You will be tired of reading in many gardening blogs that the aloe vera It is a very resistant and rustic plant, which can be grown both at home and in the garden, stoically supporting very high temperatures or, on the contrary, freezing temperatures.
However, the face that remains when we see in our Soft brown leaves of aloe vera and how the natural vigor of the crop is slowly being lost is magical.
And it really is so. Aloe vera is a hardy plant, but its main weakness is your excess of affection.
We will see it.
Contents
Origin of the soft brown leaves of Aloe vera
There are 2 clear answers that explain why our Aloe vera has brown leaves:
- Lack of water or salinity
- Excess water
However, when we talk about an Aloe vera with brown and soft leaves, the answer is clear: a violent excess of water.
Aloe vera is a succulent plant accustomed to semi-desert environments, high temperatures and low rainfall, so it is perfectly adapted to water stress and lack of water.
Usual home gardening tends to overwater, humanizing plants and supplying water in large quantities and at high frequency.
Nothing could be further from the truth…
This succulent plant needs very little humidity, practically dry substrates. The number one rule of this culture is only water when the substrate is dry.
How to store an Aloe vera with soft and brown leaves (excess water)
Dry the substrate
Faced with a visibly affected Aloe vera with soft and brown, almost rotten leaves, the first thing is to increase its exposure to light and sun, to dry the substrate as soon as possible.
With a wooden stick or a simple pen, we will make small holes 5 cm deep in the substrate, seeking to increase the oxygenation of the substrate and to facilitate the exit of water through the holes of the pot.
Increase oxygenation
Excess water creates an effect similar to lack of water. As strange as it may seem, if there is no oxygen in the substrate, there is no transpiration and roots cannot absorb water.
An alternative to a very moist substrate is to supply oxygen. Hydrogen peroxide can be applied with as little water as possible.
The dose of use is 2 ml of hydrogen peroxide for each liter of water. Let the substrate dry out a little and try to water with as little water as possible during the next irrigation.
Use of copper and dryers
If you find that the leaves of Aloe vera are excessively soft and brown, a sign of rotting, it is advisable to apply a source of copper by foliar spray, as well as by irrigation, so that it is in contact with the roots.
The usual dose is 2 ml/litre of water.
What is the normal dose of water for the aloe vera?
- When to water: Only water your plant when the substrate is dry.
- How much water: 1/10 of the volume of the jar. If, for example, we have a 2 liter pot, we will irrigate with 200 ml of water.