How to grow aloe from a leaf

Video: How to Plant & Grow Aloe Vera at Home from Leaf? Planting & Caring Aloe Vera in a Pot

Content

Method 2 of 3: Growing a Plant from a Baby
Method 3 of 3: Caring for the plant
Tips
Warnings
What do you need

1 Be aware that the leaf may not form roots or take root. While growing aloe from a leaf is not completely impossible, the chances are very slim. Aloe leaves are rich in moisture and tend to rot before they develop roots. It is much more efficient to grow aloe from babies.

2 Find an aloe leaf at least 8 cm long. If the plant does not belong to you, first ask permission from the plant owner to cut a leaf from it.

3 Cut off the aloe leaf at the base with a sharp, clean knife. Try to cut the leaf at some angle to the stem. At the same time, the knife must be very clean, otherwise there is a possibility of infecting the leaf.

4 Leave the sheet in a warm place long enough for a film to form over the cut. This may take from several days to two weeks. The resulting film will protect the plant from soil contamination. An infected plant leaf cannot survive.

5 Find a flower pot with a drainage hole at the bottom. Like most plants, aloe loves water, but does not tolerate flooding. If your pot does not have a drain hole, it will lead to stagnant water, which can cause root rot that will kill any plant, including aloe vera.

6 Fill the pot with cactus soil and moisten with water. If you do not have ready-made soil for cacti, then you can prepare it yourself by mixing 1 part of sand with 1 part of regular soil for indoor plants.

It will be a good idea to pre-fill the bottom of the pot with gravel. This will improve water drainage.
The soil pH for aloe should be between 6.0 - 8.0. If it is not enough, add a little garden lime to the ground. It can be purchased at a garden supply store.

7 Stick the cut sheet into the soil. About 1/3 of the leaf should be underground.

Consider dipping the leaf cut in a rooting stimulant first. If you don't have a special preparation on hand, you can use ground cinnamon or honey instead. Both will kill any bacteria.

8 Place the plant pot in a warm, sunny location and water the leaf with care. Make sure the soil is moist for the first four weeks. Once the leaf is successfully rooted, start watering it only after the soil has dried. For further information on how to care for your aloe vera, click here.

Don't worry if the leaf begins to dry out and shrink during the rooting period.

Method 2 of 3: Growing a Plant from a Baby

1 Find a rooted aloe bush. Root shoots are also called babies and are part of the main plant. They are usually smaller and brighter in color.At the same time, they begin to develop their own roots. Look for such shoots at the base of the plant. When choosing a baby for breeding aloe, you should pay attention to the recommendations below.
- The shoot should be about 1/5 the size of the main plant.
- The shoot must have at least four leaves of its own and have a vertical dimension of several centimeters.
2 If possible, scoop the entire plant out of the pot. This will make it easier for you to find the junction of the baby with the main plant. To get a better view of the shoot, you may need to sweep the soil off the roots of the plant. The baby can be connected to the main plant, but at the same time it must have its own developed roots.
3 Tear or cut the baby off from the main plant, but try to keep its roots intact. Usually the babies break away from the mother plant without difficulty, but if you have any difficulty, take a clean, sharp knife and just cut off the baby. Let the injured area dry for a few days before taking further action. This will prevent the plant from becoming infected.
- Remember that the child you choose must have its own roots.
- After removing the baby from the main plant, it can be returned back to the pot.
4 Find a flower pot with a drainage hole at the bottom. It is very important. Like most other plants, aloe loves water, but does not tolerate stagnation. If the pot does not have a drainage hole, the soil will become waterlogged, which will lead to the formation of root rot, from which the aloe will die.
5 Fill the pot with cactus soil. If you don't have ready-made soil, mix 1 part sand with 1 part regular soil.
- It is a good idea to cover the bottom of the pot with gravel first. This will improve water drainage.
- The soil pH for aloe should be between 6.0 - 8.0. If it is not enough, add a little garden lime to the soil. You can purchase it at a garden supply store.
6 Make a small hole in the soil and place the shoot in it. The fossa should be deep enough so that the roots and 1/4 of the baby itself enter into it (taking into account the size from the base of the baby to the very top). Many experts recommend dipping the shoot roots in a rooting stimulant first to help them grow back faster.
7 Compact the soil around the baby and water it. It is necessary to water the baby before the soil is moistened, without flooding. Aloe vera is a desert plant, so it doesn't need a lot of water.
8 Place the plant pot in a sunny spot and wait a week before watering again. After that, you can start watering the aloe as usual. To learn more about the further care of aloe vera, click here.

Method 3 of 3: Caring for the plant

1 Provide the aloe with plenty of bright sunlight. Ideally, the plant should be exposed to the sun for 8-10 hours a day. To meet this need for aloe, position it on a south or west window. Move the plant from one window to another during the day as needed.
- If it is very cold winter time where you live, remove the plant from the window at night. It can get too cold on the window of the aloe, causing the plant to die.
2 Wait until the soil is completely dry to water the plant. Make sure the soil is saturated with water when watering. Also check that the water drains well through the drain hole in the pot. Do not flood the plant with water.
- In the winter season, the aloe has a dormant period, so it needs more rare watering.
- In summer, aloe needs more watering, especially on hot, dry days.
3 Fertilize your aloe once a year in the spring. Fertilizer for aloe must be water-based and high in phosphate. Dilute aloe fertilizer so that it is at half strength.
4 Beware of pests, signs of disease and fungus on the plant. Use organic pesticides to control pests like mealybugs and scale insects. To avoid fungus, you can simply make sure that the soil is not waterlogged.
5 Examine the aloe leaves. Aloe leaves serve as a prime indicator of the health of a plant and what it needs.
- Aloe leaves should be fleshy and straight. If they begin to thin and curl, the plant needs more watering.
- The aloe leaves should stretch upward. If they grow downward, then the plant needs more sunlight.
6 Know how to act if the plant is stunted. Sometimes aloe grows poorly. Fortunately, it is easy enough to understand what exactly the plant does not like. It will be even easier to fix the problems that have arisen.
- If the soil is too wet, water the plant less often.
- If your plant needs more sunlight, move it to a more suitable location.
- If you too much fertilized with aloe, transplant it into another pot and add more fresh soil.
- If the soil is too alkaline, add sulfur to acidify it.
- If the roots of the plant are cramped in the pot, transplant the plant into a new larger pot.

Tips

Do not cut the leaves off the plant until it is fully rooted. If you are growing aloe for medicinal purposes, you will need to wait about two months before you can start cutting off the leaves from it.
Aloe vera grows towards the sun. This can lead to a one-sided arrangement of leaves. To keep the plant growing straight, try turning the pot every few days.
Aloe vera at home does not grow to large sizes unless kept in direct sunlight and watered. With proper care, a home aloe bush in a regular pot can grow up to 60 cm in height.
You can only plant aloe outdoors if you live in a climatic zone in which winter temperatures range from + 4 ° C to -7 ° C. If you live in different climates, keep the plant at home.

Warnings

Make sure the knife you are going to use for cutting leaves or babies is sterile clean.
If you find dying leaves on the plant, cut them off with a clean knife. This will prevent mold and rot.
Don't pour in the aloe. Wait until the soil is completely dry for watering.
Be careful when pruning leaves and babies from large aloe plants, some of which may have fairly sharp thorns.