Aloe plants are succulents and thrive in hot, dry
conditions, which is probably why they like my
old dry house.
My very first aloe plant was giving to me by my
husband's 75 year old Grandmother, and I killed
it from overwatering the poor thing in a desperate
attempt to keep it alive in order to impress her.
My next aloe not only survived, but has been divided
into many more plants that I've given away to friends
and family. (I've also become friends with Grandma
Dorothy, and no longer worry about impressing her!)
I grow them in clay pots on my sunniest
windowsill and I no longer overwater them!
Aloe plants love bright sun, but will do
fairly well in medium light as well. Allow the soil to dry
between waterings and water less in the winter
than in the warm months. They like being pot bound
in my experience, and may be divided each spring
or before if you have a lot of baby plants in the
pot.
When you pot your aloe offshoots, or the main plant,
use regular potting soil with a little sand added.
Potting aloe is a great children's project by the
way. The plants are easy to handle, and hardy enough
for little hands to replant. My daughter was just
over 2 years old when she helped me repot six aloe
plants, which she proudly presented to family when
they visited. Again, I find terra-cotta pots are
perfect for aloe because they don't retain the
extra moisture that could damage the plant.
Aloe really does soothe minor burns, as I have found
out through experience. Tear
off a leaf, break it in half and rub the "juice" on the
burn. To gather the gel for recipes, cut off a large leaf
and lay it on a hard surface that you've laid down a
piece of foil, wax paper or parchment. Slice the leaf open lengthwise with
a sharp knife. Use a butter knife's dull edge to scrape
from top to bottom, pushing the gel as you go. Discard the leaf
and scrape the gel off the paper into the bowl or container
that you are using for your recipe. An aloe plant is a welcome friend in the kitchen!
About the author:
Brenda Hyde is editor of Old Fashioned Living and a
freelance writer living in the Midwest with her husband
and three children.
