Last November, I published a post on the growth of my first and only Aloe Vera plant. I learned that if properly cared for, these wondrous cacti can live for decades, and many of you had stories to share of such activity. I was simply amazed!
Before owning an Aloe Vera plant, my knowledge on greenery in general was immensely lacking. This included not knowing what the word propagate meant. Over the last few years, many of my own succulents have come and gone (meaning I bought and accidentally killed them), but this lone plant has continued on, flourishing under my amateur watch. Having just had to repot it into a larger home, I knew that the day was fast approaching that I would also have to remove some of its leaves. To this new feat, I was extremely apprehensive. So I studied up on it, and this is how I learned to propagate Aloe Vera leaves.
Step 1:
Cut the leaves off of your plant using either a sharp knife, or scissors. Do so at an angle.
Step 2:
Set the freshly cut leaves aside for 1 week, or until sufficiently scabbed over. The waiting time varies from other succulents. Some websites say to wait no longer than 3 days, while others say to wait up to 2 weeks. I waited 1 week, just to play it safe.
Step 3:
After the bottom of the leaves have scabbed over, you are close to commencing the last steps. However, you will need to apply a rooting hormone to aid in the growth of the leaves. I used organic honey, which I applied generously to the ends of the leaf cuttings.
Step 4:
Now you are ready to plant your leaves. Choose a large pot with sufficient drainage at the bottom. Fill it with soil and plant the leaves carefully. Top off with rocks.
Step 5:
Water sufficiently after a few days. That’s all!
While propagating Aloe Vera leaves is a week-long process, in total the steps take less than 30 to complete. This simplicity has made me a little nervous, and I hope that both my new and original Aloe Vera plant will survive my latest attempt at being a gardener. Fingers crossed!
You can get more information on Aloe Vera at monicashealthmag.com.
On a side note, Geoffrey bought me the cutest gifts for St. Patrick’s Day. This included an owl mug and terrarium start-up kit. I suppose if I butcher my Aloe Vera (please, no!), I will alway have a substitute plant.
Do you have any future tips for me and propagating succulents?
<3
Emory
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