When choosing a hobby or work that gives you relief from your daily monotonous life, most people prefer gardening. The main reason gardening is so popular is the beautiful greenery scenes that provide immense joy and refresh the mind. The feelings are incomparable when, everyday morning, one walks through his beautiful garden made by himself.
But gardening is not that easy to maintain. If you think you will plant it and just by pouring water you will be able to keep this hobby, then I’m sorry, my friend, you are wrong.
The Aloe vera plant is quite famous for its health benefits, cosmetic advantages, and medicinal fact among the gardening plants. The leaves are thick, with saw-like thorns on both sides and slippery shell-like saliva inside.
But while growing this plan, you will face some problems like black leaf spots by the fungus, sometimes they become oversaturated, leaves colored black start rotting, etc. The most common problem everybody faces is sometimes it turns into brown.
So in this article, I’m going to explain to you the causes of aloe vera turning brown and broaden your knowledge about detecting and dealing with them.
What Does Healthy Aloe Vera Look Like?
An aloe vera that is in good condition would have vibrant green leaves. Aloe vera plants are usually blue-green in color.
Why Aloe Vera Is Turning Brown
1. Overwatering
Almost for every tree, pouring an excess amount of water is harmful. So if you keep overwatering your plant, gradually, some spots begin to grow in the leaf, and it will eventually turn brown and look mushy. The roots of the plant will also suffer due to overwatering. So without the necessary steps, that plant will end up dead.
SOLUTION
Firstly, you need to change the pot of the plant. It will help to reduce the damage. Secondly, clean the slushy dirt which was made by overwatering. Remove the damaged root with scissors. Then carefully put your plant in the new pot with fresh soil.
2. Excess amount of fertilizer
Some people put fertilizer keeping the phrase ” The more, the merrier,” but it’s completely different in the case of Aloe vera. It is not necessary to put too much fertilizer for its growth. Excess amounts of fertilizer will harm the roots, and the leaves will turn brown.
SOLUTION
In case of too much fertilizer, you need to douse the soil with clean water, which washes away the chemicals. Do it for a few minutes. After a while, the water will automatically come out. In this way, the extra chemical or fertilizer will be cleaned.
3. Underwatering
If you don’t give enough water, you will see brown leaf tops as a result. Eventually, these brown tips will spread, and the whole leaf will no longer show any green. If your soil is not well-drained, the root will begin to show rotting effects.
SOLUTION
You should water your plant whenever you see dry soil. Water it until it gets fully loaded and extra water comes out from the holes. You also need to be careful in the summer season or any specific day when the temperature is high.
Because, in those situations, you need to water it again and again as it would become dry quickly.
4. Excessive-heat
Aloe vera can be susceptible to direct sunlight. It will turn red at first due to the inhibition of photosynthesis. It can also show brown spots on the leaves as a result of getting sunburned.
SOLUTION
If you see that the soil is drying out too quickly, it means it’s suffering from excessive heat. So you need to change its place and remove it from direct sunlight. It’s better if you can keep it in the shade to get at least a minimum amount of the sun.
Keep watering your plant more than usual in case of sunburn. Also, don’t keep your plant in the low light. In that case, the leaves will sag below and may show brown spots.
5. Environmental change
These plants cannot adjust to sudden temperature change easily. So if you change the position of it in the summer and put it under direct sunlight, the leaves will turn brown or red due to excessive heat. For the rising temperature, the soil will also dry out quickly.
SOLUTION
It would help if you gave your plant time to adjust to the rising temperature. So at first, keep your plant under a shade and gradually change its position to the warmer side. Remember that you need to do it slowly; the plant needs proper time to acclimate to the rising temperature and heat.
6. Pot problems
If your potted aloe vera plant doesn’t have enough drainage holes, the roots will not be able to breathe as it was deprived of enough oxygen. As a result, it will cause the root to decay, and eventually, the whole plant will turn red or might die.
SOLUTION
It would be best if you used plots with enough holes. Sometimes the holes get blocked by sands and perlite, so you need to be careful about that. In that case, you can use a sharp shear to clean the hole.
7. Cold damage
Your aloe vera can also turn brown due to cold wind. The part situated beside the cold source will be affected first. It occurs when the temperature is below 50°F.
SOLUTION
To keep your aloe vera warm:
- Don’t place it beside air conditioners, refrigerators, and fans.
- In times of winter, try to keep your plant inside the house or beside e warmful source.
- Try to keep the temperature below 50° F to prevent cold shock.
8. Attacks of pests and insects
Aloe vera can be attacked by pests (mostly Mealybugs and Snout Beetles), which is another reason for turning brown. It happens more when it is kept outside. Various insects and pests find it quite attractive.
SOLUTION
You can use pesticides to prevent that. In terms of fighting pests like ” Mealybugs, “you can destroy its existence by a steady stream of water. Fungus attacks can also do good damage. But if you don’t overwater your plant, it can’t spread that much.
Dry soil prevents the fungus from spreading. In the case of pests, always remember to keep the infected leaves away from the healthy ones. If you wash your plant throughout the year timely, the eggs of insects will be cleaned out.
Besides, if your plant is situated outdoor and faces excessive rainfall, the soil will become overly wet. The stem then will feel soft. Gradually the leaves can also turn black or brown.
So do not keep your plant outside your house in the rainy seasons. Several leaf diseases can also be the reason for changing the color. Remember, you cannot prevent or solve all the problems by yourself. So try to take the help of a professional gardener or agriculturalist.
Conclusion
Aloe vera plants are not very difficult to grow; you just have to take care of a few facts. Aloe vera plants usually recover quickly if the problems are removed. It doesn’t take much to bring it back to life if adequate measures are correctly handled.