HELP ME LEARN HOW TO USE ALOE VERA...PLEASE

[bertaluchi]

So I have about 30 aloe vera plants in my garden. I keep hearing and reading about the great benefits of using aloe in the garden but I am unsure of how to extract the juice. Can I boil it in some water??? I have no idea on how to use aloe so any info would be great. I would like to be able to produce all of my own gardening supplies and if aloe is what everyone says it is I would love to add it to my setup.

 

[Blindnslow]

I read a post the other day that said fresh aloe was the best cloning solution they had ever used. We all know its great for burns.. That's the extent of my knowledge on the topic..

 

[bertaluchi]

Thanks Blindnslow, I have also read about using the sticky goo inside of the aloe plant for cloning but I was more interested in the foliar use. I do appreciate your help though.

 

[Chronikool]

I have many plantz like you. It is indeed most effective fresh. My methods: Cut a frong off, fillet it long wayz and scrape (with a teaspoon) the jelly. Put this into a blender (Do not get any aloe skin) With some water. (measurements arent important.) whiz it up so it isnt lumpy...this way it can work through a sprayer for foilar application. (can also be applied to soil) Pretty easy huh. I also put other amendmentz in the blender that are 'sprayable'...get funky with it. hope this helped..

 

[StanlySpedowski]

So I have about 30 aloe vera plants in my garden. I keep hearing and reading about the great benefits of using aloe in the garden but I am unsure of how to extract the juice. Can I boil it in some water??? I have no idea on how to use aloe so any info would be great. I would like to be able to produce all of my own gardening supplies and if aloe is what everyone says it is I would love to add it to my setup.

Im not sure how you extract it from a plant. I use some aloe juice that I mix from powder I bought from buildasoil at 1/4c per gallon for watering. From their page:

Aloe has two main properties that we are interested in for growing plants.

#1 Salycilic Acid: Makes this dry powder excellent for cloning! Willow root isn't even as good. Aloe vera contains Salicylic acid which is an aspirin-like compound with anti -inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-bacterial properties. http://biologie.univ-mrs.fr/upload/p189/salicylicreview.pdf

#2 Saponins: Another constituent of Aloe vera includes saponins. These are soapy substances from the gel that is capable of cleansing and having antiseptic properties. The saponins perform strongly as anti-microbial against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and yeasts.

EDIT: Here are some steps to extract Aloe from plant and make aloe juice to mix with your water:
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Aloe-Vera-Juice

 

[bertaluchi]

Thanks so much. RIU has so many great people with so much knowledge. YOU ROCK!!!

 

[DonTesla]

AY ALOE BROTHAMONS!

WHAT ABOUT DA LIQUID ALOE WATER, ORGANIC AND PURE?
TELL WEH BOUT DA BEST WAY TO MIX PLEASE!
IS IT LIKE DEM COCONUTS?!

(T)REESPECT!

THANK U VERRRRRRY MU(L)CH

 

[thay5212]

To add, you are also after the hormones that are present in aloe vera. I simply cut a piece off, slice it open, and scrape it into my spray bottle, shake it real good and apply. I sometimes get some thick gel on the intake for the mister but a simple occasional shake of the spray bottle clears it up enough to continue.

Aloe must be used within about 20 minutes of being cut from the plant (or mixed with water for powder version). Fresh is going to be the best, so have everything ready when you go to use it.

I would not use the bottled gels that are sold most places, they all contain preservatives that are not going to help anything and there is no way they can be as effective either in my opinion.

For cloning I simply take the piece I cut from the plant, slice it open, and then rub the clone's stems around in the gel and place into the rooting medium.

 

[st0wandgrow]

I've always wonders with aloe.... it's anti-microbial/anti-bacterial, so how does this benefit us via soil drench? Are we inadvertently killing our beneficial microbes?

 

[hyroot]

I've always wonders with aloe.... it's anti-microbial/anti-bacterial, so how does this benefit us via soil drench? Are we inadvertently killing our beneficial microbes?

aloe suppresses the growth of pathogenic fungi / bacteria. It doesn't kill the microbes. Think of it like neem.

 

[DANKSWAG]

I use it for cloning at this time and for personal health. I strip the Aloe from its skin and use the spongy insides as strips to wrap around the bare stem of a fresh cut clone. Now I am adding fresh aloe juice to my aeroponic cloner.

https://www.rollitup.org/t/unconventional-organics.545060/page-10#post-10012215

DankSwag

 

[AlcoholicO]

I found these I think three plants, in my friends garden. He's renting a house and they belonged to the previous tenant who left them to die, but despite not being watered for the past 6 months, they still look pretty healthy me thinks.
HOWEVER, I don't know for sure, if they are indeed ALOE VERA plants or something else and I was hoping someone in here might shed some light on it, so here are the pictures ...

 

[st0wandgrow]

I found these I think three plants, in my friends garden. He's renting a house and they belonged to the previous tenant who left them to die, but despite not being watered for the past 6 months, they still look pretty healthy me thinks.
HOWEVER, I don't know for sure, if they are indeed ALOE VERA plants or something else and I was hoping someone in here might shed some light on it, so here are the pictures ...

Si senior

 

[AlcoholicO]

Nice, so then I will replant them tomorrow, in something like 20% Vermicasts (bloom friendly), a bit of Bat Guano (fruit bat) and the rest Perlite and Gravel, in a wide, but not very deep pot - this is awesome, can't wait to get to trying it out for cloning and as a foliar spray

 

[st0wandgrow]

Nice, so then I will replant them tomorrow, in something like 20% Vermicasts (bloom friendly), a bit of Bat Guano (fruit bat) and the rest Perlite and Gravel, in a wide, but not very deep pot - this is awesome, can't wait to get to trying it out for cloning and as a foliar spray

I really like aloe for cloning and as a foliar. The plants always perk up when sprayed with aloe. Not sure how beneficial it is as a soil drench, but I do it anyway once every couple weeks.

 

[Pattahabi]

This is only anecdotal, but I use aloe in almost every watering. My theory is use it more often, but in smaller quantities. I might only add 1/2 tsp of the 200x powder to 5 gallons in some cases, others up to 1/4 tsp per gallon. And imo there are many reasons to use aloe:

The ten main areas of chemical constituents of Aloe vera include: Amino Acids, Anthraquinones, Enzymes, Minerals, Vitamins, Lignins, Monosaccharide, Polysaccharides, Salicylic Acid, Saponins, And Sterols.

Amino acids found in Aloe vera include: Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Valine,And Tryptophan. Some Of The Other Non-Essential Amino Acids Found In Aloe Vera Include Alanine, Arginine, Asparagine, Cysteine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Histidine, Proline, Serine, Tyrosine, Glutamine, And Aspartic Acid.

Enzymes include Amylase, Bradykinase, Catalase, Cellulas, Lipase, Oxidase, Alkaline Phosphatase, Proteolytias, Creatine Phosphokinase and Carboxypeptidase.

Aloe vera also contains Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12 along with Choline, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese, Chromium, Selenium. Additional elements found in Aloe vera include Copper, Iron, Potassium, Phosphorus, And Sodium.

And I agree with Stow, I often use it in foliars - more times then naught. It is also always included in my cloning solutions. Do keep in mind unprocessed aloe will ferment quickly, so it is best to use within 20 minutes of blending the leaf.

P-

 

[AlcoholicO]

Anyone got any good advice for the caring for and cultivation of the plant?
I was going to do something with 2/3's gravel and perlite for aeration and the rest something more nutritious.
When transplanting, choose a wider pot, rather than a deeper and choose one where the size is at least 4-5 times that of the root ball.
Keep dry, except when watering, which is only when it's completely dry already or every two weeks . . .

That's what I got so far. As we're growing in a Tropical setting, temperatures mean it won't go dormant (no winter) and should grow all year, with strong tropical sun etc.

 

[lilmafia513]

simply amazing, kudos to you guys for this info., i am trying this next time i clone, or water lol

 

[hyroot]

Anyone got any good advice for the caring for and cultivation of the plant?
I was going to do something with 2/3's gravel and perlite for aeration and the rest something more nutritious.
When transplanting, choose a wider pot, rather than a deeper and choose one where the size is at least 4-5 times that of the root ball.
Keep dry, except when watering, which is only when it's completely dry already or every two weeks . . .

That's what I got so far. As we're growing in a Tropical setting, temperatures mean it won't go dormant (no winter) and should grow all year, with strong tropical sun etc.

I grow my aloe plants with the same base soil I use for indoor. Give them the same teas. What ever is left over after watering the indoor. The aloe get mostly plain water. They grow like crazy.. They can go a long time without being watered. But I water mine twice a week. Its 105 - 115 degrees outside everyday here. They are in 3 gal square pots. They are 2 - 4 feet tall and huge, wide leaves. Lots of leaves. They could be in larger pots. I'm limited on space. I cut the root ball back like 2-3 times a year.

 

[st0wandgrow]

I grow my aloe plants with the same base soil I use for indoor. Give them the same teas. What ever is left over after watering the indoor. The aloe get mostly plain water. They grow like crazy.. They can go a long time without being watered. But I water mine twice a week. Its 105 - 115 degrees outside everyday here. They are in 3 gal square pots. They are 2 - 4 feet tall and huge, wide leaves. Lots of leaves. They could be in larger pots. I'm limited on space. I cut the root ball back like 2-3 times a year.


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Damn, those are healthy looking specimens Hy!

105-115??? Holy shit! We're having an incredibly mild summer here in Michigan this year. It's been in the 70's to low 80's almost every day with the exception of a couple days in the 90's. I am really loving the weather this summer..... and the electric bills too.