How To Cut Aloe Vera Plants Properly

Are you thinking of extracting aloe gel, but do you know how to cut aloe vera plants? Well, there can be many reasons for cutting the leaves of your aloe vera plants. Whether for maintaining its proper growth or harvesting its leaves to yield health benefits, aloe vera leaves need to be trimmed properly.

Apart from the health benefits, aloe vera plants also add an aesthetic value to your interiors if they are in good or fresh condition. So, you need to take essential care of these plants so that they always look the best while offering ample health benefits.

Well, at times, you might have seen the leaves of your aloe vera plants to have become pale in color, getting yellowish, which may also turn to light brown. Also, the tips of the leaves might seem to dry out or get dark. These mainly happen because of overwatering, poor pot size, or sudden changes in their growing condition.

If you do not care enough in such a circumstance, the leaves of your aloe vera plants may wither, becoming mushy and soft and eventually rot. So, this is the time when you need to cut and trim the aloe vera plants to restore their growth.

On the contrary, proper trimming is also needed to extract aloe vera gel from the plant to meet your health and fitness goals. But do you know how to trim aloe vera plants correctly?

So, here, I have come up with a step-by-step guide to cut your aloe vera plants in the right way. Hence, without much ado, let’s proceed!

Cut Aloe Vera Leaves — Cut aloe vera leaves from the plant to be used for various purposes

How To Cut Damaged Aloe Vera Plants?

Did you lately notice that your aloe vera plants seem dry and pale? Well, there is nothing to worry about. All you need to do is opt for the correct ways to cut your aloe vera plant leaves so that they can heal and freshen up your home.

Cutting Damaged Aloe Vera Plant — Cutting damaged aloe vera plant with slightly brownish dry patches on leaves

So, here is how you can trim your aloe vera plants to promote their proper growth and development. Have a look!

Grab The Right Cutting Equipment

You will first have to consider a sharp cutting tool so that you can swiftly cut through the small roots and leaf tips of your aloe vera plant. And for doing so, you can use a pair of scissors or a kitchen knife.

However, if you are using kitchen knives to cut your aloe vera plant, do not forget to sterilize them with alcohol before using them on the plant. If you have a more giant species, you may need shears to cut through its leaves.

Prune The Damaged Leaves

If you want to prune your aloe vera plant due to its withered condition and pale look, it is imperative to identify its unhealthy or bad leaves. So, you need to carefully move through its leaves and branches to detect the dried, brown, pale, or dead leaves. If you encounter highly discolored leaves during the process, you must remove them too.

If the entire leaf has got brown and dried, pluck it with your hand. Give a gentle pull, and it will automatically come off.

But if the tip of your aloe vera leaves gets damaged, cut them right by the stem with your scissors or knives. However, ensure that you do not accidentally break or damage healthy leaves.

See how you should cut damaged aloe vera leaves.

Watch this video: Prune dead leaves from Aloe Plants

Cut Out The Older Stems And Flowers

Have you kept your aloe vera plant outdoors? Well, then there is a higher chance for your plant to grow blossoms.

Blooming Flowers On Aloe Vera — Blooming bright flowers on aloe vera plants

But after flowers blossom on the plant, seeds are automatically dropped by them. And as soon as the blossoms are dead, the nutrients present in the soil are used by them, which the aloe vera plant would have otherwise used to nurture their healthy new leaves.

Hence, just like you cut the leaves of your aloe vera plants, do it with their old stems and blossoms too. Also, remember that the dead flowers can attract bugs and pests.

So, to prevent the proliferation of such nasty creatures and promote the healthy growth of your aloe vera plants, it is essential to take care of their old stems and flowers.

Trim The Excess Outer Leaves

Shears or knives need to be used to eliminate adequately healthy outgrown leaves. Why? Well, pruning off the excess outer leaves located on the sides of your aloe vera plant will not only make it perfectly fit the pot but also offer you the maximum amount of gel.

So, all you need to do is grab the cutting instrument and set it near the stem’s base, slicing through it cleanly. However, ensure not to cut the closest leaves to the plant’s main stem because they are young and would replace the older leaves eventually.

Usually, the lower leaves are automatically shredded by the plant with time. Therefore, these sideways located outer leaves would be the correct ones to maintain the healthy growth of your aloe plant.

How To Cut Aloe Vera Plants For Planting Purposes?

Most people don’t prefer cutting aloe vera plants for further planting or propagation. But the regular cutting of these plants is necessary, especially when they get tall enough. Otherwise, the plant may collapse and grow like a crawling vine.

Cutting Of Aloe Vera With Sharp Knife — Cutting of aloe vera plant leaves with a sharp knife

So, if you want to cut your aloe vera plants and use them for further planting, follow these steps.

Get The Plant Out Of The Pot

Before you want to cut and remove the tall-grown aloe vera plants, make sure the soil is a bit damp because it will prevent the occurrence of any damage to the plant’s roots.

After that, you will have to hold the stem gently and tilt the plant pot to one side. In most cases, the plant will come out with a light pull. But if it does not, tap the pot or squeeze it on a solid surface.

Remove Some Outer Leaves

Remove all the old brownish dried leaves present on your aloe vera plant’s stem with your hands. Then, to prevent the aloe cutting from having excessive exterior leaves cut off some of its outer leaves.

For doing so, take a knife and make a sharp cut at the junction of the plant’s leaves and stem. After that, pull the half-cut leaves and twist them around the stem to take them off entirely. Also, ensure to clean the stem’s base for better propagation of newer plants from these cuttings.

Cut Out The Roots

It is the final and most vital step in the process. First of all, you will have to shake off the dirt from the aloe vera plant. Then, cut out the entire root from the last node of the plant, where the last leaf was removed.

However, ensure that the last node of the plant is visible in the cutting, as it will help the growth of new roots when you replant them.

Well, apart from the aloe vera plant cutting, you can also use this removed root for re-planting purposes. For doing so, trim the roots shorter while eliminating a few side baby roots.

However, you must leave such a length of the root that can occupy about 2/3rd of the new pot. It will allow you to quickly regrow the plant from the root-cutting in the new soil.

Learn how to cut the leaves and roots of aloe vera plants for planting purposes.

Watch this video: How To Cut Aloe Vera For Planting

How To Cut Aloe Vera Leaves For Medicinal Advantages?

Aloe vera plants are one of the most high-valued medicinal plants. Each of its leaves contains a gel that consists of vitamins B12, E, C, and A, antioxidants, folic acid, and minerals such as zinc, magnesium, and calcium.

When this aloe vera gel is applied on bug bites, cuts, acne, cold sores, mild psoriasis, and burns, its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties render faster pain relief. Hence, you can consider aloe vera as nature’s medicine.

Also, aloe vera can make healthy consumables like juices and smoothies, treating nausea, diarrhea, skin and hair issues, etc. But to extract this beneficial aloe vera gel, you need to cut its leaves in the following steps.

Cut Outermost Healthy Leaves

Make sure that you have a mature aloe vera plant. It must be about 20 cm long and possess fleshy green leaves.

As already said, the outermost leaves of a mature aloe vera plant are the richest, largest, and oldest of all leaves. Also, they possess a higher amount of gel. Hence, while cutting the leaves of aloe vera plants for harvesting purposes, focus on the ones grown on the outer portions.

Use a sharp knife, not any blunt blade. Then, gently slice the outer aloe leaves based on the amount of aloe vera gel you need. Make sure that your knife is well-sterilized to prevent infection in your plants.

Drain Out The Harmful Yellow Sap

Once you have cut out mature, healthy aloe leaves, you’ll see a yellow sticky substance coming out of its leaves’ base. Do not mistake it for the aloe gel. This substance is known as aloe vera latex, which is harmful to your health. Hence, it mustn’t be contaminated with the gel.

Hence, put the cut leaves inside a bowl for about 40-50 minutes to let the yellow sap entirely come out of it. After that, remove the bottom portion of the leaves and use the remaining portion for further use. However, ensure to clean them properly before using them.

Here’s how you can remove the yellow laxative from your cut aloe vera leaves.

Watch this video: How to Use Fresh Aloevera

Remove All Spines And Green Layers

Before extracting the healthful aloe vera gel, remove all spines and green layers from the leaves. Keep the aloe vera leaves on a flat cutting board, and use a knife or fruit peeler to eradicate the spines attached by the side of the leaves.

After that, gently slice through the thick green skin of the aloe leaves. Try to cut out the slices as close as to the layers to extract more gel in the process.

Check how to remove the green layers and spines from cut aloe leaves.

Watch this video: Cut an Aloe Vera Leaf

Scoop Out The Aloe Vera Gel And Store It

So, by now, you must have got clean aloe vera gel slabs. If you encounter any bit of leaf attached, remove it with a knife.

Extraction Of Clean Aloe Vera Gel — Extraction of clean aloe vera gel from the leaf

After you are finished, rinse the gel at least 2-3 times to ensure that no latex residue is left. Then, store it in a new bowl or glass for future use.

To store the aloe vera gel for long, check this video out.

Watch this video: How To Preserve Aloe Vera

FAQs

So, by now, you must be well aware of why and how to cut aloe vera plants properly. However, to make it simpler and more transparent to you, here I’ve enlisted 5 commonly asked questions, along with their answers. I hope these FAQs will be helpful for you and your fellow aloe vera plant!

How shall I cut an aloe vera plant without killing it?

While cutting aloe vera plants, always use a sterilized sharp serrated blade. Blunt and unsterilized knives can cause heavy damage and infections to these plants. Also, prune the plants only when needed. Otherwise, frequent trimming can eliminate vital nutrients, killing the plant.

Do aloe vera leaves regrow after I cut them?

The leaves you cut from the aloe vera plant won’t generate back. But new fresh leaves will be regrown from other plant portions, eventually replacing the cut leaves.

How do I care for my aloe vera plant?

Aloe vera plants need a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight every day. If you have a young plant, it requires less direct sunlight. Keep your aloe vera plant indoors during the winter to promote better growth.

Only when the soil is dry water your plant. Apart from that, you may need to water your plant once a week or less based on the climate. Hence, always keep your eyes on the health of your plant.

How can I preserve cut aloe vera leaves?

To preserve your freshly cut moist aloe leaves for about 2-3 weeks; first, you need to wrap a tin foil on the cut end and fasten it with a rubber band. Then, put these tin-wrapped cut leaves in a big shopping bag, which needs to be shrouded and tied with a rubber band, too, for added protection to preservation.

How often should I water my aloe vera plants?

Aloe vera plants usually do not need a lot of water. However, if you grow them in any container during the summer, water them once every week, and during the colder months, water them once every two weeks. If overwatered, aloe leaves will lose their color and turn yellow or brown, eventually rotting away.

Cut Aloe Vera Plants Properly For Their And Your Good Health!

Aloe vera plant has self-healing properties, and it can cure itself well in case of minor health issues. But in case you find severe health issues in your plant, you need to get serious about the matter.

Remove all dead or rotten aloe vera leaves by correctly cutting them off. However, in some instances, you can even opt for re-planting them. Then, water your healing plants adequately and do not overexpose to extreme weather conditions. Thus, in this way, you’ll be able to restore your plant’s proper growth.

However, if you want to maintain your health naturally, cutting and using aloe vera leaves as consumables or applicants would be the best solution. So, in either case, you need to cut aloe leaves appropriately.

Thus, I hope you learned the correct ways to cut aloe leaves for varied purposes in this article and liked it. If yes, do not forget to share this blog with your friends and near ones to help them out, too!