Indoor plants delight the eye with their growth and flowering. Caring for green pets helps to escape from problems and brightens up gray everyday life. Each grower should pay attention to the spinous aloe: the plant is unpretentious, and it is interesting to grow it.
Aloe spinous - what kind of flower
Aloe spinous (aloe aristata) is a single herbaceous plant that has the shape of a bush. Short stems form groups of rosettes. The gray-green leaves of the lanceolate form are covered with swollen white dots. At the tops are white bones that break off with age. The number of leaves in one outlet can reach hundreds, and their length during growth can increase to 10-15 cm.
Aloe spinous
A plant that is often confused with spinous aloe is hawortia herbacea. The main differences:
- has no awns at the tops of leaves;
- more compact;
- the appearance of daughter plants does not interfere with the growth of the mother;
- longitudinal drawing on top of the sheet.
What does haworthia look like
The healing properties of aloe aristata
Aloe spinous contains amino acids, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals. Healing and antibacterial drugs are made on its basis. Aloe juice treats diseases of an inflammatory nature, and cosmetologists use it as part of masks, shampoos and other care products. Aloe juice promotes skin regeneration and hydration.
Additional Information! In traditional medicine, aloe is used in its pure form: a sheet with a longitudinal section is applied to the site of damage and bandaged. For colds, aloe juice is mixed with honey and consumed internally.
Aloe aristat care at home
Aloe aristata should be grown on a well-lit window sill, since it needs a lot of light even in winter. In summer, the comfortable temperature for spinous aloe is 18-26 ℃ above zero. Also at this time of the year it can be taken out to the garden. In winter, the room should be cooler, but not lower than +10 ℃.
Watering rules and humidity
The frequency of watering depends on the drying rate of the soil. It must be moistened with standing water about a couple of times a month. In winter, the frequency of watering should be halved. The required humidity is 50%.
Important! Do not allow moisture to get on the plant itself - the leaves can rot. For the same reason, there is no need for spraying.
Top dressing and soil quality
Aloe grows well on cactus soil. It can be made at home - for this they use slightly acidic or normal acidity earth. It must be breathable and loose. This effect is achieved by increasing the proportion of sand in the composition. Top dressing is carried out by a complex of fertilizers for cacti twice a month in the summer.
Flower Tank Size
The main parameter when choosing a container for landing is its diameter, which should be slightly larger than the circumference of the outlet. This place will be taken by layering formed from the root. The capacity can be taken low, since the root system occupies only the upper soil layer. It is important that you have a sufficient number of water drain holes at the bottom of the pot.
Pruning and transplanting
Due to the nature of the root system, young plants require an annual transplant. Adult plants can be transplanted after two years. In a pot, the neck of the root of the plant is placed in the center and is not lowered into the soil below the surface of the soil. There is no need for pruning. It will be enough to remove damaged and wilted parts of the plant during transplantation.
Important! At the bottom of the tank it is necessary to create a drainage layer 4 cm thick, and cover the space near the root with small pebbles. These measures help to protect the plant from destructive overmoistening.
Flowering and resting period of aloe aristat
Flowering spinous aloe begins closer to the end of spring. On a long peduncle growing out of the outlet, a brush appears with large flowers. They have a tubular structure, and the color can vary from bright orange to scarlet. In the fall there comes a period of rest, which lasts until the end of winter.
Aloe bloom
Propagation of spinous aloe by stem and leaf cuttings
A large leaf from the base of the plant is placed in the refrigerator for 24 hours. A growth stimulator is applied to the section. In a container with prepared soil, the leaves are planted to a depth of not more than 3 cm. They are placed under a cellophane film.
Leaf propagation
Important! The seedlings need proper care: temperature level +24 ℃ and daily ventilation.
An effective method - the propagation of spinous aloe by stem cuttings - is carried out in the spring. Three-year-old plants are suitable for this, from the bottom of which cuttings are taken. Seedlings are prepared: for a day they are left in the shade, previously sprinkled with wood ash. Then they are placed in small containers with moist soil. Comfortable conditions for rooting cuttings are: good lighting, temperature around +20 ℃ and regular hydration. In this case, the flower will bloom.
Growing problems. Diseases and Pests
Improper watering is the main cause of aloe vera discomfort. As a result, various diseases arise in the plant.
Root rot
Due to waterlogging, decomposition of the roots begins and the growth of spinous aloe is stopped. Help consists in transplanting into new soil with a high content of sand. In this case, spoiled roots are cut off, and the rest is covered with activated carbon.
Dry rot
Outwardly, it is almost impossible to recognize, because the plant rots from the inside. In this case, only prevention will save aloe, which boils down to treatment with antifungal drugs.
Various insects can also cause aloe to the spinous lot of trouble.
Important! When caring for a plant, it is easier to avoid pests on aloe aristat (to care for it) than to get rid of them later.
Effective preventive measures:
- disinfection of shop soil;
- thorough inspection of the leaves;
- creation and control of aloe vera growth conditions.
Shields
They suck the plant's juice through punctures in the leaves. Their presence can be seen by the stickiness of greens. Regular treatment with a solution of methyl alcohol and water in a 1: 1 ratio will help get rid of these pests.
Mealybug
White lumps similar to cotton wool testify to his presence. A solution prepared from tar or laundry soap will help get rid of the parasite. The plant is sprayed, and after 5 hours, wash off with plain water.
A substitute for a soap solution can be garlic tincture. A teaspoon of chopped garlic is left for a day in a glass of water. Rubbing the leaves helps fight other pests.
Spider mite
White thin threads are a signal of its appearance. It is necessary to fight with a tick with the help of special preparations - acaricides.
Note! It is easiest to deal with pests using various chemicals, but if the plant is used for the purpose of treatment, then the use of folk remedies will be safer.
Thrips
Leaves traces of silver on the leaves. Insecticides are the best aid in killing these pests. Processing is carried out in two stages: at the first stage, the insects themselves die, and when re-processed after a week, the larvae disappear.
Aphid
You can expel uninvited guests with the help of potato tops, which are dried and insisted on boiling water for 4 hours. Aloe aristata is treated with this liquid overnight.
Important! When pests appear on aloe, it must be removed from plants in the neighborhood in order to avoid infection.
The problems with growing spinous aloe are not only in excessive watering. The main indicator of improper care is leaves. If you notice their changes in time, you can adjust the conditions of detention without much harm to the plant. Symptoms
- the leaves stretched out and became thinner - not enough light and moisture;
- yellow edges, brown spots appeared - additional nutrition is needed;
- the tips have dried up - it is necessary to transplant, the roots do not have enough space;
- turned red - the sun is too bright, you need to shade;
- the plant is exposed - watering is carried out with cold water.
Aphids - the main pest of a flower
Aloe spinous is not distinguished by bright flowering. The flower attracts its fans with its unpretentiousness, ease of care, as well as the many useful properties that each leaf in its spectacular sockets is filled with.
