Aloe Vera is a popular medicinal plant and belongs to the Liliaceae family. Aloe Vera is a perennial plant grown for its succulent leaves which have a variety of medicinal uses.
It has many well known uses for human health. Aloe Vera farming in India is gaining popularity as Aloe Vera profit per acre is much higher than normal agriculture farming and it can be done using less water. Land size and soil quality are some of the major factors you need to consider so has to have a definite and satisfactory profit from your crop. Availability of farming equipments as well as market to sell Aloe Vera plus proper business model are key farming factors.
Varieties
Some of the important Aloe types include tiger yellow, lace yellow and blue yellow tiger. Yellow tiger is a small succulent type that grows up to a foot tall with leaves as long as six inches.
The blue aloe has a bluish white pigment and stretches up to 24 inches wide. This type of aloe requires sufficient draining of water to grow strong. Soil quality and favourable climatic conditions in organic Aloe Vera farming is key. It is advised to use organic fertilizers for your plants.
Watering
Aloe Vera plants are drought resistant so the plant can survive with minimal watering. However, not watering Aloe Vera plant will shorten its life span.
An appropriate method to water an Aloe Vera plant is to water thoroughly and let the excess water drain then water again when the top inch of soil is dry. In medicinal plants like Aloe Vera where the juice of the leaves is directly taken as medicine, clean cultivation and proper care is important.
Pest control
Some of the basic methods are to remove the pest infested Aloe Vera plants. You can also use chillies, onions and garlic which is ground and mixed with water to spray on the plant.
You can also use beneficial insects which feed on harmful insects. One such beneficial insect is the lady bug. Harvest your Aloe Vera leaves after 7-8 months of planting. Use a sharp knife to harvest while you take a lot of care to avoid loss of juice from the cut portion.
