How to grow, reproduce and care for aloe vera? And how to use it starting from the leaves to enjoy its precious benefits?
How to grow, reproduce and care foraloe vera? And how to use it starting from the leaves? A resistant plant, which does not need too much care, but with a thousand uses for both health and beauty.
THEAloe vera is an ornamental and curative plant with succulent leaves from which a juice and a gel with therapeutic and cosmetic properties are obtained. Let's see how.
Characteristics of Aloe vera
THEAloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is a shrubby plant that belongs to the Aloaceae family. Aloe is native to the hot and desert regions of Africa and today it is grown for ornamental purposes and to obtain products for the cosmetics and health and wellness products market.
Aloe plants have fleshy leaves characterized by the presence of a thick cuticle and small thorns along the margin. The inflorescential axis is of considerable size and bears flowers gathered in clusters, hanging and of a yellow color. From the flower develops the fruit, a capsule.
The aloe drug, that is the part of the plant with the highest content of active ingredients, is represented by the concentrated and dried juice obtained from the leaves and the gel. From the anatomical point of view, the aloe leaves they are made up of chlorophyll and amyliferous parenchyma tissue and cells containing mucilage. (Read also: Aloe vera: 10 excellent reasons to grow it in pots or in the garden)
Il aloe juice it derives from all the internal tissues of the leaves and, once collected by incision of the leaves, is concentrated by boiling, thus obtaining dark masses. The juice is used to obtain the titrated dry extract, with laxative properties given by the presence of anthraquinones.
Il aloe gel instead it derives only from the mucilage cells present in the innermost part of the leaf. Aloe gel is widely used in the cosmetic industry and it is attributed with healing properties for the skin.
Index
Cultivation and care of Aloe vera
Aloe vera can be grown in pots or in the garden without particular difficulties, paying attention to the location, temperature and watering.
Aloe display
For where to place the aloe, it must be taken into account that this plant loves direct sunlight and heat. Being a plant native to areas where the climate is dry and hot, the cultivation of aloe will give its best at temperatures between 18 and 30 ° C and in non-humid environments.
Like all plants, aloe also grows optimally when grown in the open ground outdoors, but if the winter temperatures are too low it is preferable. grow aloe in a large pot that can be placed in a sheltered place during the cold months: in fact, aloe could perish at temperatures below 5 ° C. Too low temperatures cause a brown coloring of the leaves: also pay attention to thermal changes.
Water the aloe
Aloe is not afraid of drought and needs to sporadic watering and it will be sufficient to wet the plant every fifteen days, without exaggerating the quantity of water and avoiding stagnation in the saucer. Excessive watering can cause the plant to die in a short time, anticipated by a softening of the leaves.
Ideal terrain
The best soil for the best cultivation of aloe it is given by universal soil mixed with sand. When aloe is grown in pots, it is preferable to add small stones mixed with the earth to ensure proper water drainage.
Reproduction of Aloe vera
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reproduce the aloe plant it is not recommended to proceed with the cutting of the leaves without roots as they will die in a short period of time.
The aloe plant develops daughter seedlings, called suckers. To reproduce the aloe plant it is sufficient to take the small plants grown at the base of the mother plant. The operation must be carried out in spring when the plants have reached a height of about ten centimeters.
To obtain new aloe plants, it is sufficient to divide the roots of the young plants from those of the main plant delicately and carefully, avoiding cutting them. The seedlings can then be placed in a new pot or directly on the ground, taking care not to expose them to direct sunlight for the first few hours. Once the new plants have been buried, the bare minimum will be wet: the presence of water will favor the adhesion of the roots to the soil, allowing the plant to derive nourishment from it, but you must not overdo it as excess water could cause stress. water and plant death.
Use aloe vera leaves
from Aloe vera leaves both juice and aloe gel can be obtained. As we have seen previously, the aloe juice it is obtained from the cells of the whole leaf excluding the epidermis, while the aloe gel it is obtained from the mucilage cells present in the innermost part of the leaf.
I main components of aloe leaves they are represented for about 30% by mucilages to which are added lipids, anthraquinones, polysaccharides, tannins, glycoproteins, saponins, vitamins, minerals and the cyclooxygenase enzyme. Anthraquinones are present only in aloe vera juice and not in the gel.
- anthraquinonia are molecules that in the intestine act as laxatives thanks to their irritating action on the mucosa. The aloe juice it is one of the herbal remedies used for the treatment of constipation but it is important that it is taken at the right dosage and on the advice of a doctor, pharmacist or herbalist.
READ also: Aloe vera juice: the amazing benefits and 10 reasons to drink it every morning
Il aloe gel it does not contain anthraquinones and has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulating, anesthetic and healing properties. It is used above all for the care of the skin and mucous membranes, in particular in case of burns, sunburn, sunburn and wounds as well as to soothe itching in case of hives and insect bites and inflammation of the oral cavity.
Aloe gel can also be extracted from the leaves in the home. To obtain the aloe gel it is sufficient to remove the cuticle of the leaf and blend the internal tissue: the gel must be used immediately and only for external use. It is strongly not recommended to take the contents of aloe leaves orally due to the purgative effect given by the presence of anthraquinones, which cannot be separated from the aloe gel in a homemade way.
On aloe vera you can also read:
- How to extract the gel and 10 ways to use it
- Aloe vera: the whole truth, benefits and contraindications
- Aloe vera: what happens to the body with one shot a day
- Aloe: the 5 best known varieties
- 20 amazing uses of aloe vera
Tatiana Maselli
