Why Is My Aloe Plant Growing Horizontally? 4 Main Reaons

Depending on the species, certain Aloe Vera plants will naturally grow sideways toward the bottom. This is how they develop naturally.

Why Is My Aloe Plant Growing Horizontally

Indoor plants gravitate toward sunshine in order to perform photosynthesis. So if your Aloe Plant is growing horizontally, this may be why!

Other explanations may exist, but this is the most typical.

Let’s take a look at this in more depth:

An Introduction To Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera plants are commonly kept as houseplants. They are popular succulents as they don’t usually require a huge amount of care and attention.

Aloe Vera has been used in traditional medicine for centuries – another reason why this is a popular plan to grow at home.

Aloe has a long list of uses and it can be a helpful remedy to have at home to deal with minor burns and scalds – or to support your skin routine. I know this is the reason I first started to grow Aloe.

But then, after a few failed attempts, it become less about growing it for its medicinal purposes, and more about the challenge of getting it right.

In general, they’re easy to maintain and beautiful to look at, but in certain cases, they can become agitated and begin to move from side to side instead of remaining in one position.

This is something that has bugged me for a while and I’ve done a bit of research into the issue that I wanted to share.

Reasons Your Aloe Vera Plant Is Growing In The Wrong Direction

Why Is My Aloe Plant Growing Horizontally?

If I find that my Aloe Vera plant is growing in the wrong direction, I have a few options. You can see a list of some of them here:

1. The Light Source

In my experience, the most common reason for an Aloe Plant growing sideways is the light source’s direction.

Due to a lack of light, indoor Aloe plants tend to grow in the wrong direction 90% of the time.

Aloe plants that are grown inside and placed near a window will eventually begin to grow sideways toward the sun.

All green plants, including Aloe Vera plants, require sunlight to create food, and I’ve already learned that they’ll contort their shapes to make the most of the light I do provide.

2. Narrow and Small Pots

It’s possible that the reason an Aloe plant is growing horizontally is that they aren’t being adequately supported.

This is frequently caused by either the roots being too deep or the pot being too thin and small in diameter.

A plant housed in a pot that is large enough with a strong drainage system will fair much better.

You can also consider adding bamboo sticks for added support.

3. Too Little Water

This is a rare issue, but an Aloe Vera plant may grow sideways if it isn’t provided with enough water don’t give it enough water.

Succulents like Aloe Vera require less water than other plants. And it’s important not to overwater them as this can kill them (confession: I definitely did this in the early days).

But equally, without enough water, they can wilt and appear to grow to the side.

4. Other Growing Conditions

Selecting a potting medium that is suitable for succulents is the best bet for growing a strong and healthy Aloe Vera plant – and one that grows in the right direction!!

While the wrong soil is unlikely to make a plant grow in the wrong direction, it will certainly hamper the proper growth of your Aloe Vera.

Can I Straighten My Aloe Plant?

Why Is My Aloe Plant Growing Horizontally?

I wouldn’t recommend trying to force your Aloe Vera into a horizontal position as you may risk damaging it.

As I’ve mentioned, there are many reasons why your plant may be growing to the side, so it’s important to assess the conditions to understand why this is happening.

When you have a clear idea of the cause of the problem, you can take the correct action.

Proper Sunlight Orientation

Rotate the pot your Aloe Vera is planted in. About once a month or so should be suitable and should help to prevent uneven growth and ensure equal exposure to sunlight on all sides.

Watering

The plant should be watered on a regular basis, but it really is vital that you don’t over-water it or the plant will become water-clogged and can become diseased.

Before re-watering the plant, check the moisture in the first 2 inches of soil. If the medium feels dry, your plant is definitely in need of some fresh water.

Select A Wider Pot

If the Aloe Vera plant is growing in awkward directions due to being restricted, then the best thing to do is carefully move it to a new, larger pot so that both the roots and the leaves have enough room to grow properly.

Provide Support

As mentioned, to support your Aloe Vera in growing upwards, you can always add small bamboo sticks, or similar supportive structures, to guide it in the right direction.

Final Thoughts

If your Aloe Vera is growing horizontally, don’t panic – I’ve been there!

Try to understand why your plant isn’t growing in the right direction and then you can take easy steps to remedy this.

I would bet the reason is probably because of a lack of even sunlight – so rotating your plant and making sure it always has access to sunlight should help.

 

Venus