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Cacti & Succulents

Rooting Aloe Vera

Danielle Stewart

9 years ago

This will be my first post here, but I have been lurking around for several months! (Please be kind!)

I have had several varieties of aloe vera growing in a windowsill for a while now, and a little bit ago, my cat knocked over one of them. And of course, broke off a couple leaves. I thought I could try rooting them, so I followed a couple steps to try to do this correctly. What's the worst that could happen, right? Somehow, I successfully grew roots on both of the leaves, but now I am confused.

I don't know what to expect now! I know the roots are there, and seems to have latched into the soil, because I can't pull them up with a gentle tug anymore (they seem to be in there really well now). I don't think the leaves are rotting away either, they seem very plump and not at all turning brown.

I have tried to google the steps of aloe vera propagation, but I'm just not finding much information or pictures of what it should be looking like at this point.

My question is: What should I start to look for now? Should new, tiny leaves be popping up? Or something else entirely I should be waiting for?

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Comments (5)

palmbob
9 years ago
You need to post a photo.. .it is 'impossible' to root an aloe leaf, but if you managed, I would certainly like to see. Maybe you have done something no one else has been able to do?
Danielle Stewart
Original Author
9 years ago
Okay, I took it out of the soil, tried to rinse off as much as I could from it to get a photo. Last time I saw the root, it was just a single green nub! This was interesting to see. If these aren't roots, I'd be interested to know what they are, because now I'm thinking I'm growing some kind of monster!
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wantonamara Z8 CenTex
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
That is not an aloe. It looks more like a gasteria who do root from leaves..Do you have a picture of the plant it came off of?
Danielle Stewart
Original Author
9 years ago
You know, the more I find images of gasteria, the more I feel lied to by the plant tag that came with it. I think you might be right, it is probably not an aloe at all. (I feel kind of stupid now).

Here is the "mother" plant the leaf came off of. Even if it isn't an species of aloe - what would be the next step of propagation I should see? Leaves coming up out of the soil, eventually?
wantonamara Z8 CenTex
9 years ago
No reason to feel stupid. Put it in a fast draining soil and do the patience grasshopper dance, or google some more.. I did not know that gasterias rooted from parts of leaves. You are doing something I have never done. I get babies from the pups but I have seen others here who have done this and it does take awhile. Good luck.

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