I'm shocked how much has been found out about this plant. The succulent grows up to 2 feet in height. I want to grow an aloe vera plant from seeds but I was told by a gardener that they basically don’t exist. Propagating Aloe Vera. To diagnose this, you must first dislodge the plant from its pot. Check by poking your finger an inch or so into their potting soil, and water them only when the soil starts to feel dry. How to harvest your aloe vera so that you can use it. An avid gardener and cook, her love for all things home related makes her most likely the only EMMY-nominated TV Animation writer who still irons her dish towels. Aloe Vera Gel. He told me to buy a plant, cut the ‘babies’ off of that plant and repot them in order for them to grow a new plant. Step 2: Using a mandoline , a vegetable peeler or a knife , cut off the “inside” layer. When cutting an Aloe leaf, use a sharp serrated blade to cut it as close to the base as possible. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. My newly repotted plants. 1. Tap the sides of the pot to remove the plant. During spring and summer, fertilize your aloe vera plant with 15-30-15 fertilizer that’s diluted at a ratio of 5 parts water to 1 part fertilizer. Water them every few days. The plant can be used to treat many ailments as a home … To make use of the aloe vera plant’s soothing properties, remove a mature leaf from the plant and cut it lengthwise. Sounds like your plant died back to the roots, and is now growing again. As aloe vera pups are produced they will need the width to expand, so it’s important to plant them in another container to support their healthy growth. can go a long time without water, because they store moisture in their plump, succulent leaves. Good to know: You can remove the pups at any time of year but spring and summer are best. It’s really easy to do you can either cut one to two-inch sections off of your leaf and then let that leaf heal over and then harvest more later or you can harvest the entire leaf all at the same time. While an aloe plant requires more delicate trimming than other plants, following pruning methods will help you maintain your plant. ", for. You can do this by rubbing alcohol on the blade, and letting it dry. I like to wait until the Aloe vera pups are good-sized, at least 4-6″ tall. One primary reason why aloe vera plants die is root rot. By: Melissa Lewis 21 September, 2017. aloe vera image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com. Maybe! Aloe Vera is an ancient herb that is useful to treat many health and skin issues. After you've cut the leaves, store them in a warm, dry place for up to two weeks. The most common problem is over-watering, which causes rot. First I took off pups and bad leaves. Set your aloe vera plant and its pups in a shady place with plenty of airflow while you prepare their pots. Dividing aloe plants away from the parent produces a whole new aloe … Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is an African native that belongs to the same family as lilies. Overwatering the plant will also kill it. Drawing on the knowledge of the founders, Artemisia Nursery also offers consultations, designs, and installations. These are not hard to find because they look very clearly like new growth sprouting from the main plant. Yes, the plant should be fine. Fingers crossed! By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Cut off leaves & dry. Hold the plant loosely at the base and bottom of … There are over 300 varieties of the aloe plant; some varieties grow short stubby leaves while others can grow over 15 feet tall. Separating the new shoots from the main plant and repotting them is the best way to make sure your aloe continues to thrive. Go ahead and remove the brown parts- they aren't coming back. It has green growing out of the brown. Using fertilizer is crucial while growing aloe vera indoors. It produces a 3-foot flower stalk filled with yellow, tubular flowers. Allow the plant soil to dry out before taking the aloe out of its container. If you’ve owned an aloe plant for a while, you’re probably wondering about what the procedure is to repot your plant or even propagate it. I have an aloe that has overgrown, I will try this. ", "My husband was looking for information on cutting back our aloe vera plant, and this article was most helpful. I thought I would make this into a tutorial as aloe vera plants are kind of unusual and how to prune them is not as immediately obvious as many other common household plants. Approved. to move them to separate pots, it's looking 100% healthier thanks to this site giving me the information I need. This is because the roots are much better formed and on their way. Long, dagger-like leaves look ferocious with their spiny edges, but those soft spines are harmless. How do I cut back an overgrown aloe plant? Tamp the mixture down gently without packing it too solidly. I had a couple of aloe vera plants on my windowsill in the kitchen. ", http://tipnut.com/aloe-vera-plant-growing-usage-tips/, http://www.thegardenpages.com/aloe_vera.html, http://www.aloeplant.info/trim-an-aloe-plant/, http://www.aloeplant.info/how-to-propagate-your-aloe-vera-plant/, http://www.houseplantsexpert.com/propagating-an-aloe-vera-plant-and-repotting.html, http://www.aloeplant.info/aloe-root-care/, http://tipsplants.com/plants/house-plants/aloe, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Aloe vera leaves bending is a very common problem you may face if you are growing it indoors. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 762,312 times. Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is prized both for its exotic beauty and for its usefulness. Trimming Your Aloe Vera Stem. Repot the Aloe. If you break a leaf, you can use that to propagate a new plant. I like to wait until the Aloe vera pups are good-sized, at least 4-6″ tall. Its not a gel – its a real aloe vera cream that is potent. The succulent grows very slowly, whereas propagation with pups will give you a much faster start. Place your main plant and the pups you have sliced away into their designated pots. Trimming Your Aloe Vera Stem. Pull your Aloe plant out of its pot. Good to know: You can remove the pups at any time of year but spring and summer are best. Squeeze the gel out of the leaf and apply it to your burn, or simply lay the opened leaf gel-side–down on top of the affected area. 7 August 2020. The first thing to repot your Aloe Vera plant is to remove the plant from its container and expose the soil. I was wondering how or if to trim these, and your article gave me great information on what to do. Propagating An Aloe Vera Plant And Repotting. Tip: It’s best to cut … The Aloe Vera is a popular succulent type house plant, well known for its healing properties. Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is an African native that belongs to the same family as lilies. Lay the parent plant, along with all the pups, in a cool, dry, place out of direct sunlight. What should I do? It is not necessary to trim the roots when you repot. First cut off a good bit of the base, and let the cut form a callus for a few days. This allows oxygen to nourish the roots, while also drying out any effects of overwatering. One solution to this problem is to simply repot your aloe vera plant in a larger pot. One solution to this problem is to simply repot your aloe vera plant in a larger pot. You can kill a aloe vera plant by neglecting it, for example leaving it out in the cold or the dark. Pick the biggest and healthiest leaf you can find as it’s the most mature one, and let the smaller ones thrive. Typically, an aloe vera plant will shed its lower leaves over time anyway, so these are the ideal leaves to trim when you want to prune your plant. Aesthetically, it's best to harvest a whole leaf at a time, rather than cutting it in half. Healthy aloe vera plant produces buds that can be used to produce new plants. Keep the plant in a warm, shaded place. This sterilizes your knife, with no need to rinse it afterward. Your plant should be fine if you cut off a leaf now and then. Aloe Vera is one of the most versatile and plants with countless benefits.It helps improve skin conditions like burns, respiratory problems and other various conditions.At OneHowTo.com we recommend having a plant at home and we will show you how to cut the leaves of this plant without mistreating it and keeping its properties intact. Hopefully your aloe will regrow itself completely! Replanting an Aloe vera commonly called aloe, provides an opportunity to propagate new plants by separating the pups from the mother plant. These natural, aesthetic wonders are great to add in the decor of your home. 6 The spiky gray-green leaves are an ornamental part of gardens in USDA Zones 9 and higher, and show up on many sunny windowsills.You may need to cut aloe vera to … Botany's answer for dry, sunburned or irritated skin, medicinal aloe (Aloe vera, formerly Aloe barbadensis) is the best known of the more than 400 Aloe species (Aloe spp. Carefully remove any damaged roots, which will look mushy and brown. How to Repot a Dried-Out Aloe. Set the aloe and any pups you want to transplant in a cool spot out of direct sunlight for three or four days, allowing the air to heal their cut ends. If you'd like, you can plant the pups in their own containers to grow them into a whole new plant. If you owned an Aloe Vera plant in your home, you might have an idea of pups, or babies growing off the base of the mother plant. Aloe Vera plants are fast-growing succulents that can grow to a height of 3-feet. Gently take out all the soil. Remove your aloe vera plant from its too-small pot. These leaves are young and are needed to replace the old leaves. Aloe plants (Aloe spp.) When you repot your aloe, you will need about three inches of good stem, bare of leaves. It has been 7 weeks. If any pups are present, you should be able to pull them apart from the main root mass. The leaf will normally shrink and shrivel as it develops roots. Her work has appeared in the Houston Chronicle and the San Francisco Chronicle online, among other places. Yes. Squeeze the sides of a flexible pot to loosen the soil, or run a trowel or your fingers carefully around the inner edges of a ceramic or hard plastic pot. Some Aloe plants can be prickly. Aloe grows outdoors year round only in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, but you can keep it in a pot indoors anywhere. I bought a single rather large aloe leaf and for the heck of it I stuck it in the pot and it is doing well. Do not water your aloe vera for at least 1-2 weeks after repotting. Always cut the lower leaves, near the base of the plant, as they are older and therefore contain more benefits. Register a new .COM for just $9.99 for the first year and get everything you need to make your mark online — website builder, hosting, email, and more. How to harvest your aloe vera so that you can use it. By now, I think we’re all familiar with the topical uses of aloe. This article has been viewed 762,312 times. You can be rough with your plant. When healthy, aloe vera plants grow abundantly, forming new leaves, blossoms, and even new plants. This was a great help in, "I learned how to properly care for my plant. Artemisia Nursery is a worker-owned small business with plans to become a worker-owned cooperative. For more tips on caring for your aloe vera plant, like how to repot it and deal with small pests, keep reading! Should I cut the whole leaf off? Aloe Vera Gel. Will it produce shoots? Potting soil can store moisture and cause root rot. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. I’ll have a bounty of Aloe vera in no time! ", "Thank you! Do the leaves grow back once I cut them? To repot your aloe vera, choose a pot (with a drainage hole at the bottom for excess water) to accommodate its root system. Water just until the soil is moist. It’s a good idea to add some rubbing alcohol over your blade before cutting the leaf to get rid of any potential viruses, diseases or fungi that could damage the plant. Set the main shoot and the pups aside in a shady, dry spot. While your aloe vera plant is airing its roots a bit, fill the bottom third of each new plant pot with a mixture of good quality potting soil and garden sand, pumice or perlite. Repotting Aloe Vera Plants. Thanks to your illustration, I have a better understanding. Now I know I have, "I have had several aloe over the years but never really looked up how to care for them. I repotted but didn't cut the roots. Lots of babies! Yes, they will eventually heal/close up and become pointy again. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f5\/Trim-an-Aloe-Vera-Plant-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Trim-an-Aloe-Vera-Plant-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f5\/Trim-an-Aloe-Vera-Plant-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid1230443-v4-728px-Trim-an-Aloe-Vera-Plant-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":259,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":410,"licensing":"