When planning your garden, it’s always best to pick plants that will naturally survive in your region. Unfortunately, this can be limiting. If you’ve discovered your aloe vera plant has frozen in your garden, read on to find out what you can do about it.
My aloe vera plant froze: Aloe vera plants prefer warm, dry areas so if they are still outside when a frost hits, it can damage the plant. Aloe vera can withstand a night of frost if you immediately bring the plant indoors and place it in a warm but not too hot location. The dead leaves will turn black, so slowly remove these. As long as part of the aloe vera plant is still alive, there is a chance it can recover from being frozen.
Are Aloe vera plants susceptible to frost?
Aloe vera plants are a type of succulent and prefer dry areas. They are native to such places as Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Classified as a tropical plant, it can do well in areas that are both semi-tropical and even dry. So, it has varying water needs but for temperature, prefers warm air.
Aloe vera plants can survive a touch of frost. However, they are not meant for the harsh winters of North America.
What should you do in winter?
There are a few options you can take when it comes to wintertime for your aloe vera plant. The easiest is to bring it inside.
For the most part, aloe vera plants will die once the temperature consistently drops to below 45 degrees. This means that if your plant is left out and completely exposed during the winter, it won’t survive.
If you can, keep your aloe vera plant in a container. Then, once fall comes around, you can simply bring the plant indoors. Alternatively, you can dig your plant up each year and then re-plant it in the spring.
For those that want to leave their aloe vera plant outside permanently, you should invest in some winter care. Plant blankets or burlap are good ideas that will help protect your aloe vera from cooler temperatures.
Please note, however, that if you get very cold winters, no amount of wrapping will sustain your aloe vera.
Can you save a frozen aloe plant?
It may be possible to save your aloe vera plant, as long as it isn’t too frozen. If there is some green left on the plant, then there is a chance you can bring it back to life.
However, if the entire plant is completely frozen, then unfortunately there is not much you can do about it.
How to save an aloe vera plant from frost
Prune damaged leaves
First, check your plant to assess the damage. Hopefully, the frost will have only gotten a few parts of the plant.
If this is the case, then gently prune any leaves that are frozen. Clip them off with clean scissors or a knife to prevent spreading diseases.
For plants that have a lot of damaged leaves, cut them off a few at a time. This way you won’t shock the plant and instead will give it time to slowly start to regrow the damaged leaves.
Warmth
Slowly bring your aloe vera plant back to life with incremental changes in temperature. Placing your frost-bitten plant next to a heater will shock the plant with extreme change.
Start by placing your plant in a cool part of your home that is at least warmer than outside. Then, over a few days, gradually bring it into a living room or kitchen where it will have the warmth it needs.
Light
After bringing your aloe vera plant indoors to warm up, you want to ensure it has enough light. These plants want at least six hours of sunlight, so place it near a window.
Windows can be drafty in the winter and the glass can even be freezing. Make sure your plant is a foot away from the glass so it gets all the light and warmth but won’t touch the glass.
Water
Aloe vera plants don’t like to be overwatered. When you do water them, water deeply but then wait a few weeks before watering again.
After a cold shock, the plant needs a chance to dry out a bit so don’t water too much right away.
Wait
Patience is key and after doing everything you can for your aloe vera, unfortunately, you just have to wait.
Those who have more mature plants will have a better chance of their aloe coming back to life than young plants. The fuller the root system and the more numerous the leaves means there better chance it will survive.
Will my aloe plant grow back after a freeze?
There are plenty of signs to look for that will determine whether your aloe plant will grow back after a freeze. The variety of your plant will also be an important determinator as some have harder characteristics.
Length of time
How long has your aloe very plant been in freezing temperatures? If the answer is just overnight, then you have a chance of recovering it.
However, if your aloe vera plant has been outside in the winter for more than a week, then there’s a good chance it is too far gone and the plant won’t be able to recover.
Black leaves
What is the color of your aloe vera leaves and how many are affected? The blacker the color and the more damage means the greater severity of the cold shock.
Drooping leaves
Unfortunately, you may get a bit of false hope with your aloe vera plant. After bringing it in to warm up, your plant may seem okay.
However, look to see if the shock was too great. The leaves will slowly start to droop, which means their internal design was damaged and they will soon turn black or fall off.
Conclusion
Even though your aloe vera plant needs consistently warm temperatures, it might survive a few nights of frost. It’s important to bring your plant indoors right away, trim off the dead leaves, and provide it with the light and warmth it needs to recover.
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