How to Propagate Aloe

The aloe plant is renowned for being a health powerhouse. You can slather it over a fresh and prickling sunburn to help cool your skin and find some much-needed relief. You can even add a dollop of this superfood to your smoothies or desserts to assist digestion and your immune function, or add a little to your tea at night to promote better sleep.

With all of the beneficial uses for aloe, it should come as no surprise that some people go through it quickly. As such, growing your own aloe plant can be a sustainable and cost-effective way to make sure you always have some on hand. And in even better news, learning how to propagate aloe is pretty easy. All you need is a healthy plant, a fresh container, the right soil, and these expert tips.

What To Know About Aloe Vera

Aloe, or Aloe vera, is a tender plant that forms a rosette of long, slender, fleshy leaves that are lined with soft, spiny teeth along the edges, says Hayden Shuping, greenhouse manager for Reynolda Gardens. Once those leaves are cut open, you'll find the gel-like substance that many health experts use for everything from beauty treatments to recipes.

The interior pulp contains a substance called aloin, which makes it a favorite holistic treatment thanks to its reported anti-inflammatory properties. Just be sure to read up on the proper way to consume the plant if you plan to use it in any recipes, as parts of the succulent are toxic.

How to Propagate Aloe Plants

There are a few different methods you can follow when learning how to propagate aloe vera. Both are simple, and you only need a few supplies.

Materials:

• Trowel
• Pots
• Sandy soil
• Pruning Snips
  

Method 1: Repot Offshoots

If you plant aloe in the ground or in a pot, you'll notice that it produces offsets ("pups") on its own near the base of the original plant. Shuping says the best way to propagate an aloe plant is by gently removing these offshoot plants.

To do so, use a trowel and gentle hand to break up soil around the pups. Trying to keep as much of the root system intact as you can, gently pull the pup out of the ground.

"Pot the young plants in appropriately sized containers as individuals or in small groups to have a more established looking container plant," Shuping says. As a succulent, aloe vera loves well-draining, sandy soil.

Each newly potted offshoot will become a mother plant in its own right, producing even more pups.

Method 2: Create Cuttings From Mature Plants

Working with aloe vera pups is easiest when you're hoping to propagate new plants, says Vicky Popat, CFO and tropical plant expert at PlantOGram, but you can also do it from cuttings. "[Cutting mature leaves back] will help produce healthy new leaves," she says.

To propagate from cuttings, you'll need to make a clean cut in a mature leaf. Create a clean cut with pruning snips, then place the clipped aloe on a dry paper towel out of the sun.

Wait a few days to allow the wound from the cutting to dry out. If the leaf begins to rot or decay, you will have to toss it and start again with a fresh leaf. If the leaf successfully dries out and begins to "scab" over, you can place it into damp soil (not wet) and wait for it to root.

Why You Should Propagate Aloe

Aloe plants can become crowded since shoots will continually grow from the base of a healthy mother plant, and overcrowding within your pot is not optimal for the plant's health.

"Dividing the plants is the best way to make room within the container for new leaves and roots," says Shuping. "Cutting off large leaves at the base of the plant can give the new shoots more room and light to grow without dividing the entire plant."

Caring for Your Propagated Aloe Vera

Whether you repot offshoots, clip from mature plants, or do both, you'll want to take care of your aloe vera plant so it can thrive. For healthy plants, Shuping says you should use well-draining soil and allow it to dry between watering.

"Aloe grows naturally in arid environments and can quickly rot if the soil stays overly saturated," Shuping says. He suggests buying a soil that is already mixed. If you'd like to go the DIY route and make your own, Shuping says you can do so by adding coarse sand (never beach sand due to the salt component), rock grit (he suggests chicken grit), lava rock, perlite, or other available sieved aggregates to existing potting soil.

Aloe vera does best in indirect sunlight, so choose a place in your yard or home that won't allow them to roast under the sun. Avoid watering for the first two weeks after repotting or replanting. This allows the roots to settle. After this establishing period, you can water once every few weeks.