Aloe vera plant leaves bending indicates that your aloe is in serious problem. You need to fix it soon or it will die. There are many reasons that cause dropping leaves in aloe plants.
Some of them are overwatering, poor drainage, fungal infections, bacterial or pest attacks, and low light. The most common reason is watering it excessively.
Once you identify the cause you can easily reverse the unhealthy conditions. Below is the complete detailed guide that will help you to identify and fix the aloe vera bending leaves.
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Why are my aloe vera plant leaves bending?
It is a succulent plant and needs proper care. Irregular watering, bacterial infection, and fungal diseases directly affect the plant tissues.
The internal tissues get weak and the leaves start bending. In some cases, you will see swallow leaves. Yellow leaves and brown tips are the second most common signs of aloe vera infection.
Below is the complete fixing guide.
Wrong Pot
If the aloe pot does not have a draining hole, then you will surely see dropping leaves. Because the extra water in the pot makes the soil heavy and waterlogged.
This puts pressure on roots and blocks the air pocket of the soil. This cut down the supply of fresh oxygen to the plant roots.
The roots also become unable to absorb a good amount of moisture and nutrients. As a result, your aloe vera plant gets weak and the leaves start bending.
Waterlogged conditions also increase the chances of root rot. This is a fungal disease that eats up the plant if not fixed on time.
Easy Fix
You should use well-draining soil with a plant pot that has two or more draining holes. They allow the extra water to drain out of the pot and save the potting soil from being waterlogged.
When the soil does not hold much water your aloe plant will grow without facing any problems.
If the pot has a bottom hole, then the use of the wrong type of potting soil is the cause of bending leaves.
Very low light
Aloe vera plant needs a good amount of bright light and warmth to grow healthy. When due to any reason it gets low light. The leaves start bending and turning yellow.
Because in poor light conditions the aloe plant becomes unable to make a sufficient amount of chlorophyll. This directly impacts the amount of glucose in the plant.
Glucose is the food for the plant. In the absence of a sufficient amount of food, the aloe plant gets weak and cannot hold the weight of its leaves, resulting in bending leaves.
Easy Fix
Change the place of your aloe plant, and move the pot to a brighter place like a windowsill or balcony. Where it can get a good amount of light.
You can also use grow lights to full fill its light needs.
Note: Do not expose your aloe plant to direct sunlight for long hours. The highly intense sun rays can damage the plant leaves. Redness on leaves is the first sign of overexposure to bright light.
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Cold Environment
As I mentioned, aloe vera needs a warm environment to grow. If the room temperature drops below 55 degrees F. Your plant will surely get affected.
By bending its leaves, it is telling you about its current health status. So that you can help your plant to save its life.
Easy Fix
The ideal temperature range for the plant is 65 to 85 degrees F. High temperature is not a problem. The thick leaves of aloe vera store enough amount of water.
This water or moisture saves it in high heat conditions.
So, you need to keep the grow room temperature in the ideal range. Therefore, install the thermometer and keep eye on it.
Or
You can set the alarm in the device whenever the temperature drops below the set value the temperature monitor will trigger an alarm.
People use this type of monitoring device when they grow costly plants.
Small Container Size
Small size container does not allow roots to grow properly. Roots grow in a compact space which reduces the normal functioning of roots.
Aloe plant roots need a good amount of space in the pot to grow and stay comfortable.
Easy Fix
Use bigger pots to grow aloe vera plants. There should be space between the roots and the bottom and walls of the pots.
For this, you can use small rocks also called pebbles. Fill the bottom of the pot with pebbles and then add soil to it.
This will keep the plant above the bottom of the pot.
Dry Rot
This is a very serious disease. The symptoms are yellow leaves, bending leaves, and dry plants. In this condition, the internal tissues of the plant get dry due to fungal infection.
This fungal infection is triggered by the extra water in the soil or by pest attacks.
Easy Fix
Unfortunately, you cannot save the plant once it gets infected by dry rot. You have to destroy it to save your other healthy plants that grow nearby.
Give proper light, water, and fertilizers to your plant to prevent this deadly disease.
Do not use the container to grow other plants because the fungi remain on the walls of the container for months. So, it is best to through the container and uses new pots for growing new plants.
Bacterial attack
You can identify this bacterial attack by inspecting the aloe leaves. The leaves will turn dark and looks swallow.
This disease spread in all parts of the plant in just a few days. It mostly affects the aloe at a young age.
Easy Fix
Keep your plant and surroundings neat and clean to prevent bacterial infections. Aloe can survive mild infections.
All you need to do is give it good care and take care of its growing needs.
The bacteria is present on the debris of the plant. So, keep the growing area clean to prevent this condition. Overwatering, warm temperatures, and high humidity increase the chance of this infection.
How you can fix the aloe vera leaves bending?
Once you see bending aloe vera leaves this means your plant is dead. Because you cannot revive the bending leaves. You should cut the dropping leaves.
But proper care can prevent bending leaves and many other common aloe vera problems. Below is the general care guide for aloe vera plants.
These tips will also prevent aloe vera plant leaves from bending.
Light
Aloe vera needs bright light to make its food. But the light should not be direct sunlight. Exposure to high intense sunrays can burn the leaf tips.
Therefore, place the pot on the windowsill to expose it to the morning light only. You can use artificial grow light if there is not enough indirect bright light in your home.
Watering
Let the soil dry up to half before watering the pot. In the summer season, you need to give more water than in the winter.
Use clean water that does not contain chlorine and other heavy minerals that are insoluble in water.
Temperature
Keep your plant in a comfortable temperature range which is 65 to 85 degrees F. Aloe plant cannot handle the frost and cold winds of the winter season.
To keep track of the temperature you should install a temperature monitoring device and set the alarm.
Potting Soil
Use succulent soil or you can make it at home if you have good knowledge of potting soil ingredients.
It is best to use ready-to-use potting soil. Because nowadays buying ingredients separately will be costly.
Fertilizing
Fertilize your aloe plant once in 30 days only in the summer and spring seasons. These are the two growing seasons.
Fertilizing at this time makes the plant healthy and strong.
Conclusion
To avoid all possible problems including aloe vera plant leaves bending. Use fresh potting soil that drains fast, waterless, and exposes it to a good amount of light.
With this basic care, your aloe plant will grow healthy and strong.
I am going to change my plant by a window in my living room I had it in my bedroom too warm and hot sun