Fertilizing Aloe Vera

by Joshua Duvauchelle Google
Use aloe vera's spiky, bold foliage to accent your home.

Use aloe vera's spiky, bold foliage to accent your home.

If you don't have a green thumb, the aloe vera plant (Aloe barbadensis or A. vera) may be perfect for you. Grown for thousands of years, it has withstood the test of time because it's hardy, requires little care or water and thrives in small pots. While this succulent, known for its spiky, fleshy leaves, can grow in poor soil conditions, it responds favorably to occasional fertilization to help encourage fast growth and the appearance of its flower spires.

Soil Conditions

Aloe vera and other succulents are often found in sandy conditions, but you can't just pot it in sand. Sand on its own is practically devoid of nutrients. Instead, use a combination of one part traditional potting soil — a crucial source of basic micronutrients and mineral elements — and one part of coarse sand, mixed thoroughly together. The potting soil helps feed the aloe vera's roots, while the sand provides the quick drainage that's crucial to aloe vera health. Coarse sand, such as builder's sand, is ideal. Play sand and similar fine sands quickly become compacted, which can hurt the aloe vera.

Type of Fertilizer

Standard 10-10-10 all-purpose granular garden fertilizers don't work well with aloe vera plants. Instead, the University of California at Davis Botanical Conservatory recommends a liquid fertilizer product. Examples include houseplant fertilizers and bloom-type fertilizers with a nutrient ratio of 10-40-10, diluted according to the manufacturer-specific instructions.

Fertilizer Application Schedule

Heavy, frequent fertilization applications do harm, because aloe vera thrives best with infrequent, light fertilizing. That may be because wild aloe vera plants grow in rocky, sandy, nutrient-starved soil conditions, and the plant's growth patterns have adjusted to this. For best results, start fertilizing the aloe vera plant in March, applying fertilizer just once a month according to your specific fertilizer's guidelines. Stop fertilizing in late summer to early fall.

Fertilizer Cautions

Poor fertilizing practices can harm and kill your aloe vera, despite its hardy nature. Approximately 12 hours before your scheduled once-a-month fertilizer application, thoroughly water your aloe vera plant. Irrigate until moisture starts dripping out of the aloe vera pot's bottom drainage holes, which signals a thorough moistening of the potting soil substrate. This helps create a moisture film around the plant's root network, protecting it from nitrogen burns when you apply the fertilizer. Apply the liquid fertilizer at the plant's base, and avoid getting any fertilizer on the aloe vera's foliage or stems, because this can injure the plant.

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