Somebody gave me a whole ****load of BIG Aloe cuttings.
Should I put in water for a few days before planting
Or?
(So. Calif coastal)
TIA
HB
- posted
9 years ago
Aloe Vera cuttings
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- posted
9 years ago
Aloe HATES water!
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9 years ago
Great site. Thanks. One more q: Where it discusses rooting pups..
) "Many aloes produce pups. When the pup is fully formed, detach it from th e mother plant, let it callus over for a few days in a cool, dry area, and pot it up. If it has roots, pot as you would a regular aloe, allowing for t he fact that it is smaller and should be in a suitably sized pot for it's s ize.
If it has no roots, let it callus over, place the cut/broken end ON the soi l, and support it with top dressing. DO NOT WATER IT-it has no roots, so wa tering the soil will likely cause rot. Instead, mist it every few days. Roo ts should start forming within a month. When growth is evident, it can be w atered." ...
Would this also apply to BIG cuttings? Sounds like, but want to be sure.
TIA
HB
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- posted
9 years ago
When my Aloe vera becomes too overgrown, I take leaf cuttings; but stem cuttings are likely better. Upon cutting, I immediately dip the cut surface into rooting hormone powder, to coat not only the cut but to at least 1 inch above the cut. I then let the cutting dry for about 2 days before potting up.
For these cuttings, I use a potting mix that is about 2/3 coarse sand (washed plaster sand is available at most building supply yards) and 1/3 peat moss. Even though this mix drains well, I keep the mix moist but never wet. I use a small plastic pot (about 1 qt). It takes about 6-10 weeks for the cuttings to root.
After roots have formed and are well visible when the pot is removed, I move the plant to a larger clay flower pot. I use the same 2/3-1/3 mix plus some bone meal and a slight amount of blood meal. A. vera does not require abundant nutrients. I add a half-handful of my own compost to the mix to "inoculate" it with organisms that will make nutrients in the bone and blood meals available to the plant.
All this also works with orchid cactus (Ephiphyllum).