How To Plant Aloe vera: A Beginner's Guide

How to plant Aloe vera?  This is one of the most frequently asked questions on my YouTube channel - The Aloe vera Garden.  It can have a straightforward or complex answer.

Aloe vera is a very resilient plant

Aloe vera doesn't die easily.  When you uproot Aloe vera pups from the mother plant, you don't have to worry about replanting it immediately.  Unlike most plants, Aloe vera can stay alive for a long time without soil and water.  I tried placing Aloe vera pups in a bowl without water and soil and it didn't die even after more than six weeks.

Aloe vera is Not an Indoor Plant

Aloe vera is often sold as a houseplant, but it grows best outdoors. It thrives very well in a full day of sunlight.  If you place it indoors and don't get enough sunlight, it will grow tall faster with narrow leaves going sidewards.

Best Soil for Aloe vera

The soil requirement for Aloe vera is similar to most plants.  When planting Aloe vera in pots, select a soil that drains well and at the same time has nutrients to feed the plant.  Although rice hulls and sand may drain efficiently, they don't contain the nutrients Aloe vera requires to grow.  Also, they don't hold enough water for the plant throughout the day.  The best choice would be loam soil - which is a mixture of sand, silt, and clay.  Adding compost and animal manure makes the plant thrive even more.

Best Way To Plant Aloe vera

When planting Aloe vera make sure the soil reaches only the lowest leaf.  Going beyond may suffocate the plant and may impact its growth.

Watering Newly Planted Aloe vera

You don't need to water newly planted Aloe vera for a week if the soil you used during planting is moist.  Otherwise, water to make the soil moist.

Where To Place Newly Planted Aloe vera

The newly planted Aloe vera will turn brown if you place it in direct sunlight but will start to recover after four weeks when the roots have established.  Greening of the leaves will start at the crown or center, going to the outer leaves.

If you place it indoors while establishing its roots, it will not turn brown but it will become sensitive to sunlight.  This means that when you start to introduce it to sunlight, it will turn slightly brown until it becomes acclimatized.

How To Plant Small Aloe vera Pups

Planting tiny aloe vera follows the same process, the only difference is you can put them all together in one pot as an option and separate them when they grow bigger.

How To Plant Aloe vera Cuttings

Aloe vera can be planted through cuttings.  When planting Aloe vera cuttings expose at least one node to expedite the rooting process.  You don't need to callous the cut part, you can plant it immediately after cutting as long as the soil you are using is not very wet.

The safest way to plant cuttings to avoid rotting is to place the plant on top of the soil and let the plant roots when they start to grow, dig down the soil.

You can plant them individually or let them root first altogether before potting them individually.

Planting Small Aloe vera Pups Without Roots

The same process works when planting tiny Aloe vera without roots.  You only have to place the plant on top of the soil and add some support for the plant to stand and wait for the plant to grow roots.  Water the plants when the roots are starting to appear.

How To Plant Aloe vera for Table Top

For ornamental purposes or tabletop, Aloe vera can be planted in containers without drainage to keep your table dry during watering.  Just give the plant enough water, don't flood the plant with too much water.

Planting Aloe vera in Water

Aloe vera can also be planted in water, but will not grow big and reach its full size.  The original roots may eventually rot if you plant Aloe vera in water, but it will be replaced with aquatic roots which are thinner compared with its regular roots.  

Some plants may grow aquatic roots after the old roots rot, and others may grow aquatic roots before the old ones rot.

The better way would be to use cuttings when planting Aloe vera in water because the new roots that will grow will be the aquatic roots. Submerging Aloe vera cuttings in water will take longer for the plants to grow roots and may have a high chance of rotting.

Roots may grow faster if you place the cut part a little above the water and let the roots that will grow go down the water.  

The plant needs nutrients even in water, it is recommended to add fertilizer intended for hydroponics.

Also, you need to replace the water and clean the roots regularly to remove the algae that will cause the entire root system to rot and the plant to die.

There are many ways to plant Aloe vera depending on what works best for your space and gardening style. Aloe vera is an incredibly resilient and versatile plant, whether you are using pups, cuttings, or trying it out in water.

You can also watch the video below for you to have a better understanding of the things I said above.