Sterilize kitchen knives before using them on your plant. You can do this by rubbing alcohol on the blade, and letting it dry.
Be gentle as you do this so that you do not accidentally break healthy leaves. Pests or disease on these leaves can infect the plant, so these leaves must be removed. Poor lighting, too little water, or too much water are causes for dying leaves. Aesthetically, it’s best to harvest a whole leaf at a time, rather than cutting it in half. [2] X Expert Source Artemisia NurseryPlant Nursery & Garden Shop Expert Interview. 7 August 2020.
The gel has many medicinal purposes. If you want to use these leaves, cut the thorny edges on the leaves and store the leaves in the refrigerator until you want to extract the gel. Avoid cutting leaves closest to the plant’s main stem. These leaves are young and are needed to replace the old leaves. Typically, an aloe vera plant will shed its lower leaves over time anyway, so these are the ideal leaves to trim when you want to prune your plant. [4] X Expert Source Artemisia NurseryPlant Nursery & Garden Shop Expert Interview. 7 August 2020.
Dead flowers attract bugs and can drop into the plant’s pot, absorbing water and creating a mess.
Some suckers may get buried and tangled under the soil, so you’ll have to take the plant out of the pot, carefully remove the dirt from the root ball, and untangle the roots. If you’d like, you can plant the pups in their own containers to grow them into a whole new plant. [7] X Expert Source Artemisia NurseryPlant Nursery & Garden Shop Expert Interview. 7 August 2020.
Let the plant air out for a day after pruning the roots. This will let any cuts on the roots heal into callouses and prevent long-term damage to the plant. Look out for root rot. Find any damaged areas and slice them off, being careful not to damage the healthy root. Sprinkle powdered sulfur or charcoal on the pruned areas if you can. [10] X Research source
