Aloe vera contains many human health benefits, but what is less known is the vast benefits it provides to plants. In this guide, we’ll go over the various benefits of using Aloe vera in your garden, but also go into detail about our favorite way to use Aloe vera, during transplanting!
THE MAGIC OF ALOE
Aloe vera (A. barbadensis) is absolutely loaded with nutrients, containing over 75 beneficial compounds including amino acids, antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium, zinc, vitamins A, C, E, B-vitamins, and more. It is a fantastic source of salicylic acid, an aspirin-like compound, that has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-bacterial properties along with amino acids, enzymes, and hormones that make it an excellent cloning/rooting agent. When blended into a homemade fertilizer, your plants receive a gentle but potent boost of nutrition.
Aloe vera fertilizer can help:
- Encourage seed germination.
- Encourage rapid root development.
- Improve cell strength.
- Contribute to overall superior plant health, growth, and vigor.
Aloe is also a fantastic source of saponins, which are soapy substances from the gel (inner filet) that have strong cleansing and antiseptic properties, making it a great antimicrobial agent against yeasts, viruses, fungi, and bacteria. The high saponin content is also what makes Aloe vera a great wetting agent, or surfactant, which makes water “wetter” and helps water particles stick to soil matter and leaf material more thoroughly.
TRANSPLANTING WITH ALOE
Aloe vera is an excellent addition when moistening your soil during transplanting not only because it contains saponins to make the water adhere to the soil better, but also because it is full of hormones that stimulate new growth, reduce transplant shock, and build immunity by increasing the Systemic Acquired Response, also known as the SAR response of the plant.
You can use Aloe in your garden by snipping off a piece of an Aloe plant and blending it with your water or tea, but it can get messy.
One easier way to incorporate Aloe is by using Activ Aloe Vera Flakes 200x by BuildASoil, which can also be bought at the Sativa Remedy Grow Center!
TO GET STARTED:
Measure 1/8th Teaspoon of Aloe Flakes
Measure out the Aloe flakes you need for the volume of water you’re using. It is recommended to use ⅛ teaspoon (a pinch) per gallon of water, which weighs roughly 0.25 grams. That means ½ teaspoon of Aloe flakes would be enough to mix up 4-5 gallons of water. Using more than the recommended amount won’t be detrimental to your plants health, it just won’t have added benefits.
Grab a Small Jar
Grab a mason jar, glass or plastic bottle with a lid, or even a blender cup, for mixing protein shakes, along with a fork or whisk.
Add a Little Water
Add 1-2 cups of water to the jar and then add the measured amount of Aloe flakes. In this step, we allow the allow flakes to easily re-hydrate in a small amount of water before mixing the solution into our final gallon of water that we will be using to water our transplant.
Shake Shake SHAKE!
Use the whisk/fork to vigorously stir the water and Aloe flakes to help flakes get unseparated. Using a jar with a lid can make this process easier, allowing you to really shake the mixture, getting the mix into solution and the saponins activated (which can be confirmed with foaming of water)
Allow the Aloe water to sit for 10 minutes so that it can fully mix into the water before adding anything else. This isn’t absolutely necessary, but is recommended.
Now Ready to Use
Now you can add this mixture to your water before watering it into your soil or foliar spraying your plants.
- Keep in mind, there are no preservatives in the Build-A-Soil Aloe Vera Flakes so it’s recommended to only make enough Aloe vera water that will be used immediately.
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