This Is Where You Should Keep Your Aloe To Help It Survive Winter Successfully
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By PETER LICKORISH
Peter is a Horticulture Lecturer and self-employed Horticulturist, with a passion for diverse areas of the industry - from garden design to the science behind plant growth and propagation. He has completed the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture (MHort) Award and lectures on RHS courses at Bedford College.
Contributions From LES PEARCY
Les Pearcy is the Chairperson for The Haworthia Society and has been a member since its formation in 1986. The society focuses on the Aloaceae family and strives to find a better understanding of the plants in this genus, including Aloe. Les has been growing succulents for over 50 years.
IN THIS GUIDE
Aloe vera is a popular houseplant and is very easy to grow.
It can be placed out into a garden in summer or kept indoors all year round but cannot survive winter outdoors in most of the UK.
The good news is that even if you’re not always the most careful and conscientious houseplant gardener, Aloe vera can take some neglect and withstand even the least green-fingered of attendants.
In winter, the care required by these plants is even lower and less demanding than it is during the summer months.
However, while you won’t need to do much when caring for an Aloe vera plant in winter, you will have to make sure that you place it in a suitable location.
Below, we’ll clarify where to place an Aloe vera in winter and confirm what you do and do not have to do when you have one of these plants in your home during the colder months of the year.
Where To Place Aloe During Winter
Aloe vera plants can be placed outside in a garden for summer or kept indoors even during the warmest part of the year.
However, over the coldest months, they do need to be kept indoors or under cover in a frost-free and relatively warm location.
“They require some heat in winter,” says Les Pearcy, Chairperson for the Haworthia Society.
“I grow my Aloe plants in a greenhouse which is kept a few degrees above 0°C, but this means that I tend to keep them dry in the colder months.”
Temperature
Aloe vera needs temperatures that do not regularly drop below 10°C and 5°C is their absolute minimum.
The temperatures should ideally be a little warmer than this and care should be taken to position Aloe vera so that the temperatures in the vicinity do not fluctuate too greatly.
This means that you should not place an Aloe vera in a cold draft or too close to a heat source.
Make sure you do not place your plant too close to an oven, stove or radiator and look out for cold draughts from windows and doors.
Light Requirements
These plants also need a good amount of light, which can sometimes be challenging to provide during the winter months.
When not using grow lights, it is important to make sure that you place an Aloe vera on a bright windowsill or another sunny spot over the winter months.
Humidity
It is best to keep an eye on the humidity; around 40% is ideal for your Aloe vera plant.
An Aloe vera will not enjoy being in too humid an environment in your home but nor should you allow humidity to drop too low in winter.
“Signs that the humidity is too high include browning of the leaves, which can eventually turn mushy, or raised white spots on leaves, known as oedema,” shares Master Horticulturist Peter Lickorish.
Watering Aloe In Winter
Overwatering an aloe in winter is one of the most common mistakes that people make.
It is always important to remember that Aloe vera has only very modest water needs in summer and requires even less water over the winter months.
Over the winter, an Aloe will not grow and enters a state of dormancy.
It will only need watering around once a month, maybe even less. Simply begin watering more frequently again in the spring.
Does Aloe Need To Be Fed In Winter?
Aside from checking the plant and watering very occasionally, Aloe will be the ultimate low-maintenance houseplant over the winter months.
You do not need to feed it through the coldest part of the year and will only need to worry about this and other potential jobs in the spring when the plant returns to active growth.
