Aloe Plant Maintenence
So I've never been much good with house plants but certain ones I have now managed to suss. I'm sure it means they're super easy ones but I am proud that I now even know how to prune and manage these as well as simply keeping them alive.
Here's what you'll need. An out of control aloe plant, some succulent compost, some scissors and a sharp knife.
First you need to take the plant out of its pot. You can see how excessive the roots have become and the plant has lost its nice shape as it is so overgrown.
If you're lucky like I was this time, you'll also find some baby plants!
You might find that some of the most outer leaves pull off very easily. I prefer to do this for leaves it works for because it avoids the cut odd edge. Work around the outside of the plant and remove any old, easily pulled off leaves.
Once you've done this you should have something that looks more like this. You will have exposed more of the stem making the plant look taller, and all dead plant material will be gone.
Another baby plant! These are quite tricky to remove compared to the ones found in the roots so take care to remove these as gently as possible.
Now you'll need the scissors or knife to cut off any unwanted leaves from the middle of the plant. I take my time with with stage and keep checking the shape of the plant to make sure I'm not taking too much off and that I'm maintaining a nice shape.
This is what my plant looked like when I had finished pruning.
Now it's time for repotting. Lower the plant into the pot so that as much of the exposed stalk is under the rim of the pot.
Fill the pot with the succulent compost and gently press down.
If you have managed to get any baby plants, pot these up into small pots. Put a shallow layer of the succulent compost in the bottom of the pots.
Position the baby plants into the pot and fill with compost.
Give it all a bit of water (be careful not to water too much as it can cause the plant to rot) and there you have it! A plant with a new lease of life, and 2 extra plants for free!
Frequently asked questions
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