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 How to Care for Aloe Vera Plants

The aloe vera plant is a short-stemmed succulent perennial, which grows 60-85 cm tall. It has thick spiky green leaves which grow in a rosette formation from the base of the plant. Found predominantly in hot, dry climates, the aloe looks a lot like a cactus, although it's actually a member of the lily and onion family.

The leaves of the aloe vera plant can grow to over a foot long and about 3 inches across. The leaves are thick and fleshy and hold a lot of water, which means the aloe vera plant can survive extended periods of drought. In all, there are roughly 200 species free web hosting service although the plant that has come to be cultivated the most is Aloe Barbadensis Miller, also known as aloe vera or literally, 'true aloe'. You'll find it growing across Texas, Mexico and around the Mediterranean.

Aloe Vera plants are very easy to care for and easy to grow in frost-free climates - either as houseplants or outdoors. However aloe vera plants do need a lot of sunlight, so it's best to place them in a sunny spot, or near a window that gets lots of sunlight. A common mistake that many people make free websites hosting tendency to over-water. Remember these plants are succulents - they hold water in their leaves to cope with long periods of drought. So they need less water than you might think.

You should be able to purchase an aloe vera plant near you, at a garden store or nursery. Some aloe vera plants have small white markings on the leaf. This is nothing to worry about, free web hosting no ads will fade as the plant gets older. Look for a healthy plant, with thick leaves and dry soil. You certainly don't want to give aloe vera plants too much water, and in the winter, even less. So make sure the roots aren't waterlogged, and the soil is sandy.

Aloes like to have some room to grow, so do re-pot them as necessary. Expect that a mature aloe vera plant (about 4 years old) maybe about one metre high and 50cm across the widest part of the leaves. But free web hosting like pot won't have to be that large, because the stem and root system is quite shallow. If the outer leaves start to sag or show their age, they can be sliced off, or gently pulled away from the stem.

Once you have an aloe vera plant, you'll have many! You'll find that you'll get lots of aloe vera pups - small plants that grow from the lower part of the main plant. You'll have to remove these gently and re-pot free web hosting org or give them to your friends. They make great gifts! If you leave them with the main aloe vera, they can sap too much energy from the main aloe and cause it to wither.

With a little care and attention, aloe vera plants can live for many years, and provide a fascinating addition to your home or garden, as well as a wonderful source of aloe vera free domain To obtain this gel, just remove one of the lower leaves, cut it in half along its length, and rub the inner pulp over the affected area of skin.