Aloe

The aloe genus (Aloe) includes 270 evergreen succulent species of various shapes and sizes. The leaves are usually succulent oblong-triangular, pointed, collected in a rosette very similar to an agave rosette. Flowers, tubular or bell-shaped, are collected in racemes or panicles, of various bright colors: pink, red, orangish or yellow. Aloe arborescens (A. arborescens) is a plant with a height of 4-5 m; at the top of the non-branching stem is a bunch of long, narrow prickly erect or curved (the oldest) leaves. In winter, red tubular flowers bloom. Aloe Spinosa (A. aristata) is a stemless plant that forms large bushes. The rosette is formed by closely spaced gray-green leaves with white edges with outgrowths and white spines. In spring, crimson flowers are formed. Short-leaved aloe (A. brevifolia) is a low-growing species that forms sprouts (lush shoots with a Bud) with a dense rosette of light green narrow prickly leaves up to 10 cm long. The flowers are red. Awesome aloe (A. ferox) - a plant up to 3 m tall with thick wide glaucous leaves 70 cm long with brown spines. Flowers that bloom in spring are collected in long (sometimes more than 1 m) brushes. Aloe striata (A. striata) is a plant 60 cm tall with fleshy, oblong-triangular gray, longitudinally striped sessile leaves without spines, with a white edge that turns pink in the sun; the leaves are collected in a basal rosette. The flowers that bloom in summer are red or yellow. Aloe variegated (A. variegata) is one of the most common indoor plant species that tolerates heat in residential areas quite well in winter. As indoor plants, two more species are grown: aloe ERU (A.ERU), whose leaves secrete a very bitter yellow juice when broken, and aloe soap (A. saponaria), its non - hot juice is widely used in folk medicine.

The aloe genus (Aloe) includes 270 evergreen succulent species of various shapes and sizes. The leaves are usually succulent oblong-triangular, pointed, collected in a rosette very similar to an agave rosette. Flowers, tubular or bell-shaped, are collected in racemes or panicles, of various bright colors: pink, red, orangish or yellow.

Aloe arborescens (A. arborescens) is a plant with a height of 4-5 m; at the top of the non-branching stem is a bunch of long, narrow prickly erect or curved (the oldest) leaves. In winter, red tubular flowers bloom.

Aloe Spinosa (A. aristata) is a stemless plant that forms large bushes. The rosette is formed by closely spaced gray-green leaves with white edges with outgrowths and white spines. In spring, crimson flowers are formed.

Short-leaved aloe (A. brevifolia) is a low-growing species that forms sprouts (lush shoots with a Bud) with a dense rosette of light green narrow prickly leaves up to 10 cm long. The flowers are red.

Awesome aloe (A. ferox) - a plant up to 3 m tall with thick wide glaucous leaves 70 cm long with brown spines. Flowers that bloom in spring are collected in long (sometimes more than 1 m) brushes.

Aloe striata (A. striata) is a plant 60 cm tall with fleshy, oblong-triangular gray, longitudinally striped sessile leaves without spines, with a white edge that turns pink in the sun; the leaves are collected in a basal rosette. The flowers that bloom in summer are red or yellow.

Aloe variegated (A. variegata) is one of the most common indoor plant species that tolerates heat in residential areas quite well in winter.

As indoor plants, two more species are grown: aloe ERU (A.ERU), whose leaves secrete a very bitter yellow juice when broken, and aloe soap (A. saponaria), its non - hot juice is widely used in folk medicine.

Cultivation

In areas with mild climates, aloe can be grown outdoors. In cool climates, plants are kept in pots indoors or in a sheltered place in winter, and in the warmer months they are taken out to the garden or terrace. Aloe requires frequent liquid fertilization (once every 15-20 days at the rate of 1 g of full mineral fertilizer per bucket of water).

Location

A well-lit or sunny place is required.

Temperature

The air temperature varies depending on the stage of vegetation: during germination-20-21 °C, during relative dormancy with minimal watering can drop to 8-10 °C, and during active growth - gradually increase to 40 °C and above.

Watering

In summer it is frequent, in winter the soil is kept moist, preventing drying out.

Transplant

Transplanted from small pots with a diameter of 8-10 cm in (over time) larger 25-30-centimeter containers. Consecutive transplants are usually made in the spring.

Reproduction

In addition to seed propagation in spring, it is possible to propagate plants vegetatively from species that form lateral shoots with a small root system. Shoots are separated and dried for 1-2 days before planting in a pot. The soil is used the same as for the main cultivation - from earth, peat and sand with the addition of a full mineral fertilizer at the rate of 2-3 g per bucket of water.

Diseases

Aloe leaves, and in some cases - part of the roots that are located directly under the root neck, are affected by grape mealybug. In this case, the plants are treated with appropriate anticoccidial drugs.