Last Updated on January 12, 2022 by Marco C.
How often do I water aloe vera? This is a popular question for many first-time gardeners. If you are faced with the same dilemma, you have come to the right place. Today on the blog, we will tackle watering techniques for aloe vera, including solutions to the most common problems connected with improper watering.
Aloe vera is a kind of succulent with long green leaves. It has spikes on the edges and is commonly grown as a houseplant. It has many uses, including medicinal ones. A succulent collection is never complete without an aloe vera plant.
These plants are very easy to grow – they don’t even need a lot of care to thrive. Yet, watering aloe vera needs to be done correctly to propagate the plants.
Recommended Aloe Vera Varieties For Planting Indoors
Aloe vera plants come in different varieties. Choosing the best type of aloe vera can enhance your indoor garden. The following are the most attractive varieties of aloe vera.
- Tiger or Partridge-Breasted Aloe (Aloe variegata) – This aloe vera is very unique. Thanks to the short and smooth leaves that come with uneven white stripes. Its skin looks like zebra, which can create contrast in your succulent collection. This variety is small, so if you want to know how to water aloe vera plants, you need to adjust your watering technique accordingly.
- Lace Aloe (Aloe aristata) – This type of popularity for its sawtoothed leaves with white spots all over.
- Blue Aloe (Aloe glauca) – This aloe vera comes with big blue-green leaves, which are rather perfect for outdoor settings. It’s normally seen in the center of landscapes, pathway edgings, and corners of entryways. If you want to bring it inside to decorate your dry corner, you can do so with a big pot.
Learn more about: How Often To Water Aloe Plant Indoors
How Often Do I Water The Aloe Vera I Just Bought?
Newly bought aloe vera can be a bit sensitive due to shipment or unnecessary movement in their root system. While aloe vera plants can grow in neglect, you may need to watch your newly bought plant closely. The following are some issues with newly bought aloe vera plants.
Unstable Root System
You may never know whether the aloe vera plant has been planted correctly or whether it has grown some roots over time. Watering aloe vera plants should be done staggeringly and not too often. But when your newly bought plants do not have a strong root system, the chances of survival are slim regardless of the times you water them. After buying an aloe plant, you need to check the root system or replant it in a better spot.
Diseases
Your aloe vera could be suffering from diseases such as pest infestation before you’ve bought it. This is why most newly bought aloe vera eventually die days after the shipment. Pests like mealybugs, aphids, and spider mites can cause tragic ends to your aloe vera plants.
Root Rot
Acclimating a newly bought aloe vera plant requires new owners to know how the care is previously given to it. So, ask the shop for some care history. Has it been watered properly? If the watering technique is faulty, your plant can suffer from root rot. Note the signs of root rot do not show immediately. Your aloe vera plant could appear healthy when you buy it but after a couple of days in the home, you could start seeing unhealthy signs.
So how often do I water aloe vera – this is a question we often faced. The right watering technique for aloe vera plants depends on the timing. Generally, you only have to water your aloe vera plant once a week.
It is ideal to feel the soil before watering to ensure that the soil is not waterlogged. Just water enough to make the soil moist, otherwise you need to skip watering for a day.
How Often Do I Water Aloe Vera That Is Already Matured?
How much water for aloe plants sometimes depends on the maturity level of the plant. Established plants may not need as much water as the young’s. Even so, watering is the most challenging part of keeping your aloe vera plant healthy.
Here are some tips to maintain your matured aloe vera.
- Water aloe vera plants deeply but not frequently. The soil should feel moist after watering but you shouldn’t allow it to become bone dry. The root can rot when the soil stays very wet.
- To ensure you are not overwatering your plant, wait for 1/3 of the topsoil to dry out between waterings. For example, if you have planted your aloe vera at least 6 inches deep, at least 2 inches of the topsoil should have dried out before you water it again.
- Generally speaking, you can water your aloe plant every 2-3 weeks in the spring or summer. During the winter, aloe plants become dormant, which makes it ideal for you to skip on water.
How Often Do I Water Aloe Vera So They Can Flower?
Aloe vera plants can generally produce flowers when they have reached maturity. Step by step instructions to Get Your Aloe Vera to Flower
Mature aloe vera plants sporadically produce a tall bloom spike—called an inflorescence—from which many cylindrical yellow or red blooms show up. This adds one more degree of importance to the generally wonderful aloe!
Tragically, a blossom is seldom feasible with aloes that are kept as houseplants. If you want to ask how often do I water aloe vera so they can flower, it’s not just about your watering technique.
Aloe vera plants require the best condition to develop blooms. This includes lights, adequate water, and the right temperature. As much as possible, you want to provide your aloe plant with natural nutrients.
If you want you to allow to develop blooms, you need to expose your aloe vera to the outside world from time to time. Give it full sunlight exposure at about 4 to 6 hours. Allow it to breathe some fresh air, feel the right temperature, and your aloe vera will develop flowers anytime soon.
