A common refrain you hear from gardening enthusiasts is that caring for an aloe vera plant is difficult.
The truth is that aloe vera is one of the easier plants to care for and it’s super hardy.
However, there is a trick to watering an aloe vera plant and if you don’t know how to do it, you can damage the plant and that might lead to damaged aloe vera leaves and to a belief that these plants are harder to care for than they are.
So, here’s a quick (and free) guide to taking care of aloe vera properly.
How To Water Aloe Vera Plants
Aloe plants should always be watered with either rainwater or distilled water and not tap water (that’s because they don’t get along with the Fluoride or Chlorine that they use in water treatment processes).
You should always water aloe vera slowly, too. It’s just a more efficient use of water and stops it from pouring out the drainage holes in the pot later on.
We should note that we love aloe vera plants and that’s why we recommend them in our favorite low maintenance plants for bachelor pads, you can find them easily enough at these online nurseries too.
Pouring Techniques For An Aloe Plant
When you pour water onto aloe vera you want to use a nice steady, consistent pour, and stop as soon as you see water coming out of the pot.
Why Water An Aloe Vera Plant From The Bottom?
Whether you plant aloe vera indoors or you plant outdoors, the roots of this succulent plant need plenty of water.
That means when you water your aloe vera, you need to water from the bottom of the plant and not the top.
If you pour water over the top, you can leave the plant soaking wet but with no water at the roots. And once the plant is exposed to indirect sunlight or direct sunlight then that water will evaporate and the plant will end up dehydrating.
When you water from the bottom you can check the potting soil or the garden soil and make sure it’s properly wet.
How Much Water Do Aloe Vera Plants Need?
Aloe vera’s not that thirsty and, in fact, assuming you water it right, then your watering schedule for indoor plants can be every 2-3 weeks and outdoors? Assuming it rains every now and again a healthy plant for the aloe barbadensis family ought to need no real extra assistance at all.
To determine whether your aloe house plants need watering, stick your finger in the soil to a depth of 2-3 inches, as long as it’s damp or moist? You don’t need to water. If it’s dry. Water away.
Be warned though that overwatered aloe can end up with root rot and that’s not a desirable thing. You can prevent root rot by paying attention to the overall well-being of the plant, if it’s wilting/sagging it needs water but if it starts to swell up and looks discolored? Then you’re overwatering.
Final Thoughts On Keeping An Aloe Vera Plant Hydrated
As long as you start watering the plant and its thick leaves from the bottom, aloe vera is actually very easy to care for and it doesn’t need a huge amount of other attention either.
Don’t forget this plant can grow in desert conditions, so it’s more forgiving than most plants as it has learned to retain water for emergencies.
Finally, if you need any help identifying or caring for a plant we recommend these apps for plant lovers. They’re super helpful and they don’t cost much (if anything, at all).
