GROW ALOE VERA SEED

How to grow Aloe vera from seeds

Most people will propagate Aloe vera plants by taking a cutting from a mature plant. However, Aloe vera can also be cultivated from seed. Obviously, the process of reaching a mature plant will take longer when you start an Aloe vera from seed, but you can produce an awful lot more plants in the process.

So, how do you grow Aloe vera plants from seed?

Fill a modular seed tray with a good quality compost such as John Innes 'Seed and Cutting'. Sow the Aloe vera seed on top of the compost at a rate of one seed per module. Give the seed a very light covering of horticultural grit as the presence of light is required to promote germination.

Water the seed in, by placing the tray in a larger container of water. Allow the water to rise through the compost naturally. The surface grit will normally change colour once it is wet .

Place a transparent cover on top of the tray and move the tray to a warm location at a temperatures of between 70 and 78 degrees Celsius.

Aloe vera seeds will take between one to four months to germinate. If the compost dries off during this period then remove the transparent cover and gently water.

As soon as the seedlings emerge, remove the cover so as not to encourage fungal infections.

Once the seedlings are large enough to handle they can be popped out of their module and transplanted into 3-inch pots filled with a free draining potting soil.

For related articles click onto the following links
ALOE VERA
HOW TO GROW ALOE VERA
HOW TO GROW THE HARDY ALOE - Aloe striatula

HOW TO GROW THE SPIRAL ALOE - Aloe polyphylla?