Aloe vera, besides being a plant with purpose, is a succulent which just keeps on giving. If your plant is healthy and happy, you’ll see babies, or pups, growing off the base of the mother plant. I’ll show you the easiest method of Aloe vera propagation, in my opinion anyway. This is all about removing those pups so you can have more plants and share the love.
You might want to check out this Aloe Vera 101. It contains a round up of my Aloe Vera care guides covering aspects of this useful plant.
My Aloes have always produced lots of pups and I’ve given many away to friends and even my friendly UPS guy. Aloe vera is a clumping plant and those babies just grow and spread as they mature. You don’t have to remove them but if you have them growing in a pot, they’ll eventually crowd each other out.
At my work table showing how I remove aloe vera pups:
Good to know:
You can remove the pups at any time of year but spring and summer are best. Plants rest in the colder months.
I like to wait until the Aloe vera pups are good-sized, at least 4-6″ tall. This is because the roots are much better formed and on their way. You’ll see that I removed all of them in this video because I wanted to show you how less formed the roots are on smaller pups.
Those tiny ones with 1 or 2 roots on them will grow too, but if you’re a beginning gardener, why not just hold tight until they’re bigger and the roots are better formed. It’s not that long a wait and you can be certain the babies will survive.
You can leave your Aloe in the pot to remove the pups (especially if you’re only removing 1 or 2) but I find it easiest to take the plant out of the pot. That way, you can also freshen up the soil for the mother plant at the same time. I show you both ways in the video.
My pretty little Aloe vera took a nose dive onto the patio when the raccoons were on the prowl the other night. You can see what the plant used to look like, just a couple of days ago, here.
Steps:
Loosen the plants from the sides of the pot with a knife.
Scrape the soil away from the base of the pups with a knife, small trowel or spoon.
Pry the pups away with the knife, small trowel or spoon. Sometimes they’re loose enough to do it with just your hands. Whatever you use, you’ll need to hold firmly onto the mother while doing this.
This is why I like taking the plant out of the pot – the pups come off with ease.
They’ve always pulled away easily for me, but if not, you may have to use the knife to cut them if they’re being stubborn.
Now that you’ve removed your Aloe vera pups you’ll need to plant them. Update: I’ve planted the Aloe Vera pups so you can see how I did that along with how I care for them too.
I’ve done posts and videos so I have you covered with Aloe vera care both indoors and in the garden.
Here are all the pups I got off the mother plant. The ones on the right-hand side have roots which aren’t well-formed yet. Don’t worry – just plant them & they’ll grow!
If you have 1 Aloe vera plant, aka Aloe barbedensis, Medicinal Aloe or Medicine Plant, having another isn’t a bad thing at all. If you don’t want it, I’m sure a friend will. Spread the goodness!
Happy gardening,
Want to learn more about Aloe Vera? Check these out:
7 Ways To Use Aloe Vera Leaves Plus How To Store Them
2 Ways I Made My Aloe Vera A Whole Lot Happier
What To Know About Planting Aloe Vera In Containers
Answering Your Questions About Aloe Vera
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Would you basically just keep the mama aloe for the purpose of producing and then take the aloe from the babies or do you also take from the mama? Yours is so large and beautiful! I guess I’m just wondering if it will only grow that large if I don’t take aloe from the mama. Great video, thank you!
Hi – Thank you! I take the aloe gel from the mother until the babies get big enough & then take it from them too. I wait until the leaves get to be a substantial size before I harvest. Nell
I have had an aloe vera plant for ten years in two different homes. I have had six babies so far only in the last year and it just keeps producing. The stem of the mom keeps getting thick and tall! I take the bottom aloe from the mom as it grows and then from the babies when they get bigger:) It really is the plant that keeps on giving.
Hi Sheri – Yes it is! The mother plant that you see in this post is already producing more pups. Nell
So my aloe plant has been growing for about a year, and doesn’t seem to have separate root systems for the pups so I am wondering how I can do this without the entire root. All of my pups come straight off the mother, can I still propagate it any way? Does cutting off a leaf and planting it work? Thank you
Hi Allie – I’ve always waited until the pups are showing some kind of root system, even a small one, before removing. I was doubtful as to whether an aloe vera leaf would root & tried it one day. As I thought, the leaf rotted out before rooting. They’re so full of gel & water that they “mush” out. Nell
My aloe plant is huge with huge with huge overflowing no pot can or how do I replant them looks like something out of a scarecrow movie scarey
Hi Pam – Aloe veras have tough roots. You can carefully divide the plant by cutting or pulling it apart. Then you can repot it. Nell
I started out with a small $5 aloe plant about 7 years ago. She is now huge! I’ve had dozens of pups and have enjoyed repotting and sharing them. I am terrible with plants but this one just keeps flourishing. I love it!
Hi Jessica – Not only is Aloe Vera a plant with purpose but it’s also 1 which keeps on giving. Many people over water aloes but it sounds like yours are happy as can be! Nell
My aloe has a tiny bit of white mold on the dirt is there a home remedy?
Hi Leon – Keep the it drier – the mold is usually due to the soil staying wet. If it’s just a tiny bit, you can easier scrape it off. Nell
I bought an aloe plant over two years ago and it has grown beautifully. But it has never had any “pups”. Is there an age it starts or anything I can do to promote them?
It depends Stephanie. My pups produced a couple of pups the following year here in Tucson but the weather is very warm. Sometimes it takes an Aloe vera 5 years to mature & produce pups. Nell
I have many Aloe plants, and one of my mature plants is growing a pup from the stalk of where the flower was…is that normal because it’s the first time I have seen it happen. Also why does this happen? Thank you so much!
Hi – I’ve seen that happen on other Aloes (there are many species of Aloes) but not on an Aloe Vera. I believe it’s just the nature of the plant. Nell
Hi, I just pulled a soap aloe plant out of the pot because I noticed a pretty tall baby creeping up the side. It really needed some new soil also as I’ve basically just left it sit for well over five years. It flowers pretty frequently so I guess it’s been happy. When I pulled it out there were about 10 babies around the base of the plant, all smooshed into the pot. They have long thick roots, but the leaves are curled and pale, but still thick and firm. Do you know if they will eventually straighten and turn green? They are all now planted in their own pots and the mommy has new soil finally. Just wondering if it’s worth keeping the babies.
Hi Samantha – The older growth may not straighten out but the new growth will.Nell