Aloe Vera Care: Light, Watering, Soil, and Pups

Aloe vera grows best in bright light, including a few hours of direct sun, in a gritty, fast draining cactus and succulent mix in a pot with a drainage hole. Water deeply only when the mix is dry all the way through, which is often every two to four weeks indoors, and less when growth slows. Keep it between about 55 and 80°F and never let it freeze. Soft, mushy, or brown leaves usually mean too much water, and pale, flat, or stretched leaves mean too little light. The ASPCA lists aloe as toxic to dogs and cats, so keep it out of their reach.

How aloe vera grows

Aloe vera is a succulent from hot, dry regions. It stores water in its thick, gel filled leaves, grows in a rosette from a short stem, and spreads by sending up small offsets, often called pups, around the base. Because it is built to hold water through long dry spells, it handles missed waterings well and suffers quickly in mix that stays wet. Plump, firm leaves that stand up and out from the center are the sign of a healthy plant.

Light

Aloe needs more light than most houseplants. A spot right in or beside a south or west window is ideal indoors, and an east window can work if it is bright. In too little light the leaves turn pale, grow thin, and flop outward or lie flat instead of standing up, and the plant may lean hard toward the glass. Turn the pot a quarter turn every week or two so it grows evenly.

Plants that spend warm months outdoors should move into sun gradually over a week or two, starting in shade, because a sudden jump to full sun can turn the leaves brown, orange, or red. A little reddish tint in strong sun is a normal stress color and fades in softer light. Bring aloe back indoors before nights drop below about 50°F. In a home without a bright window, a grow light on a timer for 12 to 14 hours a day keeps it compact.

Watering

Water deeply, then let the mix dry completely before watering again. Push a finger or a wooden skewer deep into the pot, or use a moisture meter, and water only when it comes out dry. Pour slowly until water runs out of the drainage hole, then empty the saucer so the pot never sits in water.

Indoors in a bright window, that is often every two to four weeks while the plant is growing. In cool rooms and during the short, dim days of the year, it may be once a month or less. Leaves that look thin, wrinkled, or slightly curled on a plant in bone dry mix mean it is ready for a drink, and they usually plump back up within a few days.

Common leaf problems

• Soft, mushy, or see through leaves. Usually overwatering or rotting roots, especially when the mix is wet and the leaves near the base go soft first. Stop watering, take the plant out of the pot, and cut away brown, soft roots before repotting in fresh, dry mix. Our guide to root rot in houseplants covers the rescue steps.
• Thin, wrinkled, or curled leaves. Too dry for too long. Water deeply and check again in a few days.
• Pale, flat, or floppy leaves. Too little light. Move the plant to a brighter window over a week or two.
• Brown, orange, or red leaves. Too much sudden sun, or cold. Adjust gradually.
• Brown, dry tips. Often uneven watering or a buildup of fertilizer salts. Our guide to brown leaf tips on houseplants explains the causes.

Trim a badly damaged leaf off at the base with a clean knife. A damaged leaf will not recover its color.

Soil, pots, and repotting

Use a cactus and succulent mix, or a general indoor potting mix with plenty of perlite or coarse sand added so it drains within seconds. A wide, shallow clay pot with a drainage hole suits aloe well, because clay dries quickly and the wide base keeps a top heavy plant from tipping.

Repot every two to three years, or when the rosette is wider than the pot, pups crowd the edges, or roots push out of the drainage hole. Move up only one size. Plant at the same depth as before, with the lowest leaves just above the mix, and wait about a week before watering so any damaged roots can seal. Repot when the plant is actively growing. Our guide on when to repot houseplants explains timing in more detail.

Potting up the pups

Aloe pups are the easiest way to get new plants. When a pup has several leaves of its own and is a few inches tall, slide the plant out of the pot and gently separate the pup with as many of its own roots as possible, using a clean knife if needed. Let it sit out of the sun for a day or two so any cut surface dries, then plant it in a small pot of dry succulent mix. Wait about a week before the first watering, then care for it like the parent plant. Aloe vera rarely roots well from a cut leaf, so pups are the way to go. Our guide to propagating houseplants from cuttings covers rooting for other plants.

Feeding and pests

Aloe needs little fertilizer. Feed two or three times while it is growing with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer diluted to half strength, and skip feeding when growth slows. Check the leaf bases now and then for mealybugs, which look like bits of white cotton, and for small, bumpy scale insects. Wipe them off with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, and repeat every week until no new ones appear.

Pet and child safety

The ASPCA lists aloe as toxic to dogs and cats. Chewing the leaves can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy. Place aloe where pets cannot reach it. If a pet chews a plant, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. If a child eats part of a houseplant, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Bottom line

Give aloe vera your brightest window, a gritty mix in a pot with drainage, and a deep watering only when the mix is dry all the way down. Look to watering first when leaves turn soft, look to light first when leaves go pale and flat, and pot up the pups once they have a few leaves of their own.

Related reading

• Jade plant care: light, watering, and pruning
• ZZ plant care: light, watering, and repotting
• Yellow leaves on houseplants: causes and fixes
• Fungus gnats in houseplants

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