20100521 Aloe Vera & Jade Plants
Recently, wife Annamie began to want live houseplants. At her father’s house in the Philippines she kept orchids. I used to keep decorative houseplants, but for many years now I've only grown and used sprouts, so have said, “I only want to keep a plant that is edible and can be utilized for its food, herb or medicinal properties”. Besides, finances have been very problematic for awhile…
Until recently, when I decided to build a small greenhouse window onto my 7’ by 21’ (147 square feet) trailer, I had NO place to put ANY plant. Just fitting Annamie, her purses, shoes and computer in has been a challenge. With the greenhouse kitchen window almost finished, Annamie began agitating (?) for a houseplant.
At Canadian Tire in Nanaimo, this past May, 2010, I found a special on houseplants ($4.99 each) and on the spur we purchased for me a: 1. Aloe Vera and for Annamie a: 2. Jade Plant.
We didn't do our research before and they have been GROWING and taking up space in our kitchen - greenhouse without any practical use. Besides I’m sure we’re over watering. So it’s time to do the research; better late than never…
1. Aloe Vera - As usual I like Wikipedia for general information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe_vera
Very interesting, but wanting to know more about how to harvest the plant we have, I entered: "harvesting aloe vera" into Google and found
How to Harvest Fresh Aloe Vera Gel page 1
Welcome to NewsTarget PhotoTours, featuring step-by-step instructions for harvesting raw, fresh aloe vera gel from living plants. ...
www.naturalnews.com/PhotoTour_Aloe_Vera_1.html
Very useful, interesting, lots of pictures so I subscribed (for free) to: www.naturalnews.com
More uses? I went to: http://www.herbwisdom.com/aloevera.php and found this:
Aloe vera Benefits
Aloe vera is one of the only known natural vegetarian sources of Vitamin B12, and it contains many minerals vital to the growth process and healthy function of all the body's systems. Numerous studies worldwide indicate that aloe vera is a general tonic for the immune system, helping it to fight illness of all kinds. Various research studies are underway to explore the potential of aloe vera components to boost immunity and combat the HIV virus, and to treat certain types of cancer (particularly leukemia). It may even have a role to play in managing diabetes.
Over 200 worldwide scientific research papers have been published on the effects of Aloe vera. The three main categories of research include anti-inflammatory, anti- bacterial, and anti-viral actions of Aloe vera. The juice is said to soothe digestive tract irritations such as colitis, ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome. Aloe's ability to encourage the release of pepsin (a gastric juice enzyme necessary for digestion) when the stomach is full is a possible reason for its ulcer-healing effects (Journal of the American Osteopathic Society, 1963, vol.62). In one study, oral use of Aloe for six months helped mitigate asthma symptoms in almost half of the participants.
Good!
I also checked into: http://www.knowledgehound.com/khhow2s/how_to_juice_aloe.htm which has some very useful information about using and storing the gel under:
How To Juice An Aloe Plant Fillet Aloe Vera Leaves At Home & Store The Gel - Useful For Minor Cuts, Burns, Rashes & More
So now I know how to utilize Vera (Allo, eh?) On to
2. Jade Plant
On Wikipedia I found this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jade_Plant
Commonly known as jade plant, friendship tree, lucky plant or Money Plant, Crassula ovata is a succulent plant with small pink or white flowers. It is native to South Africa, and is common as a houseplant worldwide. It is sometimes referred to as the money tree; however, the tree Pachira aquatica is also so called.
Very interesting, but does it have any real USES? Wikipedia only lists:
1 Care
1.1 Pests
2 Soil
3 Flowering
4 Propagation
5 References
6 External links
None of which point to a practical use…
So I decided to Google “jade plant uses”, and from the offerings, I selected: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5657742_medical-uses-jade-plant.html and was pleased to discover:
Medical Uses for a Jade Plant By Kelly Aspen, eHow Contributing Writer
Its smooth leaves and adaptability to the indoors makes jade one of our most popular houseplants. Flowers arrive just in time to brighten winter holidays. But Crassula ovata is more than just a pretty plant. Try these medicinal uses.
Warts
1. Slice a leaf in half and attach the moist inside to the wart for a few hours, or overnight. The unsightly growth should fall off with just three applications.
Diabetes
2. Traditional Chinese medicine prescribes a tea of the stone lotus, or pointy leafed, jade plant to treat symptoms of diabetes.
Diarrhea
3. In Africa, jade leaves are boiled in milk and consumed to stop diarrhea.
Mental Health
4. Feng shui masters believe jade plants have calming effects. (Hmm, maybe I need to look into this more?)
Well possibly I could have used it to get rid of Planter’s Warts on my feet, but they have been long gone some four years ago. (By fasting!)
Well, looks like another day is on it’s way, good morning to all!
