• Be gentle when cutting to avoid accidentally breaking healthy leaves.
• Pests or pathogens on the leaves of a plant can spread to the whole plant, so those leaves need to be removed.
• Lack of light, too little water or too much water are often the causes of leaf death.

Cut off excess outer leaves. Use a knife or scissors to prune off some of the healthy leaves so that the plant is about the size of the pot. Place the blade or scissors close to the base of the leaf stalk and cut it neatly. The outer leaves are the oldest and have the most gel.

• Aloe vera gel has many medicinal uses. If you want to use these leaves, poke the thorny edges of the leaves and store in the refrigerator until you need to remove the gel.
• Avoid cutting leaves that are close to the main stem of the plant. These leaves are young and should be replaced for older leaves.

Get rid of old petioles and flowers. Cut these parts of the plant in the same way as removing leaves. When the plant is flowering, the seeds will soon form. As the flowers die, they absorb nutrients that the plant would have for the new, healthy leaves. However, indoors aloe plants rarely flower, so you may not have to handle the flowers of indoor aloe plants.

• Faded flowers attract pests and can fall into the plant's pot, absorbing water and contaminating the pot.

advertisement

Part 2 of 2: Cleaning the soil

1. 

   Remove the lateral buds. The lateral buds are also called the transcendent branches of the tree. These shoots take up the plant's nutrients and take up space in the pot. Normally, you can pull the shoots out of the ground without harming the plant.
   • Some of the lateral buds may get fiddled and tangled in the ground, so you'll have to remove the plant from the pot, carefully remove the soil from the root ball, and untangle the roots.
   • The lateral buds are small aloe plants, so you can plant them in new soil in separate pots. You should let the shoots dry for a few days before replanting, and be sure to use a mixing soil made specifically for cacti and succulents.

2. 

   
   
   Lift the plant out of the pot. Make sure the soil is slightly damp before you remove the plant; This will keep the roots from getting damaged. Hold the stem gently and tilt the pot to the side. The plant will leave the pot when you pull it out. If not, try squeezing the pot or tapping it against a hard surface. Deal with any buds you couldn't cut before.

3. 

   Prune the roots. You may need to do this if you need to repot the plant. First, you'll shake off the soil, then prune the long roots and remove some of the lateral roots. The rest of the roots need to be enough to take up 2/3 of the space in the new pot, making it easier not only for you to replant, but also to help the plant develop a stronger root system in the new soil. Water gently until the plant has acclimated.
   • Allow the plant to dry one day after pruning for the root cut to heal and prevent long-term damage to the plant.
   • Look for roots that are rotting. Find any damaged roots and remove them, taking care not to damage healthy roots. Sprinkle sulfur powder or charcoal powder over the trimmed portions if possible.
   advertisement