Asked on Sep 20, 2017

My aloe plant broke off how do I save it or transplant

Nicole Lauzon
by Nicole Lauzon
  14 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Sep 20, 2017

    Try putting it in a pot with succulent soil and see if it will take root again

  • Elaine Elaine on Sep 20, 2017

    Keep the broken-off part wrapped in plastic wrap or foil and store in the fridge - it's handy for any burns OR irritated skin. Gently squeeze the leaf so sufficient gel comes out then wrap it up again for another day. As for the rest of the plant, just repot it in soil suitable for succulents (if you have some). If you don't, it's sometimes available at dollar stores and if not, Walmart might have it or go to a nursery. Aloe plants are pretty resilient.

  • Elaine Elaine on Sep 20, 2017

    Oops! Sorry! I failed to see the photograph of the plant until now! I thought it was just a leaf or two that had broken off. In this situation, I would put the plant in a glass of water and see if it roots OR it might very well root if planted back in soil. Good luck! You could go on Google and type in your question, such as: "how to repot broken Aloe" and see what they suggest.

  • Elaine Elaine on Sep 20, 2017

    Well, I'm back again after going on Google for you. :)


    Some say that it's pretty difficult to save the Aloe while others say to let the end of the plant "scab" or "seal" over a day or two then repot it in sandy soil suitable for succulents. I've had many broken succulents where I've done just that (the "scabbing over" process) and have had luck nearly all the time BUT I haven't had an entire plant to deal with.


    The best thing is to, at least, give it a try! Do you have any root part still remaining in the pot? If so, continue to water it say, every ten days or so because that part (still in the pot) will definitely re-grow.

  • Cou11995103 Cou11995103 on Sep 20, 2017

    You can put it back in the dirt and it will start rooting again. Make sure there is an elbow (the section were the leaves come out)or two in the dirt, this is were it will start rooting. I've done it several times. Aloe and centrury plants are easy plants to grow. Most succulents are easy starters. The plant might need to be supported.


    • See 2 previous
    • Cou11995103 Cou11995103 on Nov 07, 2019

      Peel back a couple of the leaves to expose a couple of elbows. If it’s a big piece, make sure you support it.

  • Elaine Elaine on Sep 20, 2017

    You're very welcome, Nicole, and I wish you the best of luck as that was a nice sized plant to have broken off. I neglected to mention that, obviously, if you repot that large piece (after a day or two of "scabbing over") to water it now and then to help it sprout roots again. If it's in a sandy type soil, that soil drains very well so I wouldn't be overly concerned about watering it too frequently. However, if you have luck and the plant does take root, and the soil is less sandy, go back to watering it every ten or so days. Do the "finger test" - stick your finger in the soil about an inch or so and if still damp, wait a few days then check again. Good luck!

  • Natasha Soleil Natasha Soleil on Sep 20, 2017

    just put it right back into the soil! It will grow new roots!


  • Debbie Debbie on Sep 20, 2017

    Make sure youtake cuttings of a few smaller bits and lay them outside in shade and let scab over, then plant in small pots using succulent mix. That way if the larger plant doesn't do well you should have a couple of others on the go.

  • Carolyn Carolyn on Sep 24, 2017

    Perhaps, slicing off an inch or two off the bottom, poking it with 4 toothpicks to create a cross, and doing what my Mom did when she was alive, will help you:


    When I was little, while on walks with my Mom, if she saw an aloe plant growing somewhere, she would snap off a piece of it. When we got home, she's take an old glass jar, put water in it, and place 4 toothpicks into the aloe: left, right, up, & down...like a cross. She made sure that the bottom was always in water and she often had one on the window sill, in indirect sunlight. Within about 2 or 3 weeks, roots would begin to form. Once the roots were about 3-5 inches long, she would plant it into soil. We seemed to never be without an aloe plant in our home! It seemed to work for her. Good luck!!



    • Addie Hartshorn Addie Hartshorn on Dec 06, 2020

      Three years later... I'm going to try this with leaves that broke off of my Aloe plant. Hope it works!!

  • Michael Fuller Michael Fuller on Jun 30, 2020

    I repotted my large fallen aloe, with very few roots, straight into a pot with standard multi compost and buried the bottom inch or so. I watered sparingly, and after approximately 3 weeks began to see signs of life. The plant has now sprang three pups and has new growth on it (7 weeks later or so.) This was in May in the UK, so room temperature was fairly stable.

    I did have many brown leaves after this. I have since cut these back now the plant is perkng up.

  • Maryann Taylor Maryann Taylor on Jul 13, 2020

    My aloe vera plant got broken off at the top will it grow back true roots

  • Michael Fuller Michael Fuller on Jul 14, 2020

    Hey Maryann, pot and bury the bottom of the plant at least an inch dependent on size of plant - deeper if a very large plant. Mine had already collapsed so I didn't need to worry about stability.


    Water sparsely over two or three weeks and you'll hopefully see new growth.


    Here's mine after 6 weeks.



  • Treeva Treeva on Oct 13, 2020

    I've put several in another plant without rooting and they grow beautifully.

    A few of them even sat in sun (in high heat) a few days before being potted and still have done great.

  • Deb K Deb K on Mar 13, 2023

    Hi Nicole, aloe are tough, stick the broken piece back into the dirt, it will eventually take root itself.