Aloe motley will decorate any room. Externally, a houseplant has an attractive appearance. In addition to decorative properties, the flower is characterized by healing properties and simple care. Subject to the necessary conditions for the development of the plant, you can see how it blooms.
Aloe motley or brindle - what kind of flower
Aloe motley is one of the varieties of the genus Aloe. Otherwise, the flower is called brindle or variegata. The culture belongs to the family of succulents. Perennial flower grows on window sills or in open ground (in summer).
Features of growing aloe motley
A brief description of what aloe variegata looks like
Aloe motley can reach a height of 30 cm, the leaves grow from the roots, forming a rosette. The length of the leaves of the plant can reach 15 cm, and along the edge they have small spikes and a white border. The color of the leaves is dark green, a distinctive feature is the presence of stripes and spots of white color.
Description of Tiger Aloe
The roots of the culture are well developed. Subject to all the rules, the plant forms a peduncle with buds of scarlet or red.
Healing properties
The aloe variegata flower has healing properties:
- has an antibacterial and diuretic effect;
- promotes wound healing;
- effective in the treatment of infectious diseases;
- boosts immunity;
- eliminates inflammatory processes.
In addition, aloe is often used in cosmetology to restore skin and even out skin tone. Plant juice is used to treat digestive organs.
Important! The composition of aloe includes amino acids necessary for the development of the human body.
Care for variegated aloe at home
In the wild, culture prefers an arid climate. In order for motley aloe to develop well at home, it is necessary to observe some features of care.
Illumination and temperature
Properly selected place for placement is the main requirement for the development of spotted aloe. Install a culture tank in a well-lit place. With a lack of light, special lamps are additionally used. However, in the warm season, the plant prefers a small partial shade, which will reduce the risk of burns on the leaves. In indoor conditions, the flower should be placed on the windowsills located on the south side of the house. A suitable temperature for aloe is 12-18 degrees Celsius.
Features of plant care
Watering rules and humidity
The variety is undemanding to moisture, so watering is rare. In the hot season, water the bush once every 10 days, in winter the frequency is reduced to once every 2 weeks. The introduction of fluid is carried out only when the soil in the pot becomes dry. Regular soil moisture causes rot on the roots and can harm the plant.
Top dressing and soil quality
They feed the plant only with liquid fertilizers. To do this, the product is diluted in water and applied to the soil by irrigation. The flower uses mineral fertilizers designed specifically for succulents. You can also use wood ash, humus or a decoction of vegetables. Top dressing is applied once a month.
Soil is chosen so that it passes air well. With independent preparation of the soil, it is necessary to mix one part of garden soil, one part of humus and part of large river sand. The top layer must be lined with coarse sand or small pebbles.
Important! If the soil for planting is prepared independently, it must be decontaminated. A light manganese solution is used for this.
Flower Tank Size
When choosing a container for planting aloe variegate, it is important to ensure that the roots of the plant do not rest against the walls. The best solution is free pots. During the growth period, a bush is transplanted and soil replaced.
Important! For planting, it is necessary to use wide ceramic pots, this facilitates the process of caring for the plant.
Choosing an Aloe Planting Pot
Pruning and transplanting
You should inspect the plant and carry out sanitary pruning. At the same time, all damaged and dried leaves are removed. When the buds are wilted, flower stalks are also recommended to be removed.
Flowering and resting period of tiger aloe
Tiger Aloe begins to bloom only 4 years after planting. In early spring, a peduncle with buds appears. They have small white stripes and an elongated shape. Inflorescences exude a slight odor.
Aloe flowering period
The plant dormancy period begins in mid-October and lasts until February. It is practically not necessary to take care of the plant. Watering is reduced to once every 3 weeks. The air temperature should be no more than 10 degrees heat.
Reproduction of motley aloe
Variegated aloe can be propagated by both cuttings and seeds. The flower grower chooses the most suitable breeding method individually.
Cuttings
This method of aloe propagation is often used. Procedure:
- Blade, pre-treated with a solution of manganese, it is necessary to cut off the basal shoot.
- The cutting sites are sprinkled with charcoal to reduce the risk of infection in an adult bush.
- Cuttings are laid out on a soft cloth and wrapped for several days.
- Drainage is placed at the bottom of the pot, after which there is a nutrient mixture.
- Prepared cuttings are placed for several hours in Kornevin.
- Planting material is buried in the soil by 3-4 cm and tied to a small temporary support.
- Watering 6 days after planting.
- After the appearance of the roots, the plant is transplanted to a permanent place.
Propagation of the plant using cuttings
Often, aloe propagation is carried out by root processes. The use of such planting material accelerates the process of plant adaptation to a new place.
Important! If an aloe leaf is used during propagation, it should not be placed in water until the roots appear. Such actions will provoke the appearance of rot.
Seed cultivation
Using the seed method is a more time-consuming process, however, it also allows you to get high-quality planting material. Algorithm of actions:
- When the plant fades, carefully collect seeds from seed bolls.
- Prepare a light solution of manganese and soak the planting material in it for 10 minutes.
- Pour the soil into the prepared container and pour it with water.
- Seeds spread out on the ground and easily pressed. From above, close the container with plastic wrap and place it on the windowsill.
- Water every 4-5 days.
- After the formation of leaves, transplant seedlings into a pot.
For a plant to grow quickly, the room temperature must be at least 22 degrees Celsius.
Seed propagation method
Growing problems, diseases and pests
The plant is rarely susceptible to disease, but sometimes aloe is attacked by harmful insects. Common flower pests:
- Scabies are small insects, when they appear on the stem and leaves, small brown densities form. To fix the problem, it is necessary to wash each sheet using a solution of laundry soap.
- Spider mite - this pest can be seen by the formation of cobwebs on the leaves. The plant becomes weak and can completely dry. It is recommended to wipe affected areas with an alcohol solution.
With improper care, problems often occur that slow down flower growth:
- The root neck rots - this problem manifests itself with frequent watering. To eliminate it, it is necessary to transplant the culture and reduce the frequency of watering.
- The flower does not grow - most often the clay soil is the cause of the problem. The plant should be transplanted into a new substrate with the addition of sand.
- Yellow leaves are a sign of excess fertilizer. To solve the problem, the frequency of top dressing is reduced to once every 3-4 months.
Growing tiger aloe does not require much effort. The crop is undemanding in watering and does not need to be pruned. Aloe leaves have medicinal properties and are often used for cosmetic purposes and folk recipes.
