The Aloe genus belongs to the Asphodelaceae family; these plants originated in Africa, Madagascar, and Arabia.
Their peculiarity is, they are succulent plants (meaning, they have tissues capable of storing large amounts of water), all these species are native to arid areas.
Among its many species, some are suitable for living inside your home, but most of them, which are not small, have to be grown outdoors.
They are often found in temperate coastal gardens where they are grown alongside the agave; hobbyists love them because of the beauty of the leaves and the flowers.
Aloe humilis flowers are tubular, about 5 cm long with a very vivid orange color.
These flowers grow in groups; at the end of stems, they can grow up to 35 cm in height.
It usually blooms between the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
You may like: Peperomia ‘Hope’
Aloe humilis “Spider Aloe” Care
Substratum:
Aloe vera can be grown both in pots and in the field. But if you choose the first option, you need to choose a suitable container.
The pot should have a minimum depth of 50 cm, as the roots of the aloe require suitable space for its development.
They are mostly quite resistant to growing on a wide variety of substrates.
Just make sure it has plenty of organic matter, plus it’s properly aerated and well-drained.
To ensure the roots develop correctly and absorb water and nutrients properly, the soil shouldn’t be crushed.
You can use 2/3 of universal substrate or garden soil with 1/3 of coarse sand or gravel.
Like other succulent plants in the same family, aloe humilis is highly sensitive to excess water.
So much so that if we do not provide the plant with good drainage, it cannot survive. Its roots do not tolerate waterlogging.
So the soil must be aerated and well-drained.
Watering:
Irrigation should be abundant but infrequent.
Make sure the substrate is dry before you water again.
In winter, limit watering to a minimum.
In summer you can water once to twice a week.
While in winter (especially when the temperature is below 0 ºC/32°F, you should water once a month and try to do it in the hours of the day when the temperatures are not so low.
With excess moisture, the succulent will rot, especially in winter.
Therefore, you must let the substrate dry between watering and watering.
Do not be guided only by the upper part of the substrate, but you have to insert a stick or your finger to the middle of the substrate, to make sure that it is completely dry.
It is essential to do it this way because, on many occasions, the upper part is dry, but when we introduce the finger to the middle of the substrate, we realize that it is still wet.
And as we mentioned earlier, aloe humilis does not tolerate excess moisture.
Illumination:
Given its origins, the theme of lighting is one of the essential care of Aloe humilis. It is a plant that loves sunlight, so both indoors and outdoors it should receive as much as possible.
However, let’s not confuse this with causing insolation to the plant.
During the summer months, ideally, it should be protected from direct sun.
Too much sun can burn the leaves. You will notice it because the characteristic green of its leaves will change to brown.
If so, it is time to hydrate the plant with a water spray or a moisturizer; and place it somewhere else.
Temperature:
Despite being a resistant plant, the ideal temperature or environment should be between 17ºC/62°F and 27ºC/80°F.
In the time of winter, it will be time to cover it from the cold and frost. During winter, if the temperature drops below 10 ºC/50°F continuously, you will have to remove the plant from the outside.
If it was planted indirectly in the soil, you would have to put padding on the roots to protect them.
Fertilizer:
Despite being a tremendously resistant plant, it will need your help to grow.
Remember to reinforce nutrients to your succulent a couple of times throughout the year.
Ideally, with the end of summer, apply a specific fertilizer for succulents and cacti (it can be purchased or homemade)
You can apply a layer of earthworm humus to our Aloe humilis.
This way, we will be providing it with new nutrients so that the plant prepares for the vegetative break typical of winter.
A way to prepare natural hibernation with sufficient reserves.
At the beginning of spring, I recommend you use a fertilizer for cacti and succulents. Ideally, it should be liquid and dilute it together with the water.
Diseases:
You must take care of your plant since aloe humilis can be attacked by mealybugs, aphids, snails, and slugs.
Whatever the pest that attacks your aloe humilis, you must eliminate them quickly to avoid serious damage to your beautiful plant’s health.
Other main enemies of succulent plants are fungi, which appear if the humidity is very high and the substrate waterlogged.
Fungi are the main culprits in the death of many representatives of this group. So you must be very careful in the way you water your succulents.
Transplant:
These plants are generally colonial, forming numerous daughter plants at their base, creating groups of many plants in a single area.
In many cases, the pots do not support a large number of plants and tend to break (depends on the light material); transplanting is recommended when roots emerge from drainage holes or when daughter plants protrude from the edge of the pot.
Propagation:
Very simple from the separation of suckers that appear at the base of most species.
To separate these shoots, a sharp and disinfected object must be used to make the cut.
You must let the wound dry for 24 hours and then plant in a sandy and slightly humid substrate.
Seedlings should not be exposed to the sun until they are rooted.
Propagation can also be carried out using seeds, which must germinate in a substrate with good drainage and aeration.
You can use a mixture of the universal substrate and black peat in equal parts.
Pruning:
These plants are not pruned. Only leaves and flower spikes that have already dried should be removed to avoid being attacked by opportunistic pests.
Plant of the Aloe genus with dry leaf needs to be removed, to avoid future pests.