Aloe vera is one of the best houseplants having lots of medicinal properties. It’s a succulent plant that grows without much special care. But this beneficial aloe plant leaves curling like jude is a common problem that gardeners may encounter frequently.

Leaves of aloe vera may curl like spinach leaves for many reasons such as excessive sunlight, dehydration, wrong potting mix, insufficient watering, inadequate moisture, and many more. But the good news is that most of the problems are fixable.

This article will explain different causes of curly leaves (like calathea) in aloe vera with tips to solve these. Keep scrolling to get the aloe revival hacks.

7 Causes and Solutions of Aloe Plant Leaves Curling

1. Too Much Sun

Aloe vera thrives for almost 6 hours in sun rays. But too much light could harm the plants. If aloe plants are exposed to the sun for long period there is a high chance that the plants will encounter dehydration.

Intense sunlight may burn the leaves as well as cause inward curly leaves. This also discolors the leaves and turns the leaves yellow.

How to Treat It?

You can revive the aloe curly leaves in different ways if they get hit by excessive sunlight. Shift the plant to the inside or a safe place where they won’t get more than 6 hours of direct sunlight. Blinds and curtains are great ways to keep plants protected from the sun.

To save the garden aloe vera from the sun, you can use shading nets during excessive heat. If the plants get dehydrated give them a soak so they could recover soon.

2. Drought Stress

Aloe vera is a succulent plant that can hold moisture. But no watering or lack of watering may cause harm to the aloe plants. Underwatering isn’t the only reason behind drought stress there are several other reasons like draining out the plants very fast, excessive sunlight, insufficient humidity, etc. If any of these reasons are found in the plants, they might curl soon.

How to Treat It?

Generally, aloe plants require watering between 2 to 3 weeks during the growing season. Water the potted plants until water drains out. Aloe vera doesn’t require too much humidity, so you can keep the plants on AC or exposing to drafts that will reduce the humidity.

Avoid placing the plants too close to the radiator, furnace, fireplace, or other heat-generating sources since high temperatures may dehydrate the plants.

3. Low light

We already said aloe plants flourish in sufficient sun rays like 6 hours a day. So, whenever you place the plants in shaded or low-light areas the plants can’t do photosynthesis properly.

In this case, plants will encounter different problems like pests attacking, leaves curling (like yucca) outwards, and many more.

How to Treat It?

Find out a good spot having enough light where plants will get a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight. For garden plants, make sure there are no tall trees that can block the sunlight. If indoor plants require light, place them beside windows or install artificial plant lights.

4. Cold Issue for Aloe Plant Leaves

The succulent aloe plants are very sensitive to cold temperatures. Whether they are inside or outside temperatures below 50°F could be unbearable for them. If they get shocked by cold weather reddening, curling, and folding of the leaves might be some prime consequences.

How to Treat It?

Keep away the plants from cold heat sources like refrigerators or AC. Once they get a cold hit, bring them in the sunlight and keep them there for one or two weeks. You can cover the outdoor plants with blankets to protect them from cold temperatures.

5. Wrong soil

Choosing the right soil for aloe vera is very important. The succulent aloe plants prefer poor nutrient soil that doesn’t retain the water well. Planting aloe in nutrient-rich soil may cause rooting and overwatering. Even peat-based soil isn’t suitable for them. Incorrect soil weakens the aloe plants and therefore curls the leaves.

How to Treat It?

To make the perfect potting soil for aloe vera mix sand, perlite, loam, pine bark, and pumice. All of them should be mixed in 1 part.

6. Root Rot

This may happen due to fungal disease in the plants. The main causes behind this are overwatering, poorly draining soil, etc. This will result in curling the leaves, browning leaves, yellowing leaves, and foul-smelling soil. If this continues for a long, the root will decay, and the plants may die.

How to Treat It?

Repot the plants soon. You can prune the brown soft roots so they get healthier. Applying fungicide might be a great way to stop further rot spread. Shift the outside plants to another place adding sand and perlite to the soil. Make sure plants get proper light and water.

7. Diseases of Aloe Plant Leaves

Aloe vera plants show fungal and bacterial diseases mainly for overwatering. Some diseases that turn the aloe leaves curl (like a curry leaf) are basal stem rot, aloe rust, anthracnose, and bacterial soft rot. In most cases, they could be a potential threat to kill the plants.

How to Treat It?

Stop overwatering the plants. Use fungicides so plants get revived from the problems. Prune the affected leaves and repot them. Keep the plants in proper light, and air.

Frequently Asked Questions on Aloe Plant Leaves Curling

Can curled aloe vera leaves go back to normal?

In rare cases curl leaves (same as olive) may get back their normal look. In most cases, they need good care and maintenance. So, if you see curly leaves of aloe vera, take immediate action according to the reason.

How to protect aloe vera leaves from dropping?

Control watering and make sure the aloe plants are getting proper sunlight. This will help protect aloe vera leaves from dropping significantly.

Final Words

Aloe vera plant leaves curling is a sign that there might be something wrong. So, you should care for the plants well to make them healthier again. Some prime reasons for curly aloe leaves are low light, overwatering, too much cold, diseases, etc.

You should diagnose the reason first why this is happening and then take proper actions to fix the curl leaves problem. Proper light and watering might help the plants to get back their lives.

A short video on aloe plant leaves curling issue: