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How to Transplant Aloe

Contributor
By Carole Vansickle
eHow Contributing Writer
(0 Ratings)

Aloe plants are easy to transplant. It is the month after the transplant that often kills the plant. If you are patient and gentle, you can easily transplant aloe even if the smaller shoots do not yet have their own roots.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Aloe plant that has not been transplanted in at least 6 months
  • Pots
  • Potting soil
  • Clippers
  • Pebbles
  1. Step 1

    Wait to transplant until the soil is almost completely dry. This will make it easier to work with the aloe plant and to shake the dirt off so that the roots are easy to see.

  2. Step 2

    Gently remove the aloe plant from the soil. It may come up as a "mother-and-baby" clump, or you may be able to pull the babies out separately from the mother (the large, central aloe plant). Hold the plant at the base and gently wiggle it back and forth to loosen it from the soil. You should be able to remove it roots and all.

  3. Step 3

    Trim any long roots off the plant. Do not cut them off at the base, but you can trim any roots back that are growing too long for the pot that your aloe is living in. Leave at least 3 inches on the roots.

  4. Step 4

    Break the baby aloe plants off the mother. If the aloe is fairly dry, they should snap away fairly easily. They may not bring any roots, and that is OK.

  5. Step 5

    Plant them in a new pot. Place the aloe plant firmly in the dry potting soil in the new pot. Do not bury any of its leaves. You can stabilize it if necessary using the pebbles.You should not water your transplanted aloe for the first month. It is a succulent and can live this way. Most baby aloes die after transplanting due to over-watering. After a month, the transplant should have developed its own roots and it will be ready to have a "drink." At this point, your transplant can be considered a success.

Tips & Warnings
  • Aloe plants are easy to over-water, which leads to disease and death for the plant. The plant should not be watered even once it is healthy and adult until its soil is completely dry.

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