Question
small aloe plant
My mother in-law used to grow aloe and now I have one of her aloe plants. I have been researching aloe and noticed that mine doesn't look like the ones I have seen online. Her/my aloe plants never get any bigger than about 6-7 inches. I also noticed that this particular type fan out with narrow/thin leaves. After a while they actually crawl (bend) right out of the pot! I have heard that aloe bloom bright colored flowers; yellow or red. These aloes plants have been in the family for over 15yrs and have never bloomed. Are we doing something wrong?
AnswerHi Amber,
Thanks for the photo. There are two reasons why your Aloes are not getting bigger and not flowering - the pot is too large and not enough sun.
Most people think that a larger pot will make a plant grow larger. In fact, the opposite is true. Above ground growth tends to be limited as long as a plant is putting its energy into filling the pot with roots. If you were to take your Aloe out of its pot, I think you would be surprised to see how few roots there are throughout the pot.
Indoor Aloe veras do best on a sunny windowsill where they can get at least several hours per day of direct sun. They will survive in indirect light, but they will never grow as quickly or as large.
Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.
If this information has been helpful, please click the Rate Volunteer bar below and enter a rating and nomination for me. I am a volunteer on this site so Ratings are the only compensation I receive for answering plant questions.
Visit my website at www.HorticulturalHelp.com
Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC
You can E-mail me directly at:
[email protected]
