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.
laura says
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?
Sunshine says
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.
Linda says
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
Valerie Wagg says
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.
Lisa says
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 ?
Paula says
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”.
Shannon Lubiani says
I have 2 20+year old aloe plants with large primary root(taproot). Can it be trimmed for repotting? thanks so much”
Cindy Lawrence says
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!
barb desjardins says
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.
We Love Aloe says
The best bet is to split the root at the base.
fitz says
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
Laura Earl says
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?
gay says
U can add dirt all the way up past u
R healthy leaves.
Jacqueline Nicholls says
I repotted my aloe plant and have over watered it is there any way i can get it back please
Jackie
Danielle Brown says
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!
gay says
Try transplanting into dry sandy gravel mixed potting soil. U might have to dour own mixing.
Amanda says
Fertilizer works wonders!!!
Renee says
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?
Peggy says
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.
Kris says
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?
TD says
yep, just snap them off wherever seems convenient and pot them
Ashley says
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.
TD says
plenty of time. as above just snap them off whever seems convenient and repot them
carl saville says
telephone # to get info about rooting an alovera leaf
kathleen says
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
Jimmie says
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.
Debra says
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
joanne taylor says
The center of my large aloe plant has lifted right out..What can I do with it for replanting?
Abbi says
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.
Jimmie says
Use Cactus Potting soil. As Aloe is a succulent like Jade or Cactus.
molly says
Can i repot aloe without roots
Yvonne Jackson says
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.
Susan Kerr says
Is soil straight from desert good for reporting do I need to add anything?
Susan Kerr says
Is soil straight from desert good for reporting aloe vera
Joan Mason says
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?
J Chenaille says
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?
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Robert stevens says
How do I repot a tall aloe plant? Can I bury 3-4 inches of the current plant?