Wondering what to do with your overgrown Aloe Vera plant?
Well, it’s one of the well-known issues in indoor gardening, as the plant does get bigger when it receives a good amount of sunlight, water, and nutrients.
So, what do you do with such plants?
Do you just throw them away in the bin?
Let’s find out more about it in today’s guide.
This article will guide you on how to deal with an overgrown Aloe Vera.
Contents:
Things You Can Do To Revive Your Overgrown Aloe
An Aloe plant that is overgrown and leaning needs to be repotted or transplanted in a pot that is not too narrow or small for it.
Pruning the plant can also manage the top-heavy plant.
These are the few things you can do to manage such a large plant.
Alternatively, you can also move the plant to a place where it won’t get enough sunlight.
This should help in reducing the overall growth of the plant.
However, you will still need to prune or repot the plant if it has already grown a lot in the existing plant container.
Now, let’s see how you can effectively trim your overgrown Aloe plant.
How To Trim Your Top Heavy Aloe Plant
Here’s what you need to know about trimming you top heavy Aloe plant –
1. Pruning Tools
You can use a knife or gardening scissors to prune the leaves.
And whatever the tool you use for this task, it should be sharp!
Otherwise, you will face difficulties while performing the pruning.
Also, it does increase the risk of getting injured if the edges of your pruning tool are dull.
2. Remove The Damaged Aloe Plant Leaves
That’s the first thing you should when you want to manage the overgrown Aloe plant.
Remove the unwanted leaves, which should help in shaping and balancing the plant.
3. Work On The Outer Leaves
Once you have removed the large leaves, try to move towards the outer leaves.
Check if there are any large leaves on the plant that may not be necessary at all.
Try to get rid of such leaves so that you can lighten the plant even further.
Note: You should never prune the fresh leaves, as it takes a while to see the new growth on the plant.
Tips To Trim Your Overgrown Aloe Vera Plant
Firstly, ensure that the Aloe plant is an adult plant.
To identify whether the Aloe is an adult plant, measure the plant first.
An adult plant is nearly 16 inches.
However, if the plant is smaller, wait a bit before trimming its leaves.
If you would rather buy another Aloe Vera, an adult plant will be available in a store for 13 dollars, so even lesser.
Once you have the plant ready, choose a few mature leaves to trim and use a sharp knife or scissor for it.
Now, let’s see how you can divide and repot this type of plant in your home garden.
How to Divide and Repot Overgrown Aloe
Here are the three important steps you need to follow for this task –
1. Dividing
- First, remove the parent plant gently from the pot, and remove as much soil from its roots as possible.
- Next, identify the baby plants and check whether the baby will be easily removable from the plant. If the plant comes off with roots, it will grow, but if it comes off without roots, the chances of it growing will be nil.
- For stubborn baby plants that will not come off easily, use a knife to tear it away from the parent plant.
2. Healing
- Like other succulents, Aloe vera needs to be kept aside to heal and form a callous over the wound. The plant will then be ready to be planted again after 24 hours.
3. Repotting
- Cut off a good bit of the base, and let the cut form a callus for a few days.
- Leave the leaf alone for some time till it is completely dry and a thin layer of skin forms over the gel.
- The ideal time to leave the leaf by itself to dry would be 2-3 days.
- Next, fill a pot with a loamy mixture and insert one-third of the leaf into the soil and sprinkle some water on it.
- The soil must always remain moist during the first month of this transplant, but it should not be fully wet. Soon, it will begin developing roots.
- The Aloe vera plant does not require much water, so you can water it once a week and place it near a window.
And that’s all it takes to successfully divide the overgrown Aloe plant and transplant the pups into new pots.
Things To Do After Pruning And Repotting
After pruning and repotting, wait at least a week until you water the plant again.
This will ensure that the Aloe Vera does not form rot and gives the plant plenty of time to grow its roots.
Give the plant plenty of sunlight once it is repotted and keep it in a warm place.
Have any questions?
Check out the following section to find the answers to some of the frequently asked questions by the readers.
FAQs
Yes.
Insert the broken leaf one-third way into the soil.
Water the soil until it is moist.
For the first few weeks, while the Aloe is transplanting, keep the soil moist, but it should not be fully wet.
Expect the leaf to shrink a bit as it begins to take root.
The most common reason for the Aloe Vera to lean is because of the direction of the source of light.
This happens especially when you place the plant near the window, the plant will start leaning over the direction of sunlight over time.
If the plant appears unusually floppy, it means that it is not receiving enough sunlight or getting too much water.
A healthy Aloe Vera plant produces plenty of pups when it is thriving.
If you feel like the size of the pot is too small, go up a size or two, for example, 4″ to 6″ or 8″ to 12″.
Aloe Vera plants do not mind crowded conditions.
Ensure that the pot is the right size for them and can allow them to grow comfortably.
Yes, Aloe Vera plants need 6 hours of direct sunlight throughout the day.
If your home does not get enough sunlight, invest in an artificial light source to help the Aloe Vera grow.
Over To You
Managing your overgrown and top-heavy Aloe plant can be a fun task in your indoor garden.
But make sure you follow the steps and suggestions mentioned in the guide above.
If not, you may have to discard the plant altogether.
Moving on, if you enjoyed this guide, feel free to share it with your friend and family.
Don’t hesitate to leave a comment if you have any queries or feedback for me.
Hey! I have had an aloe for four years and it is huge! I brought it in for the winter and give it light with my indoor light stand. Recently I have been losing stems and I am not sure what is wrong, can you please help?! Don’t want to lose this plant!
Hi Ellen,
There are a few things that could be happening to your aloe plant if you are losing stems.
One possibility is that the plant is not getting enough light.
Aloes need plenty of sunlight in order to thrive, so if you are keeping it indoors, make sure it is getting at least several hours of direct sunlight each day.
Another possibility is that the plant is not getting enough water.
Aloes need to be watered regularly, but not excessively, so make sure you are watering them correctly and not letting the soil dry out.
I hope it helps. Do let me know if you have any more questions.