A step-by-step guide to expand your succulent collection from pups, stem cuttings, and seeds.
Propagating an aloe vera plant is a rewarding (and free!)
way to get even more plants to love or share with friends.
Credit: Marty Baldwin
As aloe vera plants grow, they produce baby aloe veras or pups around their roots.
Over time, these pups can grow as large as the parent plant and cause overcrowding.
Step 1: Choose large enough pups.
Step 2: Remove the entire plant from the pot.
Carefully remove the parent aloe vera from its growing container.
Step 3: Separate the pups.
After the aloe vera plant is out of its pot, carefully separate out the pups.
If the pups have roots, gently tease the pup and its roots free with your fingers.
Repot the parent plant in its original pot.
Pups with roots can be planted right away.
Pups without roots need extra TLC to help them form a callus.
This is an important step that prevents the pups from rotting later on.
When the aloe vera stem is callused, dip the stem end inrooting hormonebefore planting.
Step 4: Pot up those pups.
Step 1: Cut off the parent plant.
This may seem drastic, but its the best way to harvest leaves with attached stems.
Step 2: Remove lower leaves.
These lower leaves typically dont have enough attached stem to root andshould be composted.
Step 3: Harvest the stem and leaf cuttings.
This ensures that part of the stem section remains attached to the leaf after harvesting.
Then, slowly pull the leaf and stem section away from the rest of the plant.
Repeat this process until youve harvested as many leaves (with attached stems) as youd like to propagate.
Allow the cut stem to callus over before potting the plant top in a well-draining potting mix.
Step 4: Wait for pups to grow.
Place the aloe vera leaves and stem sections onto a plate.
Pups should start to sprout from the stem section of the aloe vera leaf in one to two weeks.
Step 5: Plant new pups in soil.
Now, its time to plant them.
Move the pot into bright, indirect light and water sparingly.
After a few more weeks, the pups should root, and the old leaf will shrivel.
When aloe vera plants start to flower, they can produce seed pods.
Step 1: Harvest the seeds.
Wait until the pods are dry before removing and opening them to harvest the seeds.
Step 2: Plant the seeds.
Step 3: Provide light and water.
Keep in mind that aloe vera seeds need at least eight hours of bright light daily to germinate.
Baby aloe vera plants should sprout in about two to four weeks.
When this occurs, reduce watering and only water every 10 to 14 days.
Step 4: Repot aloe vera seedlings.
Once the new aloe veras are a few inches tall, repot them into individual pots.
Give them the same care as a mature aloe vera plant.
It usually takes four to six weeks to start seeing new sprouts.
Aloe vera plants are known to live up to 12 years when grown indoors.
