aloe vera plant does best out of the strong sun.

Indoors, aloe vera needs as much light as possible, like a south or west exposure. This is not a low light plant and if it’s not getting the light it needs, the leaves will droop downwards.  

Just be sure to keep it out of a hot window (like a west exposure) because the leaves will burn.  It can be near that window but not in it. And, rotate your plant every 6 months or so if it’s not getting light from all sides so it grows straight.

Watering

Aloe vera plants store water in their plump leaves and thick, fibrous roots. They’re easily prone to root rot if the soil mix stays too wet. In other words, they mush out!

No matter where your aloe vera is growing, you want it to almost completely dry out before watering again.  I water mine thoroughly and make sure all that water drains out. You don’t want it to be sitting in any water in a saucer or tray, especially when it’s growing indoors.

In the summer I water mine every 7-14 days, depending on the weather.  

In the winter months, it’ll need even less water, maybe once every month or 2.  

Indoors, once a month will probably do it in the summer and every month or 2 in the winter. I can’t give you a specific schedule. How often you water depends on the size of the plant and pot, the soil mix, and conditions your Aloe vera plant is growing in.

Temperature

As houseplants, average home temperatures are fine for an Aloe vera plant.
Lack of humidity in our homes can be a problem for other houseplants but not this one. It takes the dry air in our homes just fine.

Feeding / Fertilizing

This plant isn’t fussy or needy in regards to fertilizing. Like the majority of succulents, fertilizing isn’t really necessary. I sprinkle a 1/4″ layer of  worm castings topped with a 1/2 – 1″ layer of compost on all my container plants, both indoors and out including aloe vera.

Indoors, you could also use a balanced houseplant fertilizer at half strength, I have a great one for sale on my site HERE.  Whatever you do, don’t over-fertilize (too much or too often) and don’t feed in the colder, darker months, because the plant is resting.

Propagation

Propagating is easiest done by removing and dividing the offsets or pups (babies) which grow off the base of the mother plant.  It’s best to wait until the pups are a good size before removing them because that way the roots are much better formed.

Most succulents can be propagated by stem and/or leaf cuttings but not an aloe vera.  The stems and leaves are way too full of gel and I’ve never had success propagating one this way.