Aloe vera plant
Aloe vera, succulent, evergreen
Water an aloe vera plant when the soil has dried out completely, which indoors means every 13–34 days in summer and every 20–54 in winter. It wants full sun, as many hours as it can get, and starts to suffer below 10 °C (50 °F).
Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages
Aloe vera plant at a glance
Water, indoors
13–34
days in summer
20–54
days in winter
When the soil has dried out completely.
Month by month
Minimum temperature
5–10 °C
It starts to suffer between 5 and 10 °C (41–50 °F).
Humidity
Fine in dry air.
Cats and dogs
Toxic to dogs and cats.
Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
Growth
Steady. It’s a succulent.
Repotting
When the roots fill the pot.
Pruning
No regular pruning needed.
Where does your plant live?
Pick its place and see what changes.
What changes
- Indoors, near the window. The right spot: in front of the brightest window, with as many hours of sun as it can get.
- Indoors, away from the window. There isn’t enough light here. Move the pot in front of the brightest window.
- Outdoors, in the shade. Shade doesn’t give it enough light. Move the pot where the sun reaches it for longer.
- Outdoors, in the sun. The right spot, with all the sun it needs.
- Indoors, summer. In July it usually needs water every 13–34 days, and only once the soil has dried out completely.
- Indoors, winter, heating on. In January it usually needs water every 20–54 days. Near a radiator the soil dries faster, but wait until it has dried out completely.
- Indoors, winter, cool room. In January it usually needs water every 20–54 days, and less often in a cool room, where the soil stays damp for a long time.
- Outdoors, summer. Outside the soil dries faster than indoors, where in July it needs water every 13–34 days, but still wait until it has dried out completely.
- Outdoors, winter. It starts to suffer below 10 °C (50 °F). Bring the pot indoors before the first cold nights.
How often to water an aloe vera plant
Indoors, month by month. Tap a column.
In October
Every 16–44 days
Usually every 27 days. Feel the soil first, and water only when it has dried out completely.
Every month in a table
| Month | Usually | Usually between |
|---|---|---|
| January | every 34 days | 20–54 days |
| February | every 34 days | 20–54 days |
| March | every 30 days | 18–49 days |
| April | every 26 days | 16–42 days |
| May | every 24 days | 14–38 days |
| June | every 21 days | 13–34 days |
| July | every 21 days | 13–34 days |
| August | every 21 days | 13–34 days |
| September | every 24 days | 14–38 days |
| October | every 27 days | 16–44 days |
| November | every 31 days | 19–50 days |
| December | every 34 days | 20–54 days |
Typical intervals indoors in the northern hemisphere: light, the pot and the season stretch or shorten them. How to tell when to water, with a finger and the weight of the pot.
Soil, propagation and problems
Soil
A cactus and succulent mix, with sand or pumice: water should drain straight through. It isn’t fussy about pH.
Propagation
By division: when you repot it, split the plant into pieces that each have their own roots.
Common problems
The most frequent: Mealybugs · Sooty mould · Scale insects · Leaf spot · Rust
When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Aloe vera plant: questions and answers
How often should you water an aloe vera plant in winter?
Indoors in January, usually every 34 days (between 20 and 54), compared with every 21 in July. The longest gaps run from December to February.
How can you tell when an aloe vera plant needs water?
Only when the soil has dried out completely, right to the bottom of the pot.
How much light does an aloe vera plant need?
As much sun as it can get. Full sun means at least 6 hours of direct sun a day, so indoors the right spot is in front of your brightest window.
Is an aloe vera plant toxic to cats and dogs?
Toxic to dogs and cats. Chewing the leaves can make them ill: keep it out of their reach.
How much cold can an aloe vera plant take?
It starts to suffer from the cold somewhere between 5 and 10 °C (41–50 °F). If it spends the summer outside, bring the pot in before nights drop below 10 °C, and in winter keep it away from cold glass and draughts.
When should you repot an aloe vera plant?
When the roots fill the pot. If needed, the best time is spring, when it starts growing again.
Does an aloe vera plant need pruning?
No, it doesn’t need regular pruning.
How can you tell if an aloe vera plant is getting too much water or too little?
Too much water often shows as fleshy parts going soft and mushy. Too little shows as fleshy parts wrinkled or shrivelled.
How much humidity does an aloe vera plant need?
Copes with dry indoor air.
What soil does an aloe vera plant need?
A cactus and succulent mix, with sand or pumice: water should drain straight through. It isn’t fussy about pH.
How do you propagate an aloe vera plant?
By division: when you repot it, split the plant into pieces that each have their own roots.
Which pests and diseases affect an aloe vera plant?
The most frequent are mealybugs, sooty mould, scale insects, leaf spot and rust. When you feel the soil, look under the leaves too: pests show up there first.
Where should I put an aloe vera plant indoors?
In front of the brightest window you have, even where the sun shines in. Away from the light its leaves open out and grow pale. In summer it can go outside in the sun too, as long as you move it there bit by bit.
Why are my aloe vera leaves soft and mushy?
Soft, watery leaves, sometimes turning yellow, usually mean too much water and roots that are starting to rot. Stop watering and let all the soil dry out. Thin, wrinkled leaves mean the opposite: it has had too little.
Why is my aloe vera plant turning brown?
Brown or tan patches are often sunscald. They appear when the plant goes straight from shade into full sun, and they don’t turn green again. If the leaves are wrinkling and drying up instead, feel the soil, because it may be short of water. A lower leaf drying off now and then is normal.
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