What Food Is Good For Aloe Vera Plants? (Eggshells, Bananas, Tea, Coffee & More…)

With there being so much emphasis on food waste at the moment, I was curious if any of it would be beneficial for my Aloe Vera plants. So with this in mind, my exploration began.

I managed to find a whole bunch of things that are good for my Aloe Vera plant, such as:

• Eggshells
• Banana Peels
• Tea
• Epsom Salt

If you want to find out what other food scraps are potentially good for your Aloe Vera plant, and some that aren’t so great, then keep reading.

Are Eggshells Good For Aloe Vera Plants?

Initially, I wondered if there was anything I could do with my eggshells as I tend to have 2 of these going to waste each morning. Now I alternate between feeding it to my aloe vera and my indoor hydroponic gardens.

So, are eggshells good for Aloe Vera plants? Yes, as long as you wash away the yolk/white then they are perfectly fine to give to your Aloe Vera plants. They will even give your succulent an extra boost of potassium.

To feed it to your Aloe Vera, there are two methods. Firstly, you can simply crush the shell up really small and mix it in with the soil, however. I much prefer making “Eggshell tea” from it by soaking them in a cup of water through the night then sift out the shells the next morning.

Is Banana Peel Good For Aloe Vera?

When I ate Bananas, I never really knew what to do with the peel until I found out that it makes ideal compost for Aloe Vera plants.

Bananas are one of the best natural fertilizers and it has the double impact that you’re cutting down on food waste.

It’s quite simple what you need to do, just cut the peel up and mix it in with your soil then allow it to begin its natural decomposition process.

If you want to see how it’s done, check out the video below.

Are Coffee Grounds Good For Aloe Vera?

Since finding many other food wastes were beneficial for Aloe Vera plants I hoped that after my recent switch over to ground coffee, that the leftovers granules might be good for my Aloe Vera.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case, coffee can be detrimental to the health of your Aloe Vera plant, here’s why.

Coffee, when mixed with soil, blocks up vital drainage holes and can actually retain much of the water that you was trying to feed your plant with.

Another problem is that coffee tends to make the soil a little more acidic, which is fantastic news for plants such as Tomatoes or Avocados but that’s far from ideal for your Aloe Vera, which prefers a more neutral/slightly alkaline soil.

Is Tea Good For Aloe Vera?

Any natural tea will be packed with nutrients and minerals for your Aloe Vera, so the next time you have some leftover, just remember there’s an Aloe Vera in your home waiting for it!

It’s ideal as it doesn’t smell bad and it’s so easy to feed to your plants, with no mess.

The nutritional boost your plants can get from Tea is astounding, but as with everything don’t feed it too much as they store a lot of liquid in their leaves.

Is Coconut Oil Good For Aloe Vera?

Coconut oil can be applied the Aloe Vera, but it’s not for quite the same reason as you’d expect as it doesn’t have any nutritional benefits for your succulent.

Coconut oil is applied to the leaves to smother any pests that are hibernating in your plant through the winter, this essentially smothers the invading bugs.

If you’ve discovered some bugs in your soil and you’re unsure what they are, we’ve got an article here on what steps you should take to resolve it.

Personally, I think it adds a nice shine to the leaves but I tend to avoid using it and just stick to the more traditional cleaning method of just soap and water.

Is Epsom Salt Beneficial For Aloe Vera?

Now we’ve got through the typical food wastes, Epsom Salt is something that I sometimes buy purely just to add it to my Aloe Vera plant.

You just dissolve a little in some water then feed it your Aloe Vera, it’s packed full of essential minerals that will help your plant thrive.

Don’t go overboard though as too much of anything isn’t great, especially for Aloe Vera plants as they aren’t heavy feeders.

You can find it here, on Amazon.

Multiple Uses
Epsom salt also has many proven health benefits, so you can add a little to your bath to relax, unwind and let your body do the rest.