Pretty Aloes for Your Containers

Planting Aloes in Pots and Containers  

• Plant your aloe in clay or terra cotta containers with drain holes in the bottom. The drain holes will ensure the soil does not stay wet for too long.
• Aloes grown in containers need a soil that will dry out slowly but offer good drainage. Use a mixture of 4 parts organic-based cactus mix, 2 parts pumice and 1 part grit.
• Make sure you do not plant your aloe to deep. Dig a hole no deeper than the depth of the root ball. Plant your aloe so that the bottom leaves are slightly above the soil line.
• Provide plenty of light but protect your aloe from hot, scorching sun. As a general rule, succulents do not need more than 3-4 hours of direct sun daily.
• Aloes need supplemental water to thrive. Most species should be watered once a week during the summer and then less for lower temperatures during spring and fall. In the winter, depending on cold and humidity, container plants should be watered about once a month. Keep water off the leaves if your plant is in full sun. The water drops could become magnifying glasses, causing burns on the leaves.
• Feed your aloe with a liquid fertilizer very two weeks during the active growth period. Do not give your plant fertilizer during the winter. 
• Elevate your container with pot feet so that air can circulate underneath, and ants or slugs do not penetrate through the drain holes. Avoid using a saucer where the water would collect and soak back up into the soil, provoking root rot.
• Repot your aloe when it gets pot-bound. When the container is filled with roots, your plant cannot absorb properly water and nutrients. Repotting your aloe with fresh soil and a bigger container will ensure healthy growth.