Aloe Vera is an easy plant to grow, propagate, and use.

Growing Allow Vera doesn’t require a green thumb, or any skills. You need a bit of water, sunshine, and mindfulness. If I can grow aloe, then you can, too.

Moving Aloe From West to East

About 20 years ago, I moved from Arizona to the east coast. In my belongings were two Aloe Vera plants I had taken from my yard. Plants I’d never paid much attention to because they just grew and multiplied. In Arizona, they were on a shaded wall. They received water from the sky, as in rain. Or I would water them when I believed they were doomed from lack of water.

In order for the plants to make the four-day road trip, I dug out two small shoots with roots from an existing plant. I wrapped the roots in a wet towel, then stuck the plants into a plastic bag with the tops sticky out. I threw them into a box in my vehicle. I forgot about the aloe until I unpacked that box a few weeks later.

Planting and Forgetting About The Aloe

When I finally found the bag, I put the two aloe plants into a pot with dirt and watered. I placed the pot in my south-facing kitchen window and forgot about them. In fact, I pretty much forgot about them for the next five years. I’d water them when they seemed brown or when I needed a piece of aloe. The two aloe plants filled their pot and then stopped growing. 

Five years later, the aloe still sat in the pots, but I wanted more from them. I wanted the abundance I had out west. I knew in my cold weather the Aloe needed to stay inside to thrive. I separated the two plants and planted them into their own very large pots, which had wheels. Over the next few months, they grew and propagated, as in the plants sent out shoots from their roots. I was much more mindful this time in watering the plants.

History and Information

Scientific Name: Aloe Vera
Botanical name: Aloe barbadensis
Type: Succulent Plant
Known For: alternative herbal medicine
Historically: Usage dates back to the first century AD.

Usage

Aloe Vera has been used to promote healing and health for years. People have used the inside juice and meat of Aloe Vera for both oral and external purposes. Aloe Vera has multiple uses, such as gardening, propagating plants, and cleaning. 

To harvest Aloe Vera either cut part of a leaf off or gently pull a complete leaf from the bottom. You always want to use leaves from the bottom up.

Historically, Aloe has been used to fight everything from digestive problems to bacterial and viral infections. Adding aloe to your daily life will show positive results in your health and environment. When ingesting aloe, make sure you follow the directions for your age and ailment from your doctor or practitioner. Also, make sure you completely rinse the yellow covering under the green outer layer completely off. The yellow ooze like material from a cut aloe is bitter and can make you have diahrrea.

Got a sun burn? Place the meaty part of a fresh cut aloe leaf onto the burn area. It works on all sorts of burns. If you experience third-degree burns or the skin infects, see a medical doctor immediately. 

 Adding Aloe to your cleaning regimens adds antibacterial effects to your cleaning without adding chemicals. I make a mixture of baking soda, lemon, aloe mix to clean the bathrooms. You can add aloe to your soap, shakes, cleaning regiment, and more.

Growing and Sustainability

Planting and Watering: 

If you live in an area that gets freezing weather, plant Aloe Vera in a well drain pot inside. You can move the pot outside during warm weather. Freezing weather kills the plant. Place the plant in indirect sunlight. Direct light from windows can burn the plant more easily. 

If your area does not experience freezing temperatures, you can plant Aloe Vera outside in well-draining soil. They prefer full sun throughout the day. However, they do not need full sun all day.

When first planted, water thoroughly. Then water your plants when the soil is dry about 2 inches deep. 

Propagating:

There are three ways to propagate your Aloe Plant. You can let the plant throw off baby aloe vera plant from the root. You can use a leaf to propagate new plants. The choice is yours. Or you can plant aloe from a seed.

Let The Plant Do The Propagating For You.

The easiest way to get more aloe plants is to do nothing and let your Aloe Vera plant send of shoots from the roots. These baby plants are called pups, or baby aloe plants. They grow from the roots near the base of the plant. Normally, an adult plant sends off these shoots when it experiences stress and perceives a threat to its survival. However, don’t try stressing your plant because you may kill it. As they get older, the plant will send off pups. You don’t need to do anything. The plant will do it on their own. No, you do not have control over this method, but it is very hands off.

Once you see shoots that look like baby aloe plants, watch them carefully for growth. Once they have at least two to three leaves that are about two to three inches long, you can delicately pull them from the main plant. We like waiting until the pups have four or more leaves. The larger the pup, the more likely the plant will have a root system.

Ideally, you want to pull the plant with as many roots as possible. Plant the small plant into soil and water. If there aren’t any roots connected to the plant, set the plant on a dry towel for a few days for them to callus over. You may see some oozing from the plant. Don’t be alarmed, this process allows the plant to callus over. After a few days, plant into well-drained soil. Keep the soil moist but not wet until the plant roots.

Do not over water your aloe, especially babies, for they can literally rot away.  

Propagating From A Leaf

Propagating from a leaf works well if you have a healthy, plump plant. Find a short leaf that is plump without bruises, brown spots, cuts, etc. You don’t want to use a leaf that is large, for it’s harder to support the leaf in the pot. Yes, you can use the end portion of a leaf as well. Make sure it’s about three to four or more inches long.

Do not pull the leaf off the plant. Use a clean sharp blade to take the cutting or slice the leaf from the aloe’s stem. Set the cut aloe leaf on a paper towel or plate on the counter away from the sun. The leaf will ooze and callus over. A complete callus should form after two to three days. The cut area will look healed or sealed. Plant in well-drained soil not in direct sunlight. Keep the soil moist but not wet. After a few weeks, roots will have formed, creating your new Aloe Vera Plant.

Propagating Aloe From Seed

You can plant aloe from a seed that you buy, receive, or that comes from one of your aloe plants. Starting from a seed takes a longer time than the other two methods of propagation.

Each year, a mature mother plant will send off a solid shoot upwards from the middle of the plant. Flower will appear on this shoot. Once the flowers bloom and fall off, you will have hundreds of seeds to plant. Until the seeds mature and turn black, you should leave them on the plant.

Once you have an aloe plant growing, you’ll never need to buy another plant.