7 Things To Know Before Growing Aloe Vera In Pebbles

Are you looking to grow Aloe Vera in pebbles?

Well, indoor plants do look great when you plant them in pots filled with pebbles.

But there are certain limitations to growing some of these plants in pebbles or rocks.

You can’t grow them like regular plants because of a lack of nutrient supply from this growing medium.

So, is it possible to grow Aloe in pebbles?

What do you need to do to grow your Aloe plant in this growing medium? 

Let’s find out below.

Can You Grow Aloe Vera In Pebbles?

Yes, you can grow Aloe Vera in pebbles as well as rocks.

However, as I mentioned earlier, there are some limitations and disadvantages to growing the plant in this medium.

When you plant your Aloe in such a medium, it doesn’t get adequate nutrients.

As you know, the plant cannot grow without a decent supply of nutrients from the soil.

It won’t survive on water, sunlight, and air.

Of course, if you want to keep the plant small for the rest of its lifetime, you can surely keep it in the pebbles pot, and you will not have to move it to some other pot.

The only downside of this practice is that the Aloe might not survive for too long, and you will have to replace it with a new plant.

Well, if you want to go ahead with it, check out the following section where I’ve shared some useful information on this topic.

Hopefully, you will learn a thing or two from it.

Things To Know Before Growing Aloe Vera In Pebbles

Here’s a list of things you should know –

1. Do Not Plant Your Aloe Solely In Pebbles

Yes, even if the indoor plants look good in pebbles, you shouldn’t plant them solely in this medium.

This is also true for your Aloe Vera plant.

You should prepare a soil mixture that can retain enough moisture in the pot.

So, what should you be adding to this mixture?

Since pebbles add a lot of weight to the pot, you should consider using cocopeat or peat moss as the base medium.

Both these growing mediums are known for their excellent water retention properties.

Other than that, you can also add some compost to this mixture.

The compost will help provide essential nutrients to the Aloe plant.

If you don’t want to use compost, you may also use pellet-based fertilizers.

These fertilizers will slowly release useful components in the soil, which is quite beneficial for the plant in the long term.

As for the proportion of soil mixture, here’s how you can make one for yourself – 

1 part of compost + 1 part of cocopeat or peat moss + pebbles

That’s all you need to remember here.

Don’t make it too complicated because the Aloe plant is quite hardy in nature.

It will grow well in this potting mixture.

2. Water Your Plant Frequently

When you plant your Aloe or any other indoor plant in such a pot, you need to ensure that it receives enough water regularly.

The reason for this is the water retention capacity of the soil mixture.

Many times when you get this plant from a garden center, they don’t add a lot of soil to the pot.

This often creates an issue for the plant, as this type of potting mixture doesn’t store a good amount of water content.

The water disappears from the pot pretty quickly due to the hard surface of pebbles as well as the natural evaporation process.

Hence, you should water the plant more frequently than you usually do for an outdoor or soil-based plant.

For this type of setup, you can water your Aloe every 3-4 days.

Important: Do check for the moisture content in the pot before watering the plant.

3. Place A Water Tray Underneath The Pot

Don’t have time to water your plant?

No problem!

There is always a way to make things easier in gardening.

If you want to fix the watering issue for this setup, you can simply place a tray filled with water.

With this method, the plant will automatically soak up the required water, and you will not have to water it quite often.

Apart from the watering requirement, it will also help maintain decent humidity around the pot.

Obviously, this method will only work for pots with drainage holes.

If you have a ceramic pot with no holes, you shouldn’t place the tray at the bottom.

It won’t make much sense to use it in this type of scenario.

Note: You should change the water from the tray periodically.

Otherwise, it could become a breeding ground for mosquitos and other insects.

4. Fertilize The Plant Regularly

As you know, fertilization is the most useful way to make your plant grow steadily.

It also makes the leaves lush green and plump.

When you put your Aloe plant in pebbles or rocks, the plant will have a difficult time getting enough nutrients.

So, you will need to supply nutrients through fertilizers.

For Aloe Vera in a pebbles pot, you can provide slow-release fertilizers.

These are long-lasting fertilizers, and they will keep your plant growing nicely throughout the year.

You can also use compost or vermicompost for this plant.

5. Keep It In A Bright Location

Along with the water and fertilizers, you will also have to think about the sunlight requirement of the Aloe Vera plant.

This plant requires full sunlight, though you should avoid direct sunlight on the pot.

If you are going to keep this plant as a centerpiece or somewhere in your living room, you need to ensure that the room is well-lit.

Do not put this plant in a dark room, as the leaves will begin to drop sideways.

6. Keep An Eye On The Growth Of Your Aloe Plant

When you plant Aloe Vera in pebbles, they don’t grow as fast as naturally growing plants.

Still, you should expect some growth in your plant, especially if you are taking good care of the plant.

If you feel the plant is not growing for months, there might be a problem with it.

The lack of growth is generally associated with no fertilizers, less sunlight, and reduced watering frequency.

You will need to check for all these issues to rule out some of the possibilities.

7. Do Not Move Your Plant Frequently

Unlike a regular plant, the pebbles-based pot will not support your plant firmly.

The Aloe plant will always seem wobbly, especially when you’ve potted a moderately-sized plant in a small decorative pot.

So, try not to move this pot around.

If you do, it will have an effect on the root system.

When the whole plant moves, it puts more pressure on the roots.

Sometimes, the roots can break into pieces, which may cause the plant to fall from the pot.

To avoid such damage, you should limit the movement of the Aloe plant.

Also, it’s quite necessary to keep it away from your children and pets.

They may also push the pot while playing in the room.

Alright, so, these are the few things you need to consider while growing Aloe in pebbles.

In the next section, let’s check out the FAQs related to this topic.

FAQs