Expert: Maureen - 1/8/2010

Question
I have an aloe plant that has grown very rapidly. The plant needs to be repotted. The plant is so large that it could be two plants. How do I split the plant to repot the other half of the plant? The other half has grown up and over the side growing wildly.

Answer
What you have hanging over the side is a very large pup. Take the plant out of it's pot and have pots tat are a tad smaller ready. Take the plant out of the pot and gently twist the two sections till they seperate. Hopefully the pup will have some roots. The mother plant should do fine in good potting soil and in a sunny window.  Don't let the soil stay wet - just water from the bottom every week or so. Remember tha these plants hold a ton of water.

As for the pup, if you like the way it's growing, repot it that way.  if you don't repot it straight up and stake it to keep it that way till it's established (takes a month or two) then treat it like the mother plant.

Yo may find one or more small pups hidden underr the wild one.

Good luck.