The associated benefit of the aloe plant makes it the best houseplant. The plant has many health benefits such as anti-inflammatory action, laxative effects, anti-aging effects, and wound healing. More so, the plant is relatively easy to maintain.
So, what can you do when you notice that your aloe vera plant is dying? How will you know what's causing their death? Today, we'll look at overwatered vs underwatered aloe so you'll know exactly what your plant is suffering from.
An underwatered aloe plant would show signs such as the drooping and browning of the leaf. Now, let's quickly look at the major differences between underwatered and overwatered aloe plants and how to spot them.
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Signs of an Underwatered Aloe Plant
Recognizing an underwatered aloe plant will help you take specific steps to rectify it. An underwatered aloe plant will manifest evidently, especially on changes in the plant structure.
Below are common signs you’ll most likely notice when an aloe plant is underwatered.
1. Yellow Leaves
The importance of water on your aloe plant's growth should not be underrated — water transport essential nutrients from the soil to the different parts of the plant.
The absence of water will negatively affect the plant since the medium to transfer minerals to other parts of the plant is lacking.
The yellow leaves usually mean that the plant is deficient in nutrients and needs moisture to transfer nutrients from the plant's soil.
2. Limp Aloe Plant
Ideally, a hydrated aloe plant should stand straight and turgid, but the plant will turn loose and slack when dehydrated.
This is usually a result of an absence of water in the plant cells. Usually, water helps keep the plant upright, and without it, the plant loses its shape.
3. Aloe Have Brown Tips
It's usually a common sight to see aloe plants with brown tips, especially when the plant is overfertilized.
The bad news is that an underwatered aloe plant may have similar symptoms. A brown tip aloe plant may just be telling you that it needs water.
4. Brown and Dry Leaf Edges
Drying and browning of your aloe's leaf edges is also a prominent sign of an underwatered aloe plant.
The middle part of the plant may still be packed with nutrients while the edges have already lost water, and the cells on those portions have died.
5. Aloe Leaves Curling
When your aloe plant starts to curl in an inward direction, it might be the plant's way of telling you it needs water. Aloe plants usually curl inward to prevent water loss.
6. Dry, Brown Spots on the Leaves
So many reasons may account for your aloe plant having brown-spotted leaves. However, most often than not, brown-spotted leaves signify a water deficiency problem.
For an underwatered aloe plant, the brown spot on the leaves will be quite dry; the brown spots indicate dead cells that have suffered from the lack of available moisture.
7. Potting Soil Is Very Dry
Not just for aloe plants, dry potting soil is a symptom of an underwatered plant, and the aloe plant is no different.
If the topsoil is dry, it might not be a cause for worry, but when the soil gets dry down to the root, your plant may be suffering from dehydration.
Signs of Overwatered Aloe Plant
With an aloe plant, you must try to adopt a moderate watering schedule. Overwatering an aloe plant is quite harmful to the plant as it can cause the root to rot.
The Aloe plant is quite tricky; the root rots if overwatered, and the plant will wilt and die with too little water.
An overwatered aloe plant will have blistered cells in the leaves, signifying that the plant is absorbing too much water.
Mould in the soil and any softening of the stems also indicate too much moisture. Sometimes, the yellowing of the leaves might be a sign of an overwatered aloe plant.
Below are some general symptoms of an overwatered aloe plant:
- Sagged leaves
- The stem and leaves become soft.
- Aloe Vera plant Turning Brown
- The outermost leaves turning brown from the tips
- Mould growing in soil
- Leaves got blistered cells absorbing excess water.
Overwatered Vs Underwatered Aloe Vera Plant
Unfortunately, it might be quite challenging to differentiate between an overwatered and underwatered aloe plant since both situations share some similarities.
To guide you, below are the differences and similarities between an under-watered and overwatered aloe.
- Both underwatered and overwatered aloe plant both have yellow leaves. the yellow leaves of an overwatered aloe plant are quite wet and moldy, while that of an underwatered aloe plant is dry and crispy
- An underwatered aloe plant will have dry potting soil, while an overwatered aloe plant will have wet and soggy soil.
- Brown spots in an aloe plant are usually a sign of the plant being overwatered or underwatered. An underwatered aloe will have dry, brown spots, while the brown spot in an overwatered aloe plant will be water-soaked.
- The roots of an aloe plant are a dead giveaway on whether or not the plant lacks nutrients. The root of an overwatered aloe plant is wet and mushy, while the root of an underwatered aloe plant is dry and brittle.
Related Posts:
- Topsoil Vs Potting Soil For Grasses
- Overwatered Vs Underwatered Succulent
- Symptoms of Overwatered Succulents
- Types of Succulent Plant
- How To Fix An Overwatered Plant
- How To Fix Stunted Growth In Plants
Conclusion
Caring for your aloe plant is not so difficult, provided you know the right thing do. Excessive watering of your aloe plant is harmful to the plant.
Similarly, underwatering your aloe plant is equally detrimental and leads to the plant's eventual wilting and death.
The trick is to properly manage the watering system so your plant is not infected with diseases and loses its beauty. The question remains, overwatered vs underwatered aloe?
How do you identify one? Following the guidelines in this article, you should be able to differentiate between an overwatered aloe plant from an underwatered one.
