How to grow Aloe vera: Aloe vera is an important medicinal plant. It looks more like a pineapple plant. Aloe vera has green leaves from the base and the leaves are thick with small saw-like spines on both sides. The inside of the leaf has a transparent slippery shell called aloe vera gel.
About 60 to 70 leaves can grow from one plant. Besides, many plants can grow from the leaves of the tree. Then at the appropriate time, the leaves of the plant can be cut and used. No such special care is required. However, high temperatures can cause the plant to die.
Aloe vera contains 20 types of minerals. It contains 6 of the 22 amino acids that the human body needs. It also contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, and E.
Benefits/medicinal properties of aloe vera
- Regular consumption of aloe vera juice increases digestion. As a result, the body’s digestive system stays fresh and constipation goes away.
- Regular consumption of aloe vera juice helps in controlling weight along with increasing body strength.
- Aloe vera enhances immunity in the human body.
- The use of aloe vera or aloe vera juice produces a mixture of different vitamins and minerals in the body that help keep us stress-free and energized.
- Aloe vera juice strengthens bones and muscle joints.
- It also plays a role in relieving various inflammations of the body.
- A leaf of aloe vera, honey, and a small cucumber mask application removes spots on the face.
- Aloe vera works as a conditioner to enhance the shine of hair. Aloe vera also prevents hair loss and dandruff.
- If the head is always hot, then the leaf shell is applied once a day work to cool the head.
How to grow Aloe vera
Soil and Climate
Aloe vera cultivation is possible in all types of land; However, the growth of the plant is better in the soil mixed with loam and a little sand. Aloe vera can be cultivated on well-drained lands where water does not accumulate. However, it is not good in saline and highly acidic soils. Plants rot in low and waterlogged lands. Cultivation is good in any loam soil but sandy loam soil is better. Cultivation in clay soil is not better. The shady place should be avoided, aloe vera needs sun all day.
Land preparation
If you want to cultivate aloe vera, first you have to cultivate the land well. At the time of cultivation, 10 to 12 tons of dung per hectare should be mixed with the soil. Besides, 225 to 250 kg TSP and 75 to 100 kg MOP fertilizer per hectare should be given at this time. Aloe vera farmers usually cultivate it with more dung manure, very few farmers give chemical fertilizer.
Many farmers use a lot of ash. However, some people use 25 to 30 kg TSP and 10 kg MOP fertilizer per bigha while preparing the land. After mixing the fertilizer, beds should be made for planting seedlings in the land. The bed will be 1.5 to 2.25 meters wide. There should be a 40 to 50 cm ditch/drainage channel between each of the two beds.
Planting of seedlings
Three types of aloe vera saplings are planted.
Planting Root sucker
Root sucker i.e seedlings grown from the base of the plant. It is not commercially profitable to plant root suckers. The seedlings grown from the roots of the old tree are separated from the mother plant and first planted in a piece of land or bed. At first, these seedlings are reared for two to three months. Later these seedlings were transferred into the mainland and planting there. This works well for the establishment of the plant. However, to get leaves from these seedlings you have to wait for six months.
Planting old plants
Therefore, for commercial cultivation, it is preferable to plant old plants directly instead of planting root suckers. Planting old plants produce leaves quickly. Leaves can be picked after three months of planting the old plants. After staying in the land for many days and picking the leaves from the same tree one after the other, when the base of the tree becomes long and when the tree cannot stand up, the tree should be cut down and 2-3 leaves should be removed and planted. It is necessary to plant healthy and strong plants.
Planting time
Aloe vera seedlings can be planted at any time of the year. If you plant at the beginning of June, it grows fast. However, it should be avoided to plant seedlings in winter and rainy season. Usually, seedlings are planted more in proper time. Because if the seedlings are planted at this time, the plants try to stick to the ground before the winter.
Besides, there is no demand for aloe vera leaves in the market during winter. So farmers refrain from collecting leaves at this time. On the other hand, in these 2-3 months, the seedlings stick well in the soil. When new leaves start to emerge in spring at the end of winter, leaf collection starts. If leaves are planted in this way, more leaves can be obtained.
Planting distance
Seedlings are planted in rows. Seedlings are planted at a distance of seven inches from row to row and six inches in each row. Seedlings are planted in two rows in 1.5 m wide bed and in three rows in 2.25 m wide bed. About three thousand six hundred trees can be planted in one bigha of land.
Fertilizer and irrigation application
Usually, no chemical fertilizer is used. Organic fertilizers like mustard oil cake or neem cake should be used instead of chemical fertilizers. The land is prepared and aloe vera is cultivated according to the rules. Aloe vera grows well in wetlands. Although regular irrigation is required, care should be taken to ensure that there is water at the base of the tree. If urea fertilizer has to be given, then once a year all the urea fertilizer can be applied on the land.
After applying, weeds have to be removed and mixed with soil. Giving more urea fertilizer increases the infection and incidence of the disease. In the dry season, the land should be irrigated as required. Sometimes weeds have to be removed from the land. Aloe vera plants stay on the land for about two years. Therefore, in the second year also, fertilizer and irrigation should be given to the land at the same rate as in the first year.
How to care for Aloe vera
Disease and insect control management
Leaf spot disease
Leaf spot disease is one of the major problems in the aloe vera plant. The disease is less in winter. But at the end of winter, in the month of Falgun, the incidence of this disease increases and there is extensive damage to the leaves. In the attack of this disease, a small dot-like spot like Alpin’s head appears on the apex of the leaf, from which about eighteen streaks emerge.
The glue dries and causes brown spots. In this way, the spots on the leaves of the affected trees gradually get bigger and the number of spots also increases. It is thought to be a bacterial disease, so fungicides do not have much effect. Due to this disease, the appearance of the leaves is ruined. The market price also goes down. However, those who cultivate aloe vera commercially spray lime in water for 15 consecutive days.
Root rot disease
Root rot disease causes root rot of the tree. Later the tree dies. In the rainy season and at the base of the tree, if water accumulates or if it is wet, the root rot disease occurs. The disease can be cured by spraying fungicide.
Insects
No insects are usually seen in aloe vera trees. However, sometimes there may be attacks by student insects, jab insects, scale insects, red spiders, etc.
Harvesting and yield
Leaf picking can be started two to three months after planting aloe vera seedlings. About 60-70 leaves can be sold from one tree and new leaves grow from it throughout the year. Leaves can be picked for 9-10 months in a year. Leaf picking is stopped in winter. Usually, one leaf comes out every 15 days. However, farmers collect 1-2 leaves from a tree per month. As the tree grows and leaves grow, two leaves can be picked every month. After picking the leaves, they can be washed in water, cleaned, dried in the shade, and sold in the market.
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Keyword: Step-By-Step How To Grow Aloe Vera (A Complete Guideline)