The aloe is spinous. Charming alien from other worlds

Aloe is an indoor plant that can be found in almost every grower. The reasons for this popularity in the amazing unpretentiousness, as well as in its unusual appearance, reminiscent of an alien from another planet. There are many species of this plant, but we will consider aloe vermis - a beautiful flower that can fill the entire pot with its dense leaves.

Features

Aloe belongs to succulent plants, that is, it stores moisture in special tissues, expending it as needed. The stem of this plant is so small that it is usually not visible, and the leaves form a rosette. Leaves of aloe vermis can reach a length of about 10 cm, and their number is very large. At their tips you can see small soft hairs, or awns, which gave the name to this plant. Over time, they dry up and fall off, but the young parts of the plant must have this interesting attribute. Also on the surface of the leaves there are small white dots, giving the aloe an elegant appearance.

This plant comes from Africa, where it lived on dry rocky soil in conditions of constant shortage of moisture. Despite the difference in the climate, the aloe is well behaved in our latitudes and does not pester the gardener with his whims, like many other exotic guests.

Conditions

Aloe can survive even in the most severe conditions, but it has its own preferences, the observance of which will allow the plant to flourish. For planting, it is best to use a shallow, but wide enough pot, since aloe will grow into the entire area of available soil. At the bottom of the pot must be a drainage, which can be used as expanded clay, crumbled brick or shards from old pots.

As a primer, a mixture for cacti or ordinary soil with the addition of sand is excellent. In fertilizers, the aloe vera does not need, so they can be added quite a bit into the soil of a young plant or not used at all. The only thing that this exotic flower requires in excess is sunlight, without which the plant stops its growth. The optimum temperature for aloe growth is about 20 degrees, but the plant can tolerate a temperature reduction without much harm if it does not last long.

Care

Aloe does not require special care and can be grown even by the most inept gardener. It does not require pruning, if the plant is healthy, it can be needed only if the leaves rot from excessive watering. And watering should be moderate, in the summer it is made only when the soil in the pot becomes dry, which is very easy to determine, just weighing it in your hand. In winter, the aloe flower needs watering very rarely - about once every 2-3 weeks. Spraying and wiping leaves with water and do not need, they, rather, can do harm, causing rotting plants.

In winter, the ideal place for a plant is the coldest window sill in an apartment. It is not recommended to place it under the battery or near the heater. If everything is done correctly, the flower will enter a state of rest, up to warm days. In the presence of special lamps, you can achieve growth even in winter, but the blossom of aloe will not.

Reproduction

Over time, if the plant feels well and has already reached a decent size, then next to it there are kids. They look like small, formed aloe, but at first they have a weak root system. If you leave them in the same pot with the mother plant, then eventually they die. Therefore, for successful reproduction, each kid should be given his own pot. When transplanting aloe vermis requires abundant watering and good lighting, only in such conditions it will take and will begin to grow.

The ideal time for reproduction of this unpretentious plant is spring. Then the children will be able to gain strength over the summer, how to take root and increase in size. Sometimes, if the plant is going through bad times, then the babies begin to appear right on the stalk of the main aloe. In this case, they must be carefully separated and planted in a pot. If this fragile stem breaks, it does not matter - you can gently trim the lower leaves and part of the remaining stem, and then put the plant in water, where it will quickly restore the root system.

The aloe is spinous. Bloom

If the sunlight is enough, and watering will be moderate and timely, then the plant will begin to bloom. This happens usually at the end of spring - early summer. Signs of prosperity of the plant is the rich dark green color of the leaves, sometimes turning to brownish. Then after a while there will be an aloe flower - an orange or scarlet inflorescence resembling an ear. It is located on a long stem and contains plant seeds. Of these seeds, you can get seedlings, but this process will not be easy, because you need to strictly observe the desired temperature and humidity.

Exotic guests

Many kinds of exotic plants are so popular with flower growers that they can be found almost in every apartment. One of these pets is aloe viper, caring for which is extremely simple, and the appearance will always please the happy owner. Unpretentiousness and unearthly, surreal appearance made aloe of all kinds of dwellers of every second window sill in our country. They grow to huge sizes, multiply easily and can survive without difficulty if left alone for a while, since the aloe leaves store moisture like a cactus. Propagation of this plant is very simple, so its cost is low. If you want to have a room flower, then aloe will be an excellent option. This plant will be an excellent decoration for your home and a faithful friend for many years.