Aloe is the name of the genus of perennial leafy grassy, shrubby, treelike xerophytes and succulents belonging to the Asphodel family. Distribution area Africa, Madagascar, Arabian Peninsula.
The mention of aloe (ahal) is found in the Bible. In Russian, some species of this genus are called agave. The fact is that when breeding a house he rarely had inflorescences, hence the name came from - blooming once every hundred years. Although today, if the plant should be looked after, this exotic phenomenon can be observed annually.
Since ancient times, the plant is considered a home healer, a symbol of health and longevity.
Description of aloe
The plant consists of a stem with fleshy slightly curved leaves, connecting in a spiral outlet. They are smooth, jagged (sharp spikes, soft cilia), elongated, lanceolate, xiphoid and deltoid. The color is from gray to dark green, sometimes with dark or light spots and strokes.
The leaves store water reserves, closing the pores under adverse conditions, so the plant is drought tolerant.
Funnel-shaped flowers of various shades from yellow to red are located on a high peduncle.
Types of aloe
Aloe genus has approximately 300 varieties.
Especially popular for indoor breeding is arborescence (treelike).
| View | Description, leaves | Flowers | |
| Motley (brindle) | Dark green, light transverse stripes. | Rare flowering. | Pink, yellow. |
| Tree-like | Long on a high stalk. | Red, yellow, pink, scarlet. | |
| The present (faith) | Short stalk. Long fleshy green, with spines on the sides. | Orange, yellow-orange. | |
| Spinous (whitish) | Spherical socket. Bluish-green, with whitish spikes and spots. | Yellow, unattractive. | |
| Cosmo | Hybrid spinous, but large. | ||
| Rauha | Gray with white lines. | Bright orange turning into yellow. | |
| Squat | Bluish-green, decorated with white nipple spots, white spikes on the edges. | Red, orange. | |
| Folded | Tall. The stalk is double. Gray-green ribbon-like, have a fan arrangement. Smooth, sometimes slightly jagged edge. | Bright red. | |
| Multi-sheeted (spiral) | Triangular in shape, arranged in a spiral. Green, with small spikes. | Scarlet. | |
| Yukunda | Bright green with white spots and reddish spikes | Pink. | |
| Somali | Similar to Yukunda, but larger. | ||
| Haworthian | Thin greens with white long eyelashes instead of spikes | ||
| Opposite | The gray ones are located opposite each other, with small red spikes on the sides. | ||
| Marlot | Silver-blue with red-brown spikes. | Orange | |
| White-flowered | There is no stem. Lanceolate, gray-violet with white specks, spikes. | White. | |
Aloe care at home
Since aloe is a succulent, caring for it involves the same actions as for all similar plants.
| Parameter | Spring Summer | Autumn winter |
| Location / Lighting | Any window, better east or south. | |
| In strong sun shade. Feels good outdoors, but protect from direct sun. | Do not disturb. | |
| Temperature | + 22 ... +25 ° C | + 8 ... +10 ° C |
| Humidity | Spray in the heat, avoiding the accumulation of water in the outlet. | Not important. |
| Watering | Regular and plentiful, but only when the topsoil dries. (approximately once a week). When flowering, increase. | More rare. At temperatures below +15 ° C, make sure that the soil completely dries out before the next watering. (once a month). |
| Top dressing | Once a month (mineral fertilizer for succulents). | Do not feed. |
Planting, transplanting, soil, pot selection, pruning
After acquiring a plant, it needs adaptation within two weeks.
Pot selected according to preference.
- Clay allows you to breathe in the soil, which allows excess moisture to evaporate. But in the sun, when its walls are warmed up, the roots of the plant begin to develop towards them, braiding them, while drying out.
- Plastic can less often water the plant, but there is a risk of pouring it.
Soil composition: sheet and soddy soil, coarse sand (2: 1: 1).
Young plants are transplanted annually in the spring. Five-year - after 2. Adults - after 3 years.
A day before transplanting, aloe is watered. Then the following actions are performed:
- A new pot is prepared, 1/5 drainage is laid (expanded clay, broken brick), soil is poured.
- The container with the plant is overturned, carefully removed, placed in a prepared pot, added to the soil, carefully compacted (with a blunt-ended stick using clockwise rotational movements).
- It is watered a little, when the earth gets on the leaves, it is carefully cleaned with a damp sponge, while trying to prevent moisture from entering the outlet, this can lead to decay.
- Place the flower pot in a slightly darkened place. Three days withstand without watering.
- Try not to rearrange the transplanted plant for about a month.
Breeding
There are four methods of breeding aloe: seeds, leaf, process and children.
Seminal
In this way, you can get the plant only after a year. Getting seedlings and caring for it requires a lot of attention.
Sheet
Pretty simple method. Planting material can be very easily obtained by plucking the leaf from the mother plant, it is better to treat the cut with activated carbon. It is dried for about 5 days. Then planted in a small pot with a moist substrate, pushing in 5 cm. Cover from above with a glass container. In two weeks it should take root.
Cuttings
Cut the stalk with about 8 sheets. Dried for 5 days. Planted in moist soil, so that the bottom sheets are in contact with it. They put on the windowsill on the sunny side. Rooting occurs within a month.
Kids
It consists in the separation of shoots from the root from the mother plant. They can be with or without roots. In the second case, the root system will develop in time after planting.
Problems with improper care for aloe, disease, pests
| The problem with leaves, etc. | Cause | Treatment |
| Drying ends. | Overgrowth of the root system, lack of nutrition. | Transplanted into a wider container. |
| Twisting. | Lack of care. | Wipe with a damp sponge. Eliminate dust, dirt. |
| Watery consistency, yellowing, softening. | Waterlogging. | Reduce watering, make sure that the topsoil dries out before the procedure. |
| Thinning. | Lack of lighting and water. | Rearrange to a lighted place. Well shed, you can add water to the pan. |
| Brown spots. | Inadequate hydration. | They make sure that when watering, water flows slightly into the pan. |
| Soft dark green spots. | Fungal infection. | They are treated with antifungal agents Glyokladin, Trichodermin. |
| Redness. | Excess sun. | Shade. |
| Falling off. | Irrigation water too cold. | Water the plant only with settled water. |
| Stem drying, cessation of growth. | Root rot. | Remove from the pot, cut off the damaged parts, cut the sections with charcoal, and transfer to a new substrate. In case of decay of the lower leaves, a healthy top is cut off, and after it dries, it is planted. All diseased parts are destroyed. |
| The death of the plant for no apparent reason. | Internal disease dry rot. | Avoid preventive spraying with Phytosporin fungicide. |
| Sticky and shiny. | Shield. | It is treated with a soapy solution. Cleared of insects. In case of severe infection, they are sprayed with drugs, for example, Aktara. |
| Web. | Spider mite. | Spray with Actellic, Actara or Bon Forte. |
| The appearance of cotton pieces. | Mealybugs. | Wash off insects with garlic infusion. They are treated with preparations of Aktar, Fitoverm. |
| Silvery strokes, insects are visible. | Thrips. | Sprayed with insecticides Fitoverm, Karate, Actellik. |
Mr. Summer Resident informs: Aloe is a home doctor
The healing properties of the agave have been known for several millennia. Medicines based on it have anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, choleretic, anti-burn, wound healing effects, they help improve digestion and appetite, treat gastritis and peptic ulcers. Aloe is widely used for pharmacological and cosmetic purposes.
At home, it is used to treat a runny nose. In winter, take sufficiently large leaves, at least 15 cm, pass through a meat grinder, filter the juice, boil for no more than 3 minutes. 5 drops are instilled into each nostril with an interval of 3 minutes (not stored, healing properties quickly disappear.).
Evaporated aloe juice (sabur) is also used for constipation, to increase immunity. Its use is contraindicated for people with diseases of the liver, gall bladder, with hemorrhoids, cystitis, during the menstrual cycle, and pregnant women.
