Aloe Vera Care

Can Aloe Vera Grow From a Cutting ?

The answer is No! Some Aloe Vera documents incorrectly say yes, but they probably confuse Aloe Vera with other Aloe-like plants. Aloe Vera propagates via pupping or seed. It has certainly been my experience that it is much quicker to grow Aloe Vera from pups than from seed.

Pups are the small offshoots that appear at the base of the plant [see photo above]. When they reach a size where they appear to be crowding out the mother plant, just break the soil up and gently separate the pup roots from those of the mother and repot them. [see photo below]

When first planting or re-potting your Aloe Vera plant the potting soil should be moderately fertile and fast draining with a couple of inches of gravel in the bottom of the pot. 

Should I Water Aloe Vera in Winter ?

The quickest way to kill your Aloe Vera plant is by over watering it. Best practice is to let the soil should dry out between waterings and hardly water at all in winter. But how do you estimate "hardly water" at all? 

I've found it best to give my plants a good soaking every couple of months over the winter months. So on a nice sunny afternoon I take them outside and fill their pots to the brim with water [rain water if you have it].

If I have some cacti feed I'll water that in to just for good measure. Alternatively a good liquid fertilizer a couple of times over summer especially if Aloe Vera is being grown in a pot.