Contents
Aloe Vera is one of the most popular plants in the world because of its numerous uses. Having been used in various fields such as medicine, pharmaceuticals, and domestically, it is pretty versatile. The best thing about the plant is that it is easy to grow. One doesn’t need any prior knowledge to grow the plant in their home. With Aloe Vera, it isn’t the plant that’s needed, but rather, the extract. To get the extract, we need to cut the leaves of the plant. This makes us wonder if the leaves of the plant will grow back after being cut.
So, do aloe vera leaves grow back after being cut? I’m sorry but the answer is no. No, the leaves of an aloe plant don’t grow back after being cut. However, this shouldn’t stop you from cutting leaves if you need them. An aloe plant will simply bounce back by growing new leaves. The time taken for new leaves to grow to maturity varies and might take up to a year. The remnants of the cut leaf will simply seal up and die. To ensure that this doesn’t affect the rest of the plant, it is best to remove all dead leaves.
Do broken Aloe Vera leaves heal?
You can’t help but wonder what happens if an Aloe Vera leaf breaks. Will it heal? No, it won’t. Just as a leaf won’t grow back after it has been cut, so also won’t it grow after it’s broken off. But once again it doesn’t mean that that’s the end of the plant. Instead, a new aloe plant can be grown from this cutting. Here’s what to do with the broken leaf.
Let it sit for a few days. During this time, the leaf’s exterior will harden and develop a callus. Afterward, plant it. It should be noted that planting a new aloe cutting without it callusing won’t result in growth. Rather, the leaves will rot and die.
How to prevent your Aloe Vera leaves from breaking
Source : Pinterest
The good news is that you have to worry too much about your Aloe leaves breaking. With the proper care and the necessary knowledge, you can ensure that your Aloe Vera leaves don’t break. Here are some ways to ensure your Aloe Vera leaves don’t break:
Avoid Overwatering
Water is necessary for plants to grow but too much of it can be the most dangerous thing for your Aloe Vera plant. Excess water will end up softening your Aloe Vera leaves. Thus, making them susceptible to breaking. The leaves store all the water making them soft, so you should avoid this situation. You may be wondering, “How will I know how much water is too much?” A general rule of thumb when it comes to watering Aloe Vera plants is to water them per the soil demands. As long as the soil is still moist, then the Aloe Vera plant still has the required amount of water for its growth. You should thus check the soil regularly to ensure the soil isn’t dry, and when it gets dried, then you can water it.
The Right Temperature Matters
Most plants have ideal temperatures for their growth and development. While some plants can still grow and thrive outside their ideal temperatures, some of them can’t. Anything other than the optimum temperature for Aloe Vera is not advised and it cannot grow in cold temperatures. Aloe Vera plants love the warmth and generally thrive at temperatures between 12.78°C to 26.67°C (55°F to 80°F). If you are storing the plant outdoors, you may need to move it indoors at night should the weather get colder.
Good to Read : How to Grow Aloe Vera Indoors
Sunlight
We already established the fact that excessive water can cause the Aloe Vera plant leaves to break, and sunlight may be the solution. Adequate sunlight ensures your Aloe Vera plant grows without the influence of cold whilst still ensuring the water levels of your plant aren’t too high. An Aloe Vera plant needs at least six hours of direct sunlight so it is best to site your plant close to a window. If you are unable to achieve this, then you should move the plant outside daily to ensure it gets the required amount of sunshine.
Change the Pot
Another common reason why the leaves of an Aloe Vera plant could break is the size of the pot. A smaller pot lacks the required room for the roots of the plant to grow and establish strength. In such a situation, moving the plant to a bigger pot will help in preventing the leaves from breaking. You should, however, be very careful as transplanting an Aloe Vera plant too frequently carries its risks. The shock of transplanting can be the cause of leaves breaking and as such should be done frequently. You should only transplant an Aloe Vera plant in the case of absolute necessity.
Use Fungicides
Fungi can develop on your Aloe Vera plant especially when you water it too frequently. In such a case, the fungi will grow and cause the leaves to break and fall off. The use of fungicides can help to kill any fungus from growing and can even help prevent any fungal growth.
How to harvest an Aloe Vera leaf
When you are harvesting your Aloe Vera leaf or simply cutting a broken leaf, you need to do it properly. When the leaves aren’t cut properly, you create dead spots and can prevent new leaves from growing. All this can simply be prevented by cutting the leaf properly. To that end, here is the best way to cut an Aloe Vera leaf:
Use scissors or a sharp knife: Either a pair of scissors or a well-sharpened knife is the best tool for cutting the Aloe Vera leaf. The sharper the item, the better as it will help to guarantee that you cut off everything necessary. It will also help to reduce the possibility of leaving behind a piece of the leaf.
Harvest from the stem: The nutrients and gel of the Aloe Vera are stored in the stem of the leaf. Hence, it is best to cut the leaf as close to the stem as possible to ensure a maximum quantity of gel can be obtained. Also, harvesting close to the stem prevents any left-over leaf, allowing new leaves to grow.
Drain the gel from the leaf: First, allow the sap to come out of the leaf before you can proceed to extract the gel. After allowing the sap to drain out, rinse the leaf and dry it. Use a knife to peel off the sin of the leaf, before extracting the gel, and discarding the rest of the leaf.
In conclusion, Aloe Vera gel is best used when fresh but it can also be stored till a later time. The longer you leave the Aloe Vera, the lower the quality will be when you eventually use it. It is, therefore, best to use it within a few days of harvesting or up to a week. When you are storing Aloe Vera gel, it is best to store it in a refrigerator, however, this doesn’t stop it from degrading. You can store Aloe Vera if you don’t harvest the gel from the leaves. Instead, you cut the leaves into cube shapes and store them in a freezer.
Want to know more about gardening ?
Fill in your email address in the form below and you'll receive all the latest updates directly in your in-box.
Thank you for subscribing.
Something went wrong.