When aloe vera is healthy, it thrives, forming new leaves, buds and even new seedlings; for this reason it needs a lot of attention. Although more caution is required when pruning than with other plants, following the right technique can keep it healthy. Remove excess and damaged parts to promote growth, health and make it an important part of the room.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Prune the Visible Parts
Step 1. Get a sharp tool
You need a tool that can cut small leaf stems and roots, such as a kitchen knife. You can also use scissors, but if you have neglected the plant for a while, you may need some shears to "tame" it.
Step 2. Cut the damaged leaves
First, focus on the ugliest ones; move other branches and leaves to find dry, brown or dead parts; also remove diseased leaves that are heavily stained. Use a knife or scissors to cut them off at the base.
- The pests and diseases that have affected these leaves can spread to the whole plant, so it is important to eliminate them.
- The leaves can dry out from insufficient exposure to light or from insufficient or too abundant watering.
Step 3. Trim the outer leaves if there are too many
Use a knife or shears to remove enough healthy ones to get the plant into the pot. Bring the cutting tool to the base of the stem and insert it neatly into the plant matter; the outer ones are the oldest leaves and contain the greatest amount of gel.
- The gel has many medicinal properties; if you want to use the leaves for this purpose, remove the thorny edges and refrigerate them until you want to extract the jelly-like sap.
- Do not cut those that are closest to the main stem, as they are still young and need to grow to replace the old ones.
Step 4. Prune old, flowering stems
Cut them following the same procedure used for the leaves. Once the flowers bloom, the seeds fall off shortly; as they die they absorb nutrients that the plant could use to form healthy new leaves. Since it is quite rare for flowers to develop in home grown aloe vera, if yours is indoors, you are unlikely to have to manage the flowering.
Dead flowers attract insects and can fall into the pot, absorbing water and creating a rotting substrate
Part 2 of 2: Clear the Ground
Step 1. Remove the suckers
Also called suckers, they represent the offshoot of the plant; these new growths remove the energies from the "mother plant" and crowd the pot. Generally, it is possible to remove them from the ground without causing damage; use a sharp tool to remove them.
- Sometimes, these suckers get hidden and tangled under the earth, so you have to take the plant out of the pot, gently remove the soil from the root system and untangle the roots.
- Suckers are full-fledged plants, so you can decide to plant them in different pots with other soil so that new aloe vera plants can grow; eventually, you can also choose to give them as a gift.
Step 2. Remove the plant from the pot
Grab it by the stem and tilt the pot sideways; the aloe vera should come out easily by pulling it a little; if not, try squeezing the bowl or tapping it against a solid surface and get rid of any suckers you haven't removed previously.
Step 3. Prune the roots
If you need to repot the aloe vera, proceed as follows: first, shake the earth from the plant, cut the long root and remove some of the outermost ones; saves a root ball sufficient to fill the new pot for about 2/3 of its capacity. In this way it becomes easier to move the aloe, but above all the root system can grow back stronger in the new soil; then proceed by watering lightly until it stabilizes.
