Aloe is a medicinal flower that can be found in almost any home. There are several varieties of this plant. Aloe treelike does not lose its popularity for a long time, is characterized by unpretentiousness and various healing properties.
Aloe tree - what kind of flower
The birthplace of tree aloe is Africa, where you can often find the ancestors of the plant. In the wild, culture can reach a height of 3 meters.
Aloe - a description of what it looks like, characteristic signs
Aloe flower belongs to the Asphodel family. Its second name is agave. The tree variety differs from aloe vera in external characteristics. At home, the plant grows small.
Aloe tree - a useful flower that is often found in homes
The leaves are long, green, fleshy, with thorns located on their edges. The upper part of the foliage is a rosette, which is formed from converging leaves. The structure of the plates is such that it allows you to keep moisture inside for a long time. The aloe root system is powerful, with many branches that are also necessary to retain water.
Additional Information. In indoor conditions, the plant blooms very rarely, in nature - annually, releasing brushes with inflorescences up to 35 cm. Experienced flower growers provoke the appearance of flowers in an artificial way.
The healing properties of aloe
Aloe people love for its healing properties. The flesh of leaves has a bitter taste, the smell is weak. Fresh juice has an antimicrobial and antibacterial effect and is often used to treat various diseases. An alcoholic and aqueous solution is used in the presence of streptococci, dysentery, diphtheria or typhoid bacillus. Juice has anti-inflammatory, choleretic and laxative effects.
Preparations with aloe in the composition favorably affect the work of the gastrointestinal tract, help with burns, eye diseases. However, it is recommended to consider contraindications to the use of such drugs.
The culture is often used by cosmetics manufacturers, adding parts of it as components of creams, lotions and other products.
Aloe in nature often blooms and grows quite high
Aloe tree care at home
In terms of care, the aloe tree is a fairly unpretentious plant. However, there are features that should be taken into account so that the culture grows and develops well.
Lighting and temperature
Aloe refers to plants that are very fond of light, so for a flower pot it is better to choose the most illuminated place. Culture is not afraid of direct sunlight. If the flower has been in the shade for a long time, then it is gradually accustomed to bright lighting. In winter, bushes sometimes need to be additionally illuminated with special lamps.
Watering rules and humidity
During the growing season, watering is carried out immediately after the earth dries in a pot. In winter, the amount of irrigation is reduced, however, it is not recommended to allow constant soil dryness.
Attention! Watering is carried out only at the root, water should not enter the outlet. Otherwise, the plant may rot.
Humidity for a tree-like aloe is unprincipled, the culture grows well under any conditions.
Aloe has fleshy leaves in which the plant accumulates moisture
Top dressing and soil quality
During active growth, fertilizers are applied three times per season - in early March, mid-July and early October. It is better to use mineral fertilizers for top dressing. You can buy ready-made products for succulents and breed them according to the instructions.
Aloe really like soil with a high nitrogen content. The best soil for culture is a mixture of turf and deciduous land with the addition of sand. For looseness, a small amount of charcoal and small bricks are added.
Flower Tank Size
For aloe, the stem of which can be high, choose a medium-sized container. It is important that the root system has enough space.
Pruning and transplanting
Culture does not like frequent transplants. The first time you need to do this right after the acquisition. If the plant is young, actively growing, then it can be transplanted every year. Adult flowers are moved to another pot every 3-4 years.
Pruning is needed to form the crown of the plant. For rejuvenation, the upper parts and side shoots are trimmed. Cut off shoots are well suited for propagating a flower.
Aloe should be watered carefully so that water does not get into the outlet
Agave reproduction
Aloe tree (agave) can be propagated in several ways. Each of them has its own characteristics that must be taken into account.
Cuttings
This is the easiest way to get a few new instances. For breeding choose a well-developed lateral shoot. Cut it off as close to the base as possible. The shoot is left for 5 days in a dark place, the section is sprinkled with activated charcoal. The cuttings are planted in wet sand to a depth of about 10 cm. When the sprouts take root, they can be transplanted to a permanent place.
Rooting sheet
Rooting aloe leaves is pretty easy. The leaf is cut off near the base of the stem, left in a dark place for a while. Before planting, the slice is treated with activated carbon. A leaf is planted in wet sand to a depth of about 3 cm. From above, the container can be covered with a film. It is important to constantly maintain moisture in the sand.
Seeds
It is also possible to grow a scarlet plant from seeds, although the method will take longer. Sowing is carried out at the end of February in a container with a mixture of peat and sand. The maximum seed placement depth is half a centimeter. The pot is left at a temperature of approximately +22 degrees. When real leaves appear on the sprouts, they can be transplanted into permanent containers. A year later, the first transplant is performed.
Kids
Aloe often forms small shoots near the main trunk, which can also be used to propagate the plant. The children are carefully dug up and moved into small pots. It is important not to forget about watering. When new leaves appear, you can start top dressing.
An adult plant can easily be planted in several containers
Flowering plants and dormancy
Agave rarely blooms at home, however, this phenomenon can be provoked artificially. For this, the plant is provided with a dormant period from mid-autumn to spring: they lower the air temperature in the room, reduce the amount of watering, and provide additional lighting. To create such conditions in the apartment is quite difficult, so flowers in the culture rarely appear.
Attention! The smell of flowers is sharp, and can cause a headache.
Growing problems, diseases and pests
Aloe is a fairly unpretentious plant, but sometimes it is affected by diseases or pests.
Disease
With improper care and increased soil moisture, the appearance of root and dry rot is not excluded. In the first case, aloe abruptly stops growing and begins to dry out, the leaves may sag, and the culture may rot. It is recommended to dig up the plant and carefully examine the root system. If signs of the disease are detected, the affected roots must be cut off, the sections treated with charcoal. After that, the flower is transplanted into a new pot and fresh soil.
Dry rot is dangerous because it does not appear in any way - the plant simply dries. It is impossible to cope with the disease.
Pests
Harmful insects can infect aloe with improper care or from neighboring infected plants. The danger is thrips, scale insects, mealybugs and spider mites.
If the plant was attacked by thrips, scabs or mealybug, it is recommended to gently wash it with soap and water. Such an action will help get rid of pests in the initial stages of the lesion. If there are a lot of insects, you can get rid of them and save the flower only using special preparations.
In the presence of a spider mite, other drugs of a certain direction are used.
At home, aloe rarely blooms
Other growing problems
Aloe tree in most cases does not cause any special problems and does not require serious care. However, sometimes some problems may occur:
- Withering of foliage, its pallor occur with constant and severe waterlogging.
- Thin and long leaf blades indicate a lack of lighting.
- The falling of soft leaves may indicate a low temperature, waterlogging or lack of moisture.
- Drying leaves always indicates insufficient watering.
- Yellowing of leaf blades may be a sign of rot.
Aloe tree is a useful plant that even a beginner can easily grow. It is recommended to follow the rules of planting and carefully monitor the appearance of the flower, then the culture will develop well and quickly. If desired, after a few years, the grassy flower can be propagated by any method.
