•  Plants & Trees
•  Anna Martin

Reasons for droopy leaves, fixes, and tips to make aloe vera grow upright

 
There is no doubt that the aloe vera plant is everyone’s favorite, and you can easily find one in every other household because of its numerous incredible health and beauty benefits.
 
But when you have a droopy aloe plant, it can get challenging to reap those benefits. In such scenarios, most people get distressed and wonder what the possible causes for their aloe plant drooping can be.
 
Let us get to the bottom of it.
 

In This Article

• Why Is My Aloe Starting To Droop?
• Should I Cut Off Drooping Aloe Leaves?
• How Do You Keep Aloe Vera Leaves Upright from The Beginning?
• Why Is My Aloe Vera Chunky?
• Summing Up..

 

Why Is My Aloe Vera Plant Drooping?

If you notice aloe leaves drooping in your plant, it could be worrisome for the whole aloe. It can stop your plant from growing happily because the leaves of aloe usually cover the central stem with deeply buried roots. It slowly hampers the root resulting in root rot.
 
Although all types of aloe plants have a sturdy and resilient build, certain factors can stress your plant, like incorrect pot size, over or underwatering, drainage issues, transplant shock, and insufficient sunlight causing droopy leaves. We will discuss these and more in this section in detail.
 
Some of the common causes for drooping to begin are:
 
Check your pot size: If you have put your aloe plant in a smaller container than needed, it will not allow the roots to spread nicely. When the roots are not able to grow enough to provide support to the aloe plant, it ultimately results in wilting of the plant.
 
So, when you put your aloe plant in a pot, choose an appropriate size around 2 inches more than the plant width, that gives enough room for roots to spread. Also, make sure your pot has holes for proper drainage of water.
 
Are you watering it as needed?: When it comes to watering your aloe, less is more. Excessive water can make the leaves swollen and result in aloe plant drooping. You usually should water once every 2 to 3 weeks. When you water the plant, observe that it reaches deep into the roots.

After every watering, give enough time to the plant to soak any remaining water through the bottom.
 
Sunlight requirements: A healthy aloe plant requires sufficient indirect light for at least 6 hours daily. Anything less or more will adversely affect your plant health. If you have an indoor aloe plant that doesn’t get enough light, move it near a south-faced window. Otherwise, long hours without sunlight exposure can lead to drooping aloe vera leaves and wilting.
 
Extreme temperature: If you keep alternating your aloe plant from high to low temperatures or vice versa, it can go under temperature shock. If you have to move it around, do it gradually.
 
Start by keeping your aloe plant at a new temperature for more than one hour daily. This will help it to comfortably accept the changing environment. Ideally, you should place this succulent under a temperature between 55 to 80°F.
 
Is your soil drainage at par?: As discussed above, overwatering is one big problem. On top of that, if the soil you use for aloe does not drain well, it will result in water logging at a higher rate causing the plant to droop.
 
Tell yourself, if this is the reason why is my aloe plant drooping, there is a simple fix I can do. Luckily you can fix it by re-potting your plant in well-drained soil. Make sure the container has suitable drainage holes.
 
Sunburn: If the plant is exposed to direct sun for prolonged hours, it gets sunburned. This also causes the aloe leaves to droop. To remedy this, avoid bringing in the aloe plant under direct sun for hours and hours straight.
 
Transplant shock: Just as we feel a bit low after shifting to any new place or city, plants also experience a shock after moving to a new environment.
 
In the case of transplant, the roots of the plant get stressed. So, the plant has to put all its energy into supporting roots rather than leaves. As a result, you can observe wilting, and drooping Aloe leaves.
 
The best thing you can do to fix it is to focus on providing growth-supporting conditions for the plant. This means being extra cautious while moving the plant and looking after it more cautiously after transplant.
 
Aloe diseases: There is no doubt that aloe plants do not require high maintenance compared to other kinds of succulents. But even aloe plants can get infected when exposed to diseases resulting in a droopy appearance.
 
For instance, your aloe plant might develop a bacterial or fungal disease. Some common illnesses that harm aloe plants include Aloe rusting, rotting due to bacterial infection, and rotting of basal stem.
 
Use store bought insecticides or fungal powder to ward off the infection.
 
Pest attack: Aloe Vera plants are prone to pests like aphids and mites. Once it gets infested with pests, it can start to droop and die gradually. So, if you spot any of these in your plant, watch out! Aphids are commonly found saps on aloe plants that are known to leach out the juice from their leaves. This can easily lead to the bending of your aloe and dying.
 
You can carefully treat it using neem or horticultural oil.
 

Should I Cut Off Drooping Aloe Leaves?

Yes, you can trim off the drooping Aloe vera leaves using a sharp knife at the base. This will allow only healthy leaves and stalk to grow.
 
If you also repot the plant, leave the aloe roots for a few days to completely dry out, after which you can water the plant. Now make sure to keep your Aloe in shaded areas and follow the right care.
 

How Do You Keep Aloe Vera Leaves Upright From The Beginning?

Apart from the problems we stated above, sometimes healthy leaves also start to droop for no reason at all. It may be that they need extra support to go up straight.
 
For a healthy aloe plant drooping it is best to take precautionary measures from the beginning to keep the leaves erect and upright.
 
The tips we suggest below will work for you when you follow the right aloe care regime.

• Put a loose tie around leaves to grow straighter: If your aloe leaves are going sideways, here and there, you can put a loose tie around the leaves. This will give a direction for the leaves to grow upright.
• Move aloe pups to another container: It is important to repot aloe plants when they start producing pups. It will allow the tiny new offshoots to flourish on their own and give space to the mother aloe to grow well.
• A netted fence: A loose netted fence around the pot will also let it grow straight. The fence will act like a boundary to give shape to the plant along with the direction to grow.

 

Why Is My Aloe Vera Chunky?

These succulents are already filled with gel and have gooey leaves. But sometimes your aloe vera might appear extra thick and fleshy. It commonly happens when it is being watered too much. These aloe leaves may eventually turn brown as well.
 
It becomes a cause of concern because the roots of these plants are susceptible to rotting, particularly in the case of indoor aloe plants.
 
Related: How long does aloe vera live?
 

Summing Up..

We hope that now you are thorough with every cause of having a drooping and wilting aloe plant. So, now whenever the question “why is my aloe plant drooping” comes to your mind, just follow the effective ways mentioned in this guide and revive your aloe back to health.