Aloe vera plant in a terracotta pot on a sunny windowsill

Aloe Vera Care Guide: How to Grow and Use Aloe Indoors

Most people buy aloe vera for two reasons: it is nearly indestructible, and it is actually useful. Burn your hand on the oven, snap a leaf, and the gel is right there. That combination of low-maintenance and practical value makes aloe one of the few houseplants that earns its spot on a windowsill without asking much in return. The catch is that aloe has one vulnerability, and it is a quiet one. The plant will look fine right up until it does not. By the time the leaves go soft and the base turns dark, the roots have already been sitting in wet soil for too long. Overwatering does not announce itself the way underwatering does. That is the one thing worth getting right from the start. ...

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