Aloe veras are easy to grow and with their thick leaves, they are one of the few plants that can improve your bedroom’s air quality by producing oxygen at night.
However, if you’re not careful about meeting this plant’s needs for light and water it can soon begin to grow long and spindly.
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How To Grow Your Aloe Vera Leaves Thicker?
You can grow your aloe vera leaves thicker by giving your plant more light, giving it water as soon as the top one or two inches of soil becomes dry, and by growing it in a pot that is a suitable size.
Provide More Sunlight
For your aloe vera leaves to grow thicker, you’ll need to provide your plant at least six to eight hours of bright sunlight each day.
If not getting enough light, this plant will start to spread out and turn a pale, lime green color.
An area that gets two or three hours of direct morning sunshine and then lots of bright indirect sunlight in the afternoon would be ideal.
Just be careful about giving your aloe vera too much direct, afternoon sunlight as it may end up with sunburn and brown tips.
To keep your plant growing evenly, rotate it a couple of times a week so that all of its leaves get an equal amount of light.
Water As Soon As The Soil Dries Out
To stop your aloe vera’s leaves from getting thinner, it’s important to water your plants as soon as the top one or two inches of soil fully dries out.
If you let the soil go bone-dry for too long, your plant will begin to use the water reserves in its leaves, causing them to shrink.
Your aloe vera is a drought-resistant plant and it resists that drought by storing water in its leaves.
That’s why its leaves are usually so fat and plump.
But when all of the moisture runs out from the soil, your plant is forced to use the water it has stored in its leaves.
And this causes the leaves to shrivel and become thinner.
Related Article: Why Is My Aloe Vera Plant Spreading Out?
Use The Correct Pot Size
Like most succulents, aloe veras like to be crowded in their pots.
If they have too much space for their roots, they won’t produce babies and will be more susceptible to root rot.
Too much space in the pot may also cause the roots to spread out before your aloe vera has had a chance to grow properly and this can result in the production of thin leaves.
Start with a pot that’s four or five inches big and only repot into a pot that’s one or two inches bigger when your aloe vera becomes severely rootbound or top-heavy.
Why Are My Aloe Vera Plant Leaves Thin?
An aloe vera plant with thin leaves usually indicates a lack of sunlight or water.
Let’s look a little closer at each of them and try to understand what the problem is and how to put it right.
Not Enough Light
When your aloe vera is not receiving enough even sunlight, it will begin to lengthen its stems and leaves to reach more.
This will cause the growth of the plant to become elongated and the leaves to grow thin and leggy.
The Pot Is Too Big
Another cause of an aloe vera growing thin leaves can be that it’s growing in a pot that’s too large.
When the pot is too big, the roots spread before your aloe has a chance to grow, resulting in a fragile plant with elongated growth.
These plants prefer to be tight in their pots so don’t consider repotting until it’s quite root-bound and top-heavy.
When the pot is too big, the soil also takes longer to dry and your aloe vera’s roots may not be getting a chance to dry out properly between watering times.
This may lead to root rot and quickly kill your plant.
If you think the pot is too big and keeping the soil too wet, remove your plant and inspect the roots for any signs of rot.
Rotten roots will look dark and feel mushy.
If you find that the soil is wet and the roots are rotting, cut away the rotten ones and give the remaining healthy roots a rinse.
Allow to air dry for about a day and repot your aloe vera into a smaller pot with a fresh fast-draining cactus potting mix.
I would advise using a heavy clay pot with good drainage.
The clay will help to draw moisture from the soil and the heavy pot will stop your aloe vera from toppling over if it becomes top-heavy.
It Is Not Being Watered Enough
Underwatering is a common cause of thin leaves on an aloe vera plant.
These succulents store water in their leaves for times of drought.
When you let the plant dry out too much, moisture runs out in the soil and your plant is forced to use the stored water in its leaves, causing them to shrivel and become thin.
Your plant will require more or less water depending on the time of year it is, how much light it’s getting and a whole host of other factors.
That’s why it’s never wise to water on a schedule.
To water your aloe vera correctly, test the top one or two inches of soil with your finger and only give water when it has completely dried out.
You may need to give water once every two weeks in summer and once a month in winter.
Always test the soil first, just test more often in summer.
Final Thoughts
Aloe vera plants are wonderful succulents to care for but their leaves can quickly grow thin and spindly if you don’t keep a close eye on how much light and water they are getting.
If you notice leaves becomming thin, check the soil first to make sure it’s not too dry and give some water, if necessary.
If it’s not a lack of water, think about where your plant is positioned and try to give it two to three hours of direct morning sunlight and loads of bright indirect light in the afternoon.
