Aloe vera plants are succulents that can be quickly grown indoors or outdoors. They have a variety of uses, including as a topical treatment for skin conditions and a natural remedy for digestive issues.
Being succulent means that aloe vera can store water in its leaves. This makes it drought-tolerant, meaning it doesn’t need a lot of water to thrive. But, this caractéristique is not usually an advantage because watering such a plant would be a delicate task as it is sensitive to over-watering.
In this article, we will help you figure out how much water your aloe vera plant needs and how to water this plant the right way.
How Much Water Do I Need for An Aloe Plant?
The quantity of water your aloe plant needs depends on its size and how fast the soil dries. Generally, a big aloe plant will need more water than a small one. Also, an aloe plant grown in well-draining soil will need to be watered more often than another grown in slow-draining soil.
Therefore, nobody can give you exactly how much water your aloe plant needs. But you can get an answer to this question from your experience and trial and error.
The first thing to do if you want to determine how much water your aloe plant needs is to water your plant using measured amounts of water. To do this, you can use a measuring cup and keep pouring water until it starts to run out through the drainage hole. Then, all you have to do is to calculate how many cups it took you to water your plant.
After you finish the steps above, you need to take notes of how much water you have used and wait a few days. If you see that the plant keeps growing normally, congratulations because you’ve determined how much water your aloe plant needs. On the other hand, if your plant shows signs of overwatering, you will need to reduce the quantity of water you provide for your plant.
Can aloe vera withstand cold weather? Check out this article to get the answer.
How Do I Know When To Water My Aloe Plant?
To know when to water your aloe plant, check the soil moister level using a wooden probe or a moister meter. If one of those tools indicates that the soil is dry, it’s time to water your aloe plant.
If you want to use a wooden probe, insert it into the soil. If the probe goes in quickly and comes out dry, the plant needs water. The plant does not require any water if the probe comes out wet.
You can check the soil moister level using a moister meter also. The process will be the same as the wooden prob in this case. You will insert the prob of the moister meter into the soil and wait for the needle to indicate if the soil is dry or wet. I prefer a moister meter over a wooden probe because it’s accurate and does not leave any room for guessing. In fact, with plants that do not tolerate overwatering, like aloe vera, guessing when to water is a big no-no.
Finally, if you are not a big fan of using devices in gardening, then you can perform a manual soil test. All you have to do is insert your finger into the soil and feel the dryness. If you feel that the soil is dry, then water your plant.
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How Should I Water My Aloe Plant?
Aloe plants should be watered thoroughly and deeply to ensure that water reaches the roots. It would help if you also changed the watering frequency for aloe plants depending on the season. For example, an aloe plant will need to be watered more often in summer than in winter.
When it’s time to water your aloe plant try to drop water directly into the soil without touching the leaves. By doing so, you will help the leaves absorb moisture slowly from the soil. On the other hand, when water touches the leaves, it evaporates quickly, and the roots don’t get the needed water.
Increasing the watering frequency during summer is also an excellent tip for keeping this plant healthy during hot days. In fact, aloe plants are succulents, and they store water in their leaves. The days are long and hot in the summer, and the plants need more water to stay healthy. Therefore, if the plants don’t get enough water, they will start to wilt, and the leaves will turn brown.
When winter arrives, you will need to water your aloe plant less often because the days become shorter and the light weaker.
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What Will Happen if I Overwater My Aloe Plant?
If you overwater an aloe plant, the roots will become waterlogged, resulting in root rot. When overwatering is not treated immediately, the plant leaves will turn yellow or brown and develop water-soaked spots.
Overwatering causes root rot because overly wet soil prevents the roots from getting the oxygen they need. As a result, they start to rot and can even die if they are not treated immediately.
Overwatering is also one of the direct causes of yellow and brown leaves. In fact, an overwatered aloe can’t get breath correctly. As a result, the leaves turn yellow or brown.
Finally, an overwatered aloe plant may develop what are called water-soaked spots. Generally, when a plant gets more water than it needs, it will not be able to drain correctly, which will cause water-soaked spots on the leaves. This will also make the leaves look wilted and droopy, and the plant will not be able to absorb nutrients properly.
Did your aloe vera leaves turn yellow? Here is the cause.
What Is Going to Happen if I Underwater My Aloe Plant?
If you underwater your aloe plant, it will develop thin and brittle leaves at the first stage. The more you deprive your aloe plant of water, the more signs it will give you. The leaves will become yellow if you keep denying this plant water. But if you underwater your aloe plant regularly, the leaves will start drooping, and the plant may die once and for all.
When an aloe plant’s leaves become brittle, their edges develop brown patches; this is the first sign of underwatering. In this case, the roots will not be able to get the water they need to stay healthy. As a result, the plant will not be able to grow or get the water it needs, which will cause it to become brittle.
When the leaves become thin and yellow, you should conclude that your aloe plant is suffering from a severe underwatering that will cause it to die off if you do not water it as quickly as possible.
If you find our content helpful, check our latest article about why aloe vera leaves fall off.
