Why Does My Aloe Plant Not Stand Up?

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Last Updated on January 26, 2022 by Fabiola L.

Why does my aloe plant not stand up is a concern shared by many gardeners and plant lovers especially when growing aloe indoors.

Aloe vera is a popular houseplant among all plant lovers. It provides many benefits and does not require much maintenance.  They only require water and sunlight to thrive.

The aloe plant has no stems but some have a short stem with fleshy leaves that spread out from the single stem. The leaves’ edges are lined with sharp protrusions that could prick you if handled wrongly.

Sometimes, if you don’t handle your aloe plant well, it ends up drooping sideways or not standing up straight.

This guide should help you fix your aloe plant that does not stand up.

Why Does My Aloe Plant Not Stand Up?

Aloe plants need at least 6 hours of continuous sunlight each day.  If they don’t receive any form of light daily, the plant could flop and fall sideways. Likewise, overwatering your aloe plant could distress your plant too.

Therefore, it is critical to find the balance when watering your aloe plants.  Besides the watering problem, there are other reasons why an Aloe plant droops that include:

• • Inadequate sunlight

  • Fungi infections

  • Irregular watering schedules

  • A small sized container

  • Cold temperatures

Anyone or more of these issues might cause the problem; you will need to address them accordingly.

Droopy Aloe Plants Or Aloe Plant Leaves Getting Flat

When you notice your aloe vera plant is limp or droopy, here are several things you can do:

• • Provide a larger container for your plant

  • Avoid temperature extremes – whether too high or too low

  • Provide your plant with at least 6 hours of direct sun or light daily

  • Treat any fungal or bacterial diseases

  • Eliminate all types of pests

  • Stop moving your aloe plant too often

  • Follow a consistent watering schedule that works for your aloe plants

What Can You Do To Stop Aloe Plants From Falling Over?

Grow Aloe Plant In A Container

Choose a bigger container to grow your aloe plant as it gives it space to thrive.  If you find that there is an imbalance between the plant and the pot’s size, the plant will find it hard to grow up straight and probably fall over.

The container you choose must have drainage holes to allow good drainage and eliminate root rot.  The drainage holes will help prevent any water accumulation in the soil, the one reason why many indoor plants end up having stem or root rot issues.

10 Quart Hoffman 10404 Organic Cactus and Succulent Soil Mixed Potting Soil

Use-well Draining Potting Soil

The soil mixture should be well-draining. Soil plays a significant role in growing healthy aloe vera plants.  If you cannot make your soil mixture, buy a potting mix suitable for growing your succulent plant.

Since the Aloe plant already stores enough water in its leaves, you don’t have to worry a lot about its water requirements.  The mixture should contain sand or perlite and you can add a good amount of cockpit if you live in a hot weather place.

Provide Adequate Sunlight

Aloe vera plants should grow in a place where they can receive plenty of sunlight.  When growing it indoors, provide artificial lights if you don’t have adequate lights indoors.  The Aloe Vera plant easily falls over if it doesn’t receive sufficient sunlight for an extended period.  To provide the plant with food, the plant needs sunlight.

Provide The Ideal Temperature

Aloe vera plant thrives at 55 to 80 degrees F.  If it becomes too hot, the leaves will shrink causing the plant to not stand up.  Likewise, if it’s rainy or too cold outside, the plant might catch up with bacterial or fungal issues. Change of temperature will result in drooping of your aloe vera plant.

Maintain A Consistent Watering Schedule

Aloe plants need to be watered well until it overflows.  The overflowing water in the pot needs to be drained thoroughly.  Before watering again, test your soil by dipping your fingers into the soil to see if it is completely dry.  If dry, water again.  If your soil remains wet for too long, it could be the beginning of many issues.

Why Is My Aloe Only Growing Sideways?

The one major reason why your aloe plant is growing sideways is because of the direction of the light source. This is especially noticed if you are growing your aloe plant indoors placed by the window.  The plant will eventually start stretching sideways towards the sunlight, and even look wobbly with time.

You might already know that all green plants need sunlight to produce food via a process called photosynthesis. It is no different from an

An Aloe plant is no different from all the other plants that need sunlight to produce food through photosynthesis.  If your plant has limited access to sunlight, it will twist and turn to adjust itself so that it gets maximum exposure to the available sunlight.

The other reason why your aloe vera is growing sideways could be because of its species.  Some species naturally tend to grow sideways towards the bottom. This is just their way of growing in the wild. If you notice an asymmetry of some sort to the sideward growing of your aloe plant, this could be the reason.

Bottom-line, 90% of the time your aloe vera grows sideways is because of limited access to sunlight. If your aloe plant is growing sideways, there are several ways you can do to get it back straight.

Read more about Aloe Plant Falling Over: Avoid The 7 Common Mistakes

Fixing An Aloe Plant that Is Growing Sideways

The best way to prevent your aloe plant from growing sideways is to:

• • Rotate the plant regularly so that each part gets equal exposure to the sunlight.

  • Trim the bottom leaves and pups of the plant regularly to avoid overcrowding.

But how do you fix an aloe plant that is already growing sideways? The simplest solution is to:

• • Remove the old plant and replant the pup.  This way, you restart the growing process from scratch, ensuring that you take all the necessary precautions to prevent sideward growths.

  • Alternatively, you can trim the leaves that have strayed and then turn the pot in the opposite direction that faces the sunlight. In a few months’ time, the plant will straighten back up.

Conclusion

We hope we have answered your question about why does my aloe plant not stand up.  We hope you are able to take good care of your aloe plant to avoid any issues with this plant growing sideways.

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