Buying aloe vera leaves.

[maggie2101]

We had a ton of them in our back garden in Houston. I haven't seen any here in Little Rock.

[optimisticStar]

Originally Posted by Hedgehog_Mom

I just use a granulated fertilizer suitable for vegetable gardens and sprinkle it into the pots twice a year. It's better to do after you thin the pups so that the fertilizer goes onto the dirt instead of the aloe leaves. The one I have is a 40lb bag that I've been using for a couple of years. Since you're in an apartment, it might be easier to use Miracle Grow for cacti and succulents, which is a liquid that you add to the water when you water the plants. Water more often than every two weeks, too. In the summer I water my plants daily, then at least twice a week in spring and fall. If they start to look brownish, they're not getting enough water. If they get very pale, they're getting too much water.

The plants in the picture are the ones I have on the side of the house that faces north but only get a couple hours of morning sun because the houses around mine are so tall and close by.

Thanks a lot for the details! I will visit a nursery or walmart to get the right fertilizer. Your plants look very healthy! I was able to find aloe vera leaves in a asian store nearby last weekend.

[noregon98]

In California, they grow and survive in the sun-drenched wild, pretty much anywhere, as its a succulent, so be careful not to over-water.

If you are using it as a topical, I know the leave you are using must be at least a year old (if not two) to have full medicinal value, if in fact that's what you or other viewers here are seeking.