Aloe (agave) is an indoor plant undemanding to special care. It has medicinal properties that allow it to be used for a large number of diseases. One of the requirements for good plant growth and development is a neat transplant. Knowledge of how to transplant aloe is needed for each grower.
The main causes of transplantation
Aloe is a plant that does not like a small pot. He gradually develops a broad root system, and a cramped pot will be deadly for her. Therefore, aloe must be correctly and timely transplanted into another pot.
Aloe indoor
Aloe transplant is carried out for the following reasons:
- Aloe should be updated and get a beautiful look. Decorative properties largely depend on how wide the pot grows. In small pots, the flower will wither, its roots rot if improperly watered.
- At times, a large number of lateral processes grow around the central bush. It is recommended to transplant it so that the processes do not take away the juices from it. Transplanting rejuvenates the plant, makes it more resistant.
- The most common reason for transplanting is when the pot is not the right size for the plant. The flower should be transplanted immediately if the roots begin to make their way through the drainage system.
- As aloe grows, soil is depleted. If it contains few nutrients and trace elements, growth gradually slows down, the lower leaves die off. The plant is gradually losing its decorative properties. Aloe will be beautiful if the soil is enriched with nutrients and valuable trace elements.
- With improper watering, the roots begin to rot gradually. In this case, the flower needs to be transplanted urgently.
Optimum Transplant Frequency
Succulent is growing rapidly. Young specimens need to be transplanted annually (up to the age of 5 years). In adulthood, growth slows down. Therefore, replanting the agave is recommended once every three years. More frequent transplants are harmful because they injure an indoor flower.
In winter or autumn, the indoor flower does not need to be disturbed. It is best to plant in the early spring in March (before the start of active vegetation) or during the growth period (in summer). At the beginning of spring or summer, the bush will quickly restore growth, assimilate in new soil.
Note! If aloe was transplanted in winter or autumn, it may not suffer the stress associated with changing the soil, and even die.
Aloe transplant
Transplant Methods
Readers are interested in how to plant aloe. There are many ways to propagate aloe vera. They depend on which plant is transplanted, how old is it, and whether there are shoots.
Seeds
Aloe transplant using seeds is quite laborious. On how to grow aloe from seeds, its viability depends. It is better to sprout a centenary at the end of February. The temperature during the transplant should not be lower than 21 degrees.
Sowing of seeds is carried out in a specially prepared soil mixture of turf, leaf soil, sand. Sprouts dive into shallow boxes (the soil composition in them must be identical).
After the seedlings have grown, they are transplanted into pots. After a year, they are again seated, because the root system grows enough, and it becomes crowded. The roots are damaged.
Jigging process
Florists are interested in how to plant aloe sprouts. Transplant shoots are best in summer. The most healthy shoots growing along the stem should be selected.
Aloe Vera
Note! Cut off the lateral processes at the very base. Within 5 days, slightly dry them in the heat, treat the place of cut with charcoal.
Properly treated cuttings are planted in wet sand. Watering increases with the appearance of the first small roots. After a week, the cuttings are planted in flower pots.
There are many ways to plant aloe shoots without root. You can cut or pinch off a leaf of the agave at the base. Just like a stalk, it is dried to make the cut-off point dry. Since aloe is grown from leaves in moist soil, they are planted in soil at a depth of about 3 cm in moist sand.
Aloe has kids. They are at the very base of the root and have their roots. This feature greatly facilitates the transplant process. The baby digs out, while monitoring the safety of the root system. Then it is carefully transplanted into moist sand.
Adult plants
It will be useful to know how to plant an aloe plant at home. The flower you just bought must be kept in the pot for 3 weeks before replanting. During this period, the agave adapts to the new growing conditions. The pot is best set separately from other flowers.
Aloe transplant
The first transplant is done only when the roots fill the entire pot. The diameter of the new tank is 2 or 3 cm larger than the old.
Attention! An adult plant is transplanted only by transshipment.
You need to know how to transplant aloe into other pots in the least traumatic way. It is completely removed from the old pot. This should be done as carefully as possible so that the earthen lump does not collapse. Then this lump is installed in a new pot exactly in the central part.
The resulting gap between the walls of the pot and the lump is filled with fresh soil. Seal it with a stick or pencil. Above, you also need to add land.
After transplanting, the plant is not watered for two days. During this time, minor root injuries will pass. Then the agave is watered moderately.
Open soil transplant
This procedure can only be done in summer conditions and only in a warm region. In order for the plant to feel normal, the air temperature should be approximately 23 degrees. The sequence (algorithm) of actions when transplanting the agave into open soil is as follows:
- You need to choose a good place for a transplant. It should be lit, but without direct sunlight.
- The plant should not get wet in the rain. You should take care of a reliable shelter.
- The pit should be slightly larger than the pot in which the plant was previously located.
- At the bottom you need to pour a small amount of sawdust or fine coal. Expanded clay is sprinkled on top, the finished mixture.
- Aloe is placed in a hole and filled with a mixture.
- If the plant grows in open ground, then it does not need to be fed.
Transplant Preparation
The bush must be carefully transplanted, observing all the necessary recommendations. If everything is done correctly, the plant will not be injured, it will survive the change of soil well and will resume growth very quickly.
Attention! Before transplanting, scarlet should be watered abundantly for several days. In this case, it is easily removed from the pot, and the root system will not be damaged.
Pot selection
The choice of pot must be approached very responsibly. Its dimensions completely depend on why the plant is transplanted. If it is young, has a powerful and well-developed root system, then a large capacity must be selected. If aloe has young shoots, then the plant can be left in the same box (provided that the shoots have been removed). The pot can be taken slightly smaller if the transplant is done due to rejuvenation (in this case, the affected or dead parts are removed).
All pots on the bottom should have drainage holes. If available, the soil will not sour. The old pot must be washed before further use.
Aloe in a pot
Soil quality
New soil should be as close as possible to the previous one. Ideal if you buy it in one store. On the package of soil for aloe should be indicated that the substrate is prepared specifically for succulents or for cacti. Earth must be loose. With self-preparation of land for aloe, sand is added to the sheet and turf soil.
Transplant at home
Florists need to know how to transplant aloe bushes at home. A transplant should not be too frequent. But to postpone it for more than three years is impossible. The duration of its life depends on how to plant an aloe plant. If it is contained in stagnant and especially acidified earth, it will begin to hurt.
During transplantation, one hand holds a houseplant at its base. Another - you need to keep the flowerpot itself. Dry, old and rotten roots are immediately removed.
During a scarlet transplant, you do not need to take an excessively large pot. It should be in the most suitable conditions for it. Aloe blossom can be very rare.
Further flower care
The plant moves for a week or two at partial shade. In the shaded position, the flower heals injuries, gets used to new conditions. Injuries during transplantation are always inevitable, even if the plant was replanted very carefully.
Location and Lighting
The plant needs a significant amount of sunlight. In the spring, it is necessary that aloe is accustomed to intense sunlight. At lunchtime, just hang a small screen on the window. This technique avoids a burn.
Aloe on a sunny windowsill
Important! In summer, during very intense heat, the plant must be hidden from the sun.
It is good if in the summer aloe grows on a balcony or terrace. Under these conditions, it needs to be hidden from the rain. Excess moisture makes the flower rot.
In autumn, with a decrease in daylight hours, aloe needs additional lighting. A fluorescent lamp is suitable for this. It must be turned on as soon as the sun hides behind the horizon.
Temperature
The optimum temperature should not be higher than 30 degrees. In winter, you need to ensure that it does not fall less than 12 degrees. Aloe does not withstand frost, so you should not allow a sharp decrease in temperature in winter rooms.
Humidity
The plant tolerates dry indoor air well. Nevertheless, if dryness is combined with elevated temperature, it should be watered more often and periodically sprayed. In winter, when central heating is working, use humidifiers or place small containers of water near the pot.
The plant should not be allowed to develop in rooms with dampness. The root system and stems will suffer from this.
Watering
Watering is highly dependent on ambient temperature. If in summer the temperature reaches 30 degrees, then the plant needs to be watered every other day, sometimes daily. In the cold season, the temperature can drop to 12 degrees, in which case, aloe is watered once a week.
The soil during cultivation is watered under the root, and not from above. Water that enters a leaf outlet causes the stem to rot. The main criterion for the need for watering is the complete drying of the soil.
An adult plant is fed no more than once every 3 weeks. The best will be special fertilizer for cactus.
The soil
It is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil. If it soups, the bush urgently needs to be transplanted. You need to purchase the substrate in flower shops - there are sets specially designed for succulent plants.
Important! Aloe needs the soil to always be loosened. Loosen carefully so as not to damage the roots.
If the plant does not take root
There are several reasons why the plant does not take root:
- Unsuitable soil composition. It is urgent to replace it or prepare a mixture with the correct ratio of components. The best option is to buy a ready-made mixture for succulent species.
- Poor planting material when transplanted by cuttings. This happens if the stalk is taken from a large plant. In this case, the agave again needs to be transplanted.
- Improper care. It is necessary to carefully follow the recommendations of flower growers and timely eliminate even the smallest signs of the disease.
Diseases, pests
Agave may be affected by dry or gray rot. Diseases are manifested by drying or deformation of the leaves, rotting of the roots. If these signs are found, the agave needs to be transplanted urgently.
Aloe can be affected by these pests:
- Spider mite. It is difficult to notice it due to its small size. The main symptom is that the finest web appears on the leaves. The leaves turn pale and dry. At a late stage of the disease, they become scarlet.
- Scale inhibition of photosynthesis. Red spots appear on the leaves.
- A sign of a mealybug is leaf coating.
You can fight pests with the help of special antiparasitic drugs.
Aloe is an unpretentious, beautiful and healthy plant. If you follow the care, it will never be a problem. Longevity will depend on the correct transplant.