Aloe veras are quite hardy succulent and almost every gardener have this plant. It’s easy to grow but it’s stressed up quickly. You may notice browning or yellowing of leaves, burning spots as well as black spot disease with slight uneven care.
I also faced such problem with my plant before but then I did some changes and now my plant turns so healthy and plump. This was the situation of my aloe vera plants after purchase.
1. Reviving Browning Aloe Vera: Starting Mix and Light
As a potting mix, I mixed up half part garden soil, one part fine sand, half part compost, mixed well, and repot the plants and then water thoroughly. I kept the plant in a partly sunny area where it gets 3 hours of the direct morning sun.
For more care basics on potting and placement, see more aloe vera plant care tips.
2. Reviving Browning Aloe Vera: Why It Turned Brown
After several months of growing, the plant started to turn brown from the tips and there were some burning spots. Let me explain why this happened.
First of all, the potting mix I used is sandy textural soil. So, water drains out quickly as well as the media was unable to stay moist for some time. Also, I used a terra cotta pot.
And the terra cotta pot has pores that evaporate moisture. The way it turned brown generally happens when the plant gets too much sun and less water. Sometimes I forgot to water and the plant showed browning of the leaves.
The sun exposure was okay, but the media could not hold enough water.
3. Reviving Browning Aloe Vera: What I Changed
In October 2021, I uprooted the plants and changed the growing media. I added half part cocoa pit and half part compost with the old potting mix. And then we put the plants in the same pot but separately.
Planting height matters
During repotting an aloe vera, make sure the crown or base of the plant is planted above the soil surface to prevent rotting. And finally, I watered thoroughly after 3 months.
This is the update cuz it’s winter. So, the plants are growing slowly. However, the leaves turned so plump and overall the plants are looking far healthy than it was before.
4. Reviving Browning Aloe Vera: What I Learned
Through this experiment I learned that even though aloe vera is a succulent it requires quite moist soil than the other succulents. I water thoroughly when the surface few inches of soil feel dry and it likes a cool and partly sunny place.
Presently my plants are receiving only 2 hours of direct morning sun and the whole day bright indirect light. For house setups and light tweaks, see indoor aloe care tips.
5. Reviving Browning Aloe Vera: Common Problems and Fixes
Uneven watering
If we talk about the aloe vera plant problem, in most cases aloe vera damages due to uneven watering.
Overwatering signs and fix
In the case of overwatering the plant turn their leaves blackish brown first and the symptoms appear from the bottom and spread to the tips of the leaves. Whenever you are observing that your plant is overwatered, immediately repot the plant using dry soil cuz the plant ultimately will rot if stay in wet soil for a longer period.
Underwatering signs and fix
In the case of underwatering, the plant starts to turn light brown or yellow from the tip as my plants did before and the discoloration will distribute to the base of the plant. At this point, you simply just water thoroughly. Keep the soil slightly moist constantly.
The plant will overcome soon.
Leaf tip burning and water quality
Leaf tip burning is another issue that we often observe in all aloe vera varieties. It happens most probably due to the use of harsh chemical containing water. These minerals accumulate in the tip of the leaf and cause burning.
If you manage to water the plant with harsh chemicals free such as fluoridefree water, then the plant will overcome over time. Also pests and diseases can cause damage to aloe vera. For more troubleshooting and care advice, see additional aloe vera care tips.
Final thoughts on Reviving Browning Aloe Vera
Keep the media slightly moist for longer by adjusting the mix and pot, and keep the crown planted above the soil surface. Give cool and partly sunny conditions with bright indirect light through the day. Watch watering closely to avoid both overwatering and underwatering, and the plant will turn healthy and plump.