Aloe vera is a wonderful plant, not only easy to care for and very pretty, but also with countless medicinal and beneficial properties for humans to its credit. It is also one of the few plants that produce oxygen at night and breathe carbon dioxide, so if the above were not enough, it is also an excellent roommate at bedtime.
However, popularity comes at a price, and aloe isn’t immune to gossip either. There is a great deal of conflicting information about what to do if an aloe vera leaf breaks. Can it be planted as a cutting? If I cut an aloe vera leaf, does it grow back? If you want to know the answer to this controversial question from the world of botany, keep reading us in this EcologíaVerde article.
If an aloe vera leaf is cut, will it grow back?
If we refer to whether the cut aloe vera leaf will grow back on the plant from which it camethe answer is that as in many other plants, that particular leaf will not grow back, but many other new leaves will. In fact, the occasional removal of a leaf or penca, which is what the leaves of aloe vera are called, stimulates the growth and production of new leaves on the plant as long as it is done correctly and as least harmful as possible.
Can aloe vera reproduce with a leaf?
It is necessary to answer this question clearly, and the answer is a resounding no. It is not possible to grow a new aloe vera plant from a cut leaf. This is an extremely widespread myth and it is now possible to find a large number of sources that claim otherwise, which is why many plant lovers try it with hope only to find that it does not work.
Due to the characteristics of the plant (here you can learn about the different types of aloe vera) and the large amount of moisture it retains, trying to make a transplanted aloe leaf give rise to a new plant is not feasible in practice: the only thing that What will happen is that the leaf will wither along with the efforts that we have dedicated to it.
How to reproduce aloe vera
If what you want is to reproduce your aloe vera, the best thing you can do is use the suckers that the plant produces naturally. It is a very simple method, which will also help your plant to stay younger and stronger.
If your aloe vera is already a certain age, it is most likely that a multitude of suckers or smaller clumps have appeared around the main clump. These suckers also cause the leaves of the mother bush not to grow as strongly, so removing them to multiply it is always a good idea. This way you will not only strengthen your plant, but also a small aloe to give to your loved ones.
- Carefully remove the root ball from the pot.
- Remove the pups as well as carefully as possible. It is about separating them from as close to the mother plant as you can, so that when they are removed, they retain their roots, which will allow you to replant them without the slightest problem.
- Use a suitable substrate, with sand and good drainage, and your aloe cutting will be ready to give away. Here we tell you all about planting aloe vera: when and how to do it.
In this other article you can find more information about Aloe Vera care.
How to cut aloe vera leaves to make gel
Aloe vera leaves are loaded with its active substance, with a large number of beneficial effects. From its great use in treating burns to its moisturizing, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, among others. In this link you can read about Aloe vera: properties, benefits and contraindications.
In order to access all these benefits, it is necessary to reach the gelatinous substance inside the aloe vera leaves, which we call the gel. For this, the first thing is cut the aloe vera leaf without damaging the other sheets. Follow these steps:
- ideal is remove a penca of the lower and oldestbecause in addition to being larger and richer in properties, this will allow us to later remove the remains of the leaf from the trunk of the plant in its entirety, something very important to prevent the remains of gel and moisture from causing putrefaction problems to the plant .
- Later, with the penca extracted, we use a sharp and disinfected knife to remove the ends of the leafwhich are usually in worse condition.
- With gloves to avoid cuts or punctures with the blade, then remove the jagged edges of the penca and finish peeling green leaf matter by cutting carefully.
- At this point you have to be careful with the acíbar, the substance found between the gel and the skin of the leaf, which is very rich in aloin and has very laxative properties, not recommended for the body. That’s why it’s important clean the gel with water once peeled, until it remains free of acíbar and transparent.
Once this is achieved, you can ingest it directly, or crush it to make a cream that you can apply to the skin comfortably. In this other post you can learn more about How to make homemade aloe vera gel.
If you want to read more articles similar to If I cut an aloe vera leaf, does it grow back?we recommend that you enter our category .
