Aloe Vera Propagation
Learn How To Grow Aloe Vera Pups From Aloe Vera Propagation
Learn how to grow Aloe Vera pups by propagation. The best way to add to your collection of Aloe plants is to grow more from a plant you already own. This is one of the easiest plants to look after and take care of and provide plenty of offspring to re-pot.
Every one knows the vast benefits of the Aloe Vera plant which makes it a popular raw material. It’s used in topical ointments, lotions, creams, and even mixed-in beverages. As such, countless manufacturers have taken advantage of this tropical plant in order to harness its benefits.
We’re sure you know that you can use it naturally as well right? With a little know-how and some initiative, you’ll be able to take part of the many different benefits that it has to offer without having to get store-bought brands.
This way, you’ll be more mindful of the environmental impact you’re making while saving some money in the process.
If you’re already using Aloe Vera in your daily routine, you may want to make sure that you’re armed with the knowledge of how to propagate this wonder plant. It’s fairly easy as it’s one of the most resilient plants on earth that can withstand harsh climates.
There are various ways to propagate Aloe Vera. We’ll discuss most of them here:
Aloe Propagation Video
Leaf Cutting
One of the most common questions out there is whether the Aloe plant can be propagated via leaf cuttings.
The short answer is yes, Aloe Vera is a prime candidate for leaf cutting propagation.
But there are other ways that should give you more chances for success.
If you really want to try the leaf-cutting method here’s how you do it:
Find the Appropriate Leaf
- Find an aloe leaf and cut at least 8 centimeters from the tip.
- Make sure that you use a clean knife.
- You don’t want to contaminate or infect the aloe plant before you even plant it.
- Cut at an angle so you can maximize the surface of the leaf that can grow roots when it’s planted.
Leave Out to Dry for a Few Days
- After cutting, leave the leaf somewhere warm.
- Keep it there for at least a few days or until you notice a thin film forming over the cut surface.
- This is a natural shield so that the plant doesn’t get infected by whatever is on the soil.
Plant in Soil
- Get a small pot with drain holes at the bottom and fill it with cactus soil.
- Pour just enough water on it until it’s damp.
- Stick the cut part of the leaf into the soil.
- Place the pot where the sunlight hits the most.
Water and Care for Accordingly
For the first four weeks, it’s best to keep the soil moist for the most part. Once the leaf is finished growing roots and has completed its transplanting process, wait until the soil completely dries up before watering it again.
Offset Propagation
While leaf cutting is fairly easy to do, there are other ways to propagate Aloe Vera with better chances of success.
It’s called offset growing and it gives you the best chances of growing a full Aloe plant. This one, however, is a bit more laborious.
This essentially entails transplanting the offspring of the main plant that you want to propagate.
So, it is important that there are already other smaller plants growing around it before we can even begin to do this.
Finding the Right Aloe Pup
These are called ‘pups’ and they sprout naturally around the main plant if it’s healthy.
They’re usually brighter in color so they’d be easy to spot. They also have their own roots.
Choosing the right pup to transplant is key in this method.
First, it’s important that the pup is big enough.
This means it should be at least 1/5th the size of the main plant.
For maximum chances of a successful transplant, it should also already have 4 leaves.
Dividing and Separating the Aloe Pups
Uproot the entire aloe plant if possible. The roots of the pup should be intertwined with those of the main plant.
Uprooting the entire plant would make it a lot easier to untangle them.
If you have to, brush some of the soil that’s trapped in the roots to see better.
Once you’ve separated them at the roots, the pup should be ready for re-potting.
Some pups can have their roots so intertwined that it’s impossible to completely untangle.
It’s completely okay if you have to cut off some of the roots to completely separate it.
But, if you’re going to do so, make sure that you use a sterile knife as you don’t what to infect it.
If you do this, let the wound heal a little bit before proceeding.
This will help prevent further infection that can be contracted from the soil.
Put the main plant back into its pot and cover up the roots with soil.
How to Transplant or Re-pot an Aloe Pup
As for the pup, plant it in cactus soil inside a pot with drain holes at the bottom.
Aloe Vera thrives if the soil is kept moist but it cannot survive if it’s always sitting trapped in water.
To help drain the water even more effectively, you can consider putting gravel into the pot first and then the cactus soil.
Additionally, you have to keep the pH level at 6.0 and 8.0.
If it’s not high enough, the plant can die. If needed, apply gardening lime onto your soil.
It’s available at any gardening shop.
Stick the aloe pup in a hole on the cactus soil up to 1/4th of its body.
This should be the optimal depth to help the roots grow properly.
Some experts suggest that the roots be dipped in growth hormone first before doing this, but we need STRESS to only grow your plants organically ESPECIALLY if you’re going to use your plant for health.
But you don’t need to stress out if you have no access to it. It’s not important at all and should be avoided in our opinion.
The Best Soil for Propagating Aloe
It’s important to remember that aloe is a succulent. Therefore, it is paramount that we use cactus soil in propagating it.
It thrives in a dry settings so it’s not the easiest to take care of in some climates and environs.
Why Cactus Soil
Soil specific for cactus propagation and growing, therefore, is important to use.
It should be any trouble to find. You can buy it from your local gardening shop.
However, if in case you can’t find any or you don’t want the trouble of going to the store and buying it, you can always make some yourself as it’s fairly simple to do.
Its main characteristic is that doesn’t hold much water.
After all, succulents like Aloe hate sitting in water for very long. So, to make your own cactus soil, you just add some Perlite into your soil.
This would give water a relatively easy passage through the soil down to the bottom of the pot.
You can also add some Perlite to increase the nutrients coming from the soil and help drain it at the same time.
It’s important to take note, however, that different Aloe species have different nutritional needs.
A certain mix of cactus soil, for example, won’t necessarily be the best for one species even if it worked perfectly for another one.
Finding the Right Grow Pot
Finding the right type of pot to transfer your Aloe pups into is also an important aspect in propagation.
For one thing you need to make sure that the pups have room to grow in its new pot. This means using a pot that’s several sizes too big for the pup.
Over time, it should grow into its new home.
Another thing is that the new grow pot should have enough holes at the bottom so water could be fully drained from it.
Caring for Your Newly Transplanted Pups
If you’re going to take care of your aloe pups outdoors, it’s important to remember that they don’t sit out in direct sunlight for extremely long periods of time.
Although they are designed to stand that much exposure, putting it in shade but a lot of natural light around the vicinity would maximize its chances of growing into maturity outdoors.
You should wait about 2 full days before watering your newly re-potted pups.
This would enable to them to get accustomed a little bit more to their new environment.
On warm seasons like the summer, you can water them twice a week.
When it gets cold and humid though, you can switch it up to just once a week or even once every two weeks.
On the other hand, if you’re trying to grow it indoors, it’s important that it’s stored in a room where it’s exposed to natural light for the longest period possible.
Again, try to keep it out of direct sunlight for very long periods as too much-concentrated exposure can hinder its growth.
Watering indoor pups is a bit more uniform.
Depending on how warm the room you’re keeping them is, you can water them just once every 5 – 10 days in the beginning.
You can be more relaxed with the watering after the roots have grown in a little bit.
At this point, you can water it less frequently with maybe just 7 – 14 days.
You will also find our ultimate guide on growing an Aloe plant here.
We hope you liked our article and will share it on social media with your friends.
Also please leave us a comment below if you have grown Aloe Vera pups by propagation method yourself. And share your tips, suggestions, successes, and failures.
