How to Grow Aloe Barbadensis
- 1). Pot your Aloe barbadensis in a planter pot with drainage holes in the bottom that's filled with a well-draining, porous potting mix. The potting mix should contain extra coarse sand or perlite for proper drainage. Alternatively, use a commercial potting mix made for cacti and succulents. Pot the aloe at the same depth as it was planted in the nursery container.
- 2). Position your Aloe barbadensis in bright sunlight, such as beside a south- or west-facing window. Maintain air temperatures around the aloe plant of 55 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. In summer, you can set the aloe plant outdoors in a sunny spot, bringing the plant back indoors before the first frost in autumn or before evening temperatures drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 3). Water your aloe plant during the spring and summer when the topmost layer of potting mix feels dry to the touch. Soak the potting soil completely with water, providing water until it drains freely from the bottom of the pot. During fall and winter, water your Aloe barbadensis less frequently, keeping the potting soil moderately dry.
- 4). Feed your aloe plant once in the spring with a water-soluble or liquid 10-40-10 NPK formula fertilizer (following the directions on the label), diluting the solution to half the normal dosage rate.
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