If you’re interested in growing succulents, aloe vera is one of the best options because of its versatility and ease of care.
The aloe plant also grows at a phenomenal rate. A large, robust aloe plant will quickly produce new plants that grow from the stems and leaves. Or maybe a dozen or so if you just ignore it.
Continue reading to learn how to propagate aloe rapidly and easily!
Getting aloe vera babies
So, first things first. You’ll want to get your hands on a fully developed and robust aloe vera plant. After a while, you’ll probably notice little aloe plants sprouting at its base. Do not attempt to divide your baby aloe vera plants until they reach a height of three to four inches.
It’s rare you’ll obtain pups from a mature but unhealthy plant, and even if you do, they might not be of the greatest quality.
Dividing Aloe Vera Pups
A healthy aloe vera pup will have its own set of roots and will be securely linked to the parent plant at its base. Don’t be reluctant to make a clean incision if necessary when separating aloe pups from their parents.
- First, you’ll need to remove the parent plant from its container and then brush off as much of the compost as you can from its roots.
- Find each young plant and see whether you can easily remove it away from the big plant. Roots and detachability indicate success. If it doesn’t have roots, it won’t grow.
- Cut the baby aloe vera off the parent plant with care using a sharp, clean knife if it refuses to grow.
Allowing wounds to heal
Before repotting aloe vera, make sure any cuts or scrapes have dried and calloused over, like with any succulent. Place the parent plant and all the pups in a dark, dry area out of the sun. Keep them in that spot for one to six days, then replant them.
After 24 hours, you can re-pot the parent plant and the aloe vera pups. There is a window of approximately six days before they start to show signs of distress from being out of the soil, so you have some leeway if you’re busy. After a day, you’ll see that the cut ends of the roots have dried to a little rough texture.
Repotting Aloe Vera Pups
The tiny plants will require their own homes and the opportunity to develop a robust root system.
- It’s recommended to use individual containers of around 4 inches in diameter for each young plant.
- To ensure proper drainage, use cactus and succulent compost, or a mixture of 1 part Perlite and 2 parts peat-free compost.
- Firm the compost around each plant as you carefully place it in its new home. Don’t bury it any further than it was previously poking through the soil.
- Wait three days before watering. After that, water the plants only when the compost has dried out.
How long until they’re mature?
The average aloe vera plant may withstand harsh conditions and thrive for up to twelve years. For a plant, that’s a pretty good lifespan! It also implies that you’ll have to wait a while before you can collect leaves from your aloe vera pups to make aloe vera gel.
Don’t worry too much about fertilizing your aloe vera plants. Each year, replace them in a fresh container with new compost to maximize their growth. If that’s not possible, a light, balanced feed in the spring or fall will suffice.
Your new aloe vera plants will need three to four years to reach the size of their parent plant. During that time, they make an excellent houseplant in addition to being an effective air filter.
When mature, the gel extracted from the leaves can be used to heal burns, bug bites, sunburns, and as an ingredient in homemade lotion.
