Barbadensis Miller- Aloe Vera Medicinal Plant
Buckfast.Beeman
Posts: 63
Hi everyone and welcome to my thread. As I have become a keen gardener the past few years I'm always on the lookout for something new to grow and as I was searching for some cream that combats scaring for my constant outbreaks of acne I come across creams and potions containing Barbadensis Miller the Aloe Vera plant. I read that this plant has been used for thousands of years and even Cleopatra used it to intensify her beauty and it was said she was the most desirable woman in the world. As I'm a gardener it seemed a shame to buy a cream that contains a product I can grow in my own House and Garden so I ordered a mature 3-4 year old plant. The Plant came today and was very well packaged and delivered and it came complete with three pups- baby plants.and I've potted these pups up in small pots to grow on. While researching on the net the benefits of this plant I was shocked to find the endless uses for the plant ranging from wrinkle cream to detoxing. Does anyone else grow this plant for medicinal purposes and what do you use it for? Does anyone have any tips or advise?
Posts
Hi - I have had one of these in my kitchen for a few years (its now huge) and use it when I burn myself taking things out of the oven. Just snap off the end of a spike and squeeze the gel-type substance onto the burn. I have very sensitive skin and this doesnt cause any irritability. You will find that it will produce babies like crazy (everyone I know has had these given to them!) A previous one of mine (which was a very old) did actually flower before it died.
I miss my aloe vera plants. I used to have many of them but found them so useful that I kept giving them (and babies) away so that when I was down to just one I gave it to my mother to "look after" while I was moving house... she gave it away! It was ever such an old thing that had given up growing upwards and instead one weekend while I was away flopped over and ever since grew down the pot and along the windowsill.
I found they really helped with burns (including sunburn) / bad bruises / spots / sensitive areas from where a plaster had been ripped off... Goodness I think aloe goes everywhere!
I must find a garden centre around here that sells them so that I can start filling the windowsill up once again!
I have one in the window bottom. My aunt bought its grandparent back from Australia. Excellent for treating burns in the kitchen.
I have 2 big ones and 7 babies left. I had 12 but I've given some away. Then add in the two small ones I brought back from Greece a month ago
i couldn't be without mine now. I just like looking at them and cleaning all the dust off when they've wintered indoors lol
How big can I expect the plants to get? The one I have is about a foot tall from tip to base but its surprisingly heavy for a plant that size. I think I need to re pot it as its top heavy and a terracotta pot would be the best pot I think as I don't want it to get blown over when its outside in the summer months. What size pot should I go for its in a 4 or 5 inch pot at the moment and it seems a bit too unstable
I've had an Aloe Vera plant for nearly 8 years and its just got a bit bigger (about 2 foot across) and has never produced babies? its in a 8 inch pot in sand/compost mix so its nice and free draining soil , what am I doing wrong?
OOhh yes please!!
Treehugger - I found mine produced the most babies when it was spending its summer months in the back of a living van pulled by a steam engine (excellent first aid kit when working on a hot vehicle) - so being knocked about, dropped, poked at by curious fingers, dried out with the stove on, then drowned, then submerged into darkness because we'd lock it away and thought someone else had moved it, dropped again when it didn't move it into its travelling position.... and repeat until September.
Perhaps you're looking after yours too well? (I'm not an expert on them!)
I, too, treat mine mean. Forget to water them until they look a bit shrivelled and then give them a good soaking. Also ideal in a baking hot conservatory
time to try treating my aloe vera meanly then by the sounds of it!
Hi Chriss, many years ago a team of flat roof men were mending a friends roof, while we were having coffee the youngest lad spilled the tar pot over his arm, my friend doused the arm under the cold tap ,cut of a big Alo leaf sliced it down the middle flatways and wrapped it around the burn, the roof was finished,and the men were gone about a month later she told me the lad had come back to thank her for her help,he said the doctor was amazed at the condition of the burn when he treated it and said he had seen Aloe used this way before, So there you go Alo Alo Alo.i think its time for me to get another one nice plants.