A he althy aloe vera plant constantly produces new leaves from its center. The older outer leaves can be harvested at any time without harming the plant. A good side effect: your houseplant remains compact and rejuvenates.
How to harvest aloe vera leaves?
To harvest aloe vera leaves, cut off older outer leaves and allow the toxic aloin-containing sap to drain. Then cut the leaves into pieces, halve them lengthways and scrape out the gel. Use the gel fresh or freeze it for later.
The leaves of adult aloe vera can be harvested at any time to obtain gel without harming the plant. New leaves grow at the heart of the aloe plant. For he althy growth, however, it is important to leave some leaves on the plant so that it can produce new leaf tissue.
If you want to harvest the leaves of the room aloe yourself, you should above all make sure that the slightly toxic, aloin-containing juice can drain off completely after the leaves are cut off. To do this, proceed as follows:
- place the leaves upright in a container,
- cut into pieces after “bleeding”,
- halve the pieces lengthwise.
The gel can then simply be scraped out with a spoon.
Using Aloe Vera Gel
The real aloe gel is good for the skin. It helps with minor injuries, sunburn, psoriasis. It also nourishes and moisturizes the skin. Simply rub your face, neck and décolleté with the cut leaf.
The gel is used fresh or frozen for later. It will keep in the fridge for a few days. The gel can also be stirred into yogurt, cold drinks or smoothies as a food additive. Aloe vera is said to have a good effect on digestion.
Using leaves for propagation
Cuttings can be taken from the outer leaves of Aloe vera. The leaf pieces are inserted into the potting soil for rooting. The plant containers should be moderately moist, bright and protected from the sun.
Tip
The natural offshoots that every sexually mature plant forms from around the age of three years can be used to propagate aloe vera.
