Aloe, including aloe vera, is started from pups, also called offsets: small plants on short shoots at the base of the parent. Iowa State lists Aloe species under division and offsets. UC Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo County describe the same habit: remove those juvenile plants and pot them. Each piece should have healthy leaves, stems, and roots. Leaf trays for other succulents stay on how to propagate succulents.
When a pup is ready
Wait until the offset is a small plant of its own, not a stub of leaf. Iowa State: every piece you keep should have healthy leaves, stems, and roots. UC Master Gardeners of Butte County: aloe produces offsets at the base; when you take one, avoid damaging roots that have already emerged. These sources do not give a size in inches. Iowa State says early spring is the ideal time to divide houseplants, and that most can be divided any time of year.
How to separate
You will need the parent plant, a pot with a drainage hole, cactus mix or another well-drained medium, and clean hands or a sharp clipper. Iowa State, division: take the plant out of its pot. Lay the root ball on its side. Loosen it with your fingers and pull it into smaller plants. If the ball will not come apart, use a clean knife. Keep the larger pieces if you want a faster recovery; smaller pieces give you more plants. Iowa State, succulent offsets: gently pull or cut the pup so leaves and roots stay attached. Clean pruners if a runner still holds it to the parent. UC Master Gardeners of Butte County: use a sharp clipper, or twist gently, and do not tear roots that are already out.
Potting mix and drainage
Iowa State: pot the offset in well-drained media such as cactus potting soil, in a container with a drainage hole. Fresh mix, and a pot that fits the new plant, which is often smaller than the parent's pot. Then put it in bright indirect light. UC Master Gardeners of Butte County: cactus mix, or sand and perlite. For mix in general, see soil propagation.
Watering
Iowa State, division: water once to settle the soil. Wait a few weeks before fertilizer, so the roots can recover; most potting soil already has some in it. Iowa State, succulent offsets: water lightly. After a few weeks the new plant establishes and starts growing on its own. UC Master Gardeners of Butte County, offsets: spray water on the offset daily, gently and sparingly. Do not soak the soil. They wait three to four weeks for strong roots. Those watering notes do not match one to one. The sources do not give a dry-out delay before the first water for rooted aloe pups.
Leaf cuttings and water
Iowa State's succulent guide puts Aloe with offsets and division. The leaf-cutting list on that same page is Graptopetalum, Pachyphytum, Sedum, Crassula, and Kalanchoe. UC Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo County demonstrate pups on Aloe, and leaf cuttings on Echeveria and Graptopetalum. None of these four pages give a leaf-in-water method for aloe. Iowa State also notes that most succulents do not root well in a glass of water; that line sits in their stem-cuttings section, not as an aloe trial.
Common mistakes
- Taking a piece with no roots. Iowa State wants leaves, stems, and roots on each plant.
- Tearing roots that have already formed (UC Master Gardeners of Butte County).
- A pot with no drainage hole, or a mix that stays wet.
- Soaking the soil. Butte County says do not soak; Iowa State says water lightly.
- Fertilizing in the first days. Iowa State waits a few weeks.
People Also Ask
Is aloe vera the same method?
Yes on this URL. Iowa State lists Aloe species. There is no separate /how-to-propagate-aloe-vera.
When is a pup ready to remove?
When it is a small plant with its own leaves and, in Iowa State's wording, stems and roots. No inch measurement in these sources.
When should I divide aloe?
Iowa State: early spring is ideal; most houseplants can be divided any time of year.
Can I propagate aloe from a leaf?
These sources do not describe an aloe leaf cutting. They put aloe under pups and offsets. Leaf steps for other succulents are on how to propagate succulents.
Can I root aloe in water?
Not as a method in these sources. Iowa State says most succulents do not root well in a glass of water. The aloe path here is offsets in cactus mix.
How long until it is established?
Iowa State: a few weeks, then it begins growing on its own; wait a few weeks to fertilize. UC Master Gardeners of Butte County: three to four weeks for strong roots on offsets.