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You are here: Home / Aloe Plant Care / Detailed Aloe Repotting Instructions

Detailed Aloe Repotting Instructions

March 31, 2011 by We Love Aloe 38 Comments

Some of us are not born with a green thumb. It took me a long time to get things right.  If you’re like me and you’ve made it through a good portion of your life without ever repotting a plant,  I’m about to break it down just for you! Fortunately, Aloe Vera plants are very resilient. They don’t mind the bumblings of a beginner.

I recommend repotting your Aloe Vera outside. It’s going to get messy. Perhaps open up a big trash bag to work over. Also, you might want to wear gardening gloves if you have sensitive skin. Some Aloe plants can be prickly.

1. Pull your Aloe plant out of its pot. You can be rough with your plant. It’s not the end of the world if a leaf breaks off (put it to good use).

2. Treat the roots of the Aloe plant with some root stimulant. You don’t have to do this, but it will insure a higher likelihood of a successful transplant.

3. Fill up the new pot with potting soil and an Aloe with the roots intact. Depending on how big the pot is, you can plant up to three plants, and more if it’s a really huge pot. If you are planting a lot of plants in one, you will probably have to repot all over again sooner rather than later.

This is a more in-depth repotting article. For more info about how to care for your aloe plant, you can read this article right here.

Related posts:

Don't Forget Aloe Root Care!
Aloe Ferox: A Bitter, More Nutrient-Rich Version of the Aloe Vera
Where are the Aloe Flowers? Tricks for Getting your Indoor Aloe Plant to Bloom

Filed Under: Aloe Plant Care

Comments

  1. laura says

    December 13, 2011 at 10:40 pm

    Yes great website. My mother gave me an aloe and it was so full of pups so i needed to know how to repot and its good to know i wont hurt them! But can i just wipe off the leaves with a wet paper towel or will that harm their growth?

    Reply
    • Sunshine says

      July 12, 2015 at 4:30 pm

      I’m not sure why you want to wipe them down, but if it’s because they get dusty, then yes, do it! Just be gentle to prevent breakage, but they do like to get “cleaned up”, as this allows better plant respiration and health…. many plants benefit from this.

      Reply
      • Linda says

        September 30, 2017 at 6:08 pm

        I had gotten a Aloe Vera plant and I was going to repot it yesterday but was busy and all the big leave feel off so what do I due now plant them pack and hope they well reroot in the potting sole , I need help on this please I want to grow it it was doing so good I picked up the pot and out water in it was dry and that when they all started falling out so I put them in a glass of loke water nit cold .
        Help please

        Reply
  2. Valerie Wagg says

    May 22, 2012 at 12:24 am

    I have a large aloe plant, how do I break it apart to start new plants, and what type of soil do I use? Thank You for your help.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 21, 2017 at 7:59 pm

      I don’t understand how to cut my aloe when I replant it . Also isn’t it better to put some gravel in the bottom of container ?

      Reply
  3. Paula says

    March 20, 2013 at 6:18 pm

    Thank you for the post and the other article about “Aloe Care”. My recently reported Aloe strted turning brown and I was so afraid I had done something wrong, but I understand now it is “in shock”. I, yes, I have not been born with a “green thumb”.

    Reply
  4. Shannon Lubiani says

    April 2, 2013 at 12:21 am

    I have 2 20+year old aloe plants with large primary root(taproot). Can it be trimmed for repotting? thanks so much”

    Reply
  5. Cindy Lawrence says

    April 22, 2013 at 3:48 am

    I LOVE ALOE! It has so many uses & benefits: skincare, medicinally, a beautiful plant in many varieties & I have several.
    Thank you for posting this useful info on plant care & repotting. Mine reproduce like crazy!

    Reply
  6. barb desjardins says

    September 6, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    I know how to repant, I like to know if I can grow roots from a broken leaf off of a aloe plant? It fell on kto floor and the leaves broke off.

    Reply
    • We Love Aloe says

      September 6, 2013 at 8:57 pm

      The best bet is to split the root at the base.

      Reply
    • fitz says

      October 17, 2014 at 1:56 am

      You can regrow the leaf by putting it in a cup of water I broke a leaf and placed it in a cup and the roots grown back double than what I had on my plant alone

      Reply
  7. Laura Earl says

    March 9, 2014 at 12:20 am

    I received a very large aloe plant that had been exposed to the cold. 10 of it’s big beautiful leaves froze and I had to cut them off, leaving a very long bare space between the soil and the leaves, about 8 inches. This caused the plant to be top heavy and falling over. How deep can I repot my aloe? Can I plant the long leafless trunk in the soil? Or will it put out more leaves at the base? What should I do?

    Reply
    • gay says

      May 20, 2014 at 7:34 am

      U can add dirt all the way up past u
      R healthy leaves.

      Reply
  8. Jacqueline Nicholls says

    April 6, 2014 at 7:06 am

    I repotted my aloe plant and have over watered it is there any way i can get it back please
    Jackie

    Reply
    • Danielle Brown says

      April 6, 2014 at 4:56 pm

      Hi Jacqueline,
      Try not watering it for a while (until the soil is dry again) and making sure it has plenty of sun, so that excess water will evaporate quick. You don’t want your aloe to get root rot or any other disease from sitting in too much water. Check out this article for more information on how to revive a drowned aloe!

      Reply
    • gay says

      May 20, 2014 at 7:37 am

      Try transplanting into dry sandy gravel mixed potting soil. U might have to dour own mixing.

      Reply
    • Amanda says

      December 31, 2016 at 5:41 pm

      Fertilizer works wonders!!!

      Reply
  9. Renee says

    May 26, 2014 at 11:12 am

    I broke apart a huge aloe with over 25 babies. I repotted the babies. After cutting off old branches on the parents ;). The stems to the roots are really long . 12 inches tall of stem. Can I cut it down to fit in a pot . Do I need roots ? Will it reroot?

    Reply
    • Peggy says

      June 13, 2014 at 3:20 pm

      I read that you can trim the roots which will cause new roots to grow – don’t cut them all the way off, just trim them.

      Reply
  10. Kris says

    July 1, 2014 at 12:34 am

    There seems to be a step missing where you mention how to remove the baby plant from the main plant. Do I just cut it? I have a baby that popped up in the soil – is it too late to remove it and replant it?

    Reply
    • TD says

      August 15, 2016 at 5:55 pm

      yep, just snap them off wherever seems convenient and pot them

      Reply
  11. Ashley says

    August 16, 2014 at 5:54 pm

    I have an aloe plant my biology teacher gave me from college, it started growing about 4-5 pups in the same pot. the mother is still green, and the pups are maybe 1-2 inches long. I do not see any roots coming from the bottom of the pot, does this mean I still have time before I need to transfer them? I just don’t want to kill them or transfer them the wrong way. Can anyone help me please? Thank you.

    Reply
    • TD says

      August 15, 2016 at 5:56 pm

      plenty of time. as above just snap them off whever seems convenient and repot them

      Reply
  12. carl saville says

    August 21, 2014 at 8:40 pm

    telephone # to get info about rooting an alovera leaf

    Reply
  13. kathleen says

    September 1, 2014 at 3:58 pm

    My aloe should be recieving decent light levels but i notice that the lower branches/leaves bend and fall downward, though the top seems straight and strong…I water sparely…southern window?
    Any help as to what it might need

    Reply
    • Jimmie says

      May 19, 2016 at 2:22 am

      Plant your Aloe in a deeper pot, watering sparingly still. The lower leaves can rest on the edges of the pot to hold them steady, and not drooping over the sides.
      If they’re drooping, you may have a slight case of root rot, and/or over-watering.

      Reply
  14. Debra says

    September 21, 2014 at 1:30 am

    I was given an aloe vera plant a couple of years ago which needs a lot of help. The stem is long and brown with no leaves. The roots were definitely root bound, no offshoots. The top is green, thus top heavy. Can I cut off the top and put it in soil? Also, could I cut off portions of the stem, as I see bumps on the stem, which from what I understand are undeveloped roots, and plant that? If I trimmed the roots of the parent plant, and replant, will that also produce more leaves?

    Looking for some answers as I live in a nation that doesn’t really speak English.

    Thank you
    Debbie

    Reply
    • joanne taylor says

      September 2, 2015 at 8:21 pm

      The center of my large aloe plant has lifted right out..What can I do with it for replanting?

      Reply
  15. Abbi says

    January 16, 2016 at 3:14 pm

    Need help, i do not know what is wrong with my aloe plant leaves are are dying and look unhealthy around bottom part of the plant the center looks fine and it is producing some new shoots.I think it needs transplanted don’t know what type of dirt to get.

    Reply
    • Jimmie says

      May 19, 2016 at 2:24 am

      Use Cactus Potting soil. As Aloe is a succulent like Jade or Cactus.

      Reply
  16. molly says

    May 6, 2016 at 7:01 pm

    Can i repot aloe without roots

    Reply
  17. Yvonne Jackson says

    July 5, 2016 at 6:33 pm

    I have a large aloe plant, how do I break it apart to start new plants, and what type of soil do I use? Thank You for your help.

    Reply
  18. Susan Kerr says

    August 8, 2016 at 9:17 pm

    Is soil straight from desert good for reporting do I need to add anything?

    Reply
  19. Susan Kerr says

    August 8, 2016 at 9:19 pm

    Is soil straight from desert good for reporting aloe vera

    Reply
  20. Joan Mason says

    August 23, 2016 at 8:15 pm

    I reported my aloe vera. The single protrusion from the bottom is J shaped. There are no thin stringy little roots. Is the plant dead?

    Reply
  21. J Chenaille says

    March 4, 2018 at 2:47 pm

    Recently, I was moving my aloe, (Gasteria sp.) and one of the babies broke off. Is there a proper way to transplant this baby or should I just discard it?

    Reply
  22. meertje says

    June 11, 2018 at 4:58 am

    Hmm it seems like your website ate my first comment (it was extremely
    long) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I had written and say, I’m
    thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog writer but
    I’m still new to the whole thing. Do you have any tips
    and hints for beginner blog writers? I’d genuinely appreciate it.

    Reply
  23. Robert stevens says

    September 16, 2018 at 1:13 am

    How do I repot a tall aloe plant? Can I bury 3-4 inches of the current plant?

    Reply

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