It is not known how and when this plant got into our lands, who and with what purpose settled it in its window, but rather in the winter garden. Perhaps, the history has preserved such information, but few people are interested in it, but a strange looking plant got accustomed, settled on the kitchen window and became part of our everyday life, someone calls it aloe, and someone on the house - agave.
Aloe vera or aloe vera is grown much more often than other species, of which there are more than 300. Unpretentious, like any succulent, it is ready for the most incredible trials and survivability is just fantastic.
Planting material
We used to buy liked indoor plants in a specialty store already in a pot, often quite mature and flowering, but most often we find aloe in friends and relatives, in casual conversation over a cup of tea, we learn a lot of interesting things, about the properties of the plant, about who from acquaintances and what exactly this plant cured - and we take a piece or a babe from a parent plant.
Baby
It is easiest to plant a young plant, which grows a lot from the mother bush at its very foundation. The young aloe is fully formed and its root system is already ready for independent living, but is located on the soil surface, as if waiting for a transplant in its own pot. Small plants are called babies, and planting them is the easiest and most reliable option.
Top of the stem
Part of the stem is well suited for breeding - the tip, with two or three pairs of leaves. She must have a strong, healthy look. It is not necessary to plant it right away, let it lie down for 5 or 6 days, heal its wounds on its own, the places of damage should dry out. However, you can and lower the stalk into the water before the formation of the roots. There is information about possible decay instead of root formation, but in my many years of practice this did not happen, the roots germinated, young plants lived in ordinary water for about six months, were transplanted into pots and rooted normally
Sheet
Could not get hold of the baby or the handle? It does not matter, it is enough leaflet, you need to tear it as close as possible to the parent plant, the smaller the place of separation, the faster the leaf will release the roots. There is no need to hurry with the landing, let it lie for a week, fill the wound, get ready for landing.
Seeds
Such a method of reproduction of aloe is possible, but it is usually used for the cultivation of decorative, variegated types of collectors of succulents.
All the details about the reproduction and cultivation of aloe, you will learn here.
Which pot to choose?
Ceramic pot
The best for any plant is a simple ceramic pot.
The clay from which it is made is a natural material, such a pot allows the root system to breathe, regulates soil moisture well, looks decent in any interior, serves for a long time without losing appearance. And their assortment is diverse, from simple to elegant and very elegant, but all this is secondary, their environmental friendliness comes first.
Plastic pot
A worthy replacement for a ceramic pot was a plastic pot, the flowers in it grow, and the price is much lower. Children's plastic buckets are a thing of the past, they have been replaced by plastic containers for flowers of the most diverse in shape, color and size. And for lovers of the classics, of course, suitable pots and pots of the color of ceramics, but already made of plastic.
However, plastic pots have some drawbacks: they do not allow air and moisture, the soil needs loosening, drainage is especially important and its amount at the bottom of the pot should be no less than one quarter of the volume.
The soil
Aloe does not need fertile soil, suitable shop option for cacti, and he should be mixed with sand one to one. However, an excess of organic matter will not harm the plant and will not make it ugly to stretch out, as many think, on the contrary, on sufficiently rich soil, the plant will give large, rich-green leaves and many children. The main requirement is less clay, it retains water, and to our succulent its excess is very harmful.
How to plant without roots?
- Landing babes. At the bottom of the pot poured fragments of red bricks, shards of clay pots. The bottom must have a hole to remove excess water when watering, the soil when filling the pot is slightly compacted, the baby is buried to the base of the lower leaves and watered abundantly. The appearance of young leaves suggests that the young plant is rooted and grew.
- Landing part of the escape carried out similarly to landing babes. In the event that the germination of the roots was not carried out, and the cutting must root directly into the ground, after planting and watering, cover it with a can. The greenhouse effect will accelerate rooting, the plant will transfer planting easier, new leaves will be a sign of a successful planting.
- Planting sheet It has its own characteristics, it has to take root and give rise to a plant, it takes more time. Dried leaf is planted in sandy soil, not too deep, watered and covered with a can, the less evaporation, the more active the formation of roots. The fact that the leaf is ready to be transplanted to a permanent place, the appearance of shoots will tell, you can put the leaf to a permanent place at once, according to the same rules. The survival rate of 90%.
- Sowing seeds. Seeds propagate exotic, variegated forms. As a rule, a bag of seeds has a clear instruction on germination and further care.
Care
Every plant, without exception, every pet has its own addictions, aloe needs care as much as others. If everything in his life is good, he will please you with flowers, they are at first glance modest, but they appear completely unexpectedly at the end of winter, and the color range of these little bells is so harmonious that it is impossible not to admire them. You can read about aloe bloom in this article.
AT frequent watering plant does not need, you need to water it no more than once in 2 weeks, You can replace the watering by spraying the main thing - do not forget after watering, conduct loosening.
Aloe bloom will make peace - dry cold wintering.
How to transplant at home?
Does the plant grow actively, does the pot get cramped? Buy a container more free, from its edge to the lower leaves should be three or five centimeters of open ground, transplanting is carried out according to the same rules as planting. Both fall and winter are suitable for planting and transplanting.
Centaine or aloe - as if a symbol of homeliness and well-being, lives in every home, with very few exceptions. And even if it cannot live for a whole century, everyone has known its healing qualities for a long time. Maybe it was the desire to live thanks to this healing plant that gave him a name for 100 years, by which it is known by the people.
A photo
See more photos of aloe:
- Diseases and pests of aloe.
- Aloe care.
