Aloe Vera Suckers

Aloe vera is an herbaceous perennial in the family Liliaceae grown for its succulent leaves which makes Aloe vera suckers have a variety of culinary and medicinal uses.

• The Aloe vera plant has a short, stout stem and a rosette of fleshy, lanceolate leaves which have a serrated margin of small white teeth.
• The leaves may be flecked with white and are pale green or gray-green in color.
• The plants produce a conspicuous inflorescence composed of densely packed pendulous yellow flowers on a spike which can be up to 90 cm (35 in) in height.
• The plant itself can grow to be 1 m (3 ft) in height and can live for up to 100 years if well cared for.

Propagation of Aloe vera suckers

• Aloe vera can be grown from seed but is most easily propagated from suckers which are readily produced by the mother plant.
• The suckers are commonly referred to as “pups”. The pups should be cut from the main root by gently uprooting the mother plant and finding the point of attachment.
• The young plant should be cut from the parent using a sharp knife. Pups can be safely removed when they have several sets of leaves.
• The young plants should be planted in their own pot and watered deeply.
• Refrain from overwatering to force the growth of new roots.
• If multiple plants are being planted, provide them with individual pots or plant at least 60 cm (24 in) apart outdoors.

General care and maintenance

• Aloe plants are generally very easy to care for but care should be taken to avoid overwatering.
• The plants should be watered deeply but allowed to dry out before the next watering.
• Check the soil prior to watering.
• Allow the soil to dry down to a depth of 7.5 to 10 cm (3-4 in) for older, well-established plants or 3.5-5 cm (1-2 in) for younger plants.
• In addition, although Aloe plants require lots of lights, sitting them in full sun can be harmful and it is best to position potted Aloes in a bright window.
• Note that if the plant is receiving too much sun, the leaves will begin to turn brown.