Do Aloe Vera Plants Explode

Aloe vera is one of the easiest and most common house plants to grow. Although it likes warm temperatures and lots of sunlight, it can still grow in the lack of these conditions. Not only is it an easy plant to grow, but it is also very useful! Since aloe is so easy to grow, there aren’t many problems that can happen to aloe, though sometimes it may appear as though the aloe leaves have exploded. 

Aloe vera is known to sometimes “explode.” Not in the literal sense of the word, but rather the leaves of the plant appear to split open, looking as though they have burst. Poor growing conditions are often the culprit of bursting aloe vera plants. 

In today’s article, we will discuss exploding aloe vera plants! What does it look like, what causes it and how to avoid this occurrence. Stick around.

What Do Exploding Aloe Vera Plants Look Like?

As I mentioned above, aloe plants can definitely burst. More so, the leaves of the plant may seem like they have almost burst open or split. The aloe juices may also appear to be oozing out of the plant. In extreme cases, more than one aloe leaf may explode; however, only one leaf will usually burst open, and you can catch it in time to fix the issue. 

What Causes Exploding Aloe Plants?

There are a couple of things that can cause exploding aloe vera plants. Mainly it has to do with the growing conditions and what you are doing to care for them. Let’s take a look.

Overwatering 

This is usually why your aloe plant looks like it may have exploded. When an aloe vera plant is overwatered, the plant does not know what to do with the excess water. The plant is overflowing, which would break the leaves in an attempt to expel the water. 

Too Hot 

Another reason that may have caused your aloe plant to split or burst was getting too much heat. Aloe, while it likes warm temperatures, can only stand temperatures no hotter than 85 degrees. Temperatures hotter than this will cause the leaves to break and crack open. 

How To Fix Split Aloe Vera Leaf

Luckily, aloe is extremely easy to fix. It doesn’t necessarily heal itself but will always regrow more shoots to compensate for the damaged ones. On top of that, you can also replant some of the broken leaves. Here’s how.

Step One

Where the plant has split or burst, cut the leaf off before the split, and make sure the cut is clean and straight. Don’t worry about where you cut the plant; the part that remains in the soil will callus over and continue to grow. 

Step Two

As soon as you cut the leaf off, you will want to replant it immediately. Take the cut leaf and plant it in the soil. Make sure the part that is split is fully buried. However, you also want to ensure that at least half an inch of the leaf is exposed. 

You can replant the leaf wherever it fits in your pot, closest to the mother plant as you can get it, so the new roots have something to connect to. 

Step Three

For the next month or so, you will want to take extra care of the transplant. Make sure the soil remains moist but never soaked. It is normal for the transplant to look as though it’s shrinking or shriveling as it grows new roots. Roots will grow and become strong within four to six weeks of the transplant as long as conditions are right. If the plant is too cold, it may take longer. 

Avoiding Exploding Aloe Plants

Here are some steps you can take to try and avoid splitting or exploding aloe vera leaves.

Correct Amount of Water

Aloe vera is very susceptible to rot when it is overwatered and exploding leaves. It can be difficult to see when aloe plants need water as they don’t droop like normal plants. It is also important to let your plant dry out before you give it more water. The easiest way to tell if you need to water your aloe plant is by paying close attention to the soil and giving it deeper waters when you do water it. Before you water your plant, stick your finger in the soil down around 2 inches; if the soil is dry, then you can water your plant. If the soil is still moist, let it dry out a little more before watering it. 

During the summer, give you plant deep water about every 2-3 weeks. If it’s extremely hot, check the soil once a week. You can wait even longer in the colder winter months. 

Perfect Temperature

As we discussed above, aloe plants like hot weather, but it can get a little too hot for them when it goes above 85 degrees. If you have your plants outside, you can bring them inside during the hot summer days. If it’s still too hot inside, remove the plant from the window during the hottest part of the day to avoid overheating. 

Final Thoughts

Seeing your aloe leaves when they have split or exploded is a little concerning. There is no need to worry, aloe is a very hardy plant, and the issue can be easily fixed. As long as you fix the split as soon as possible, you can figure out the cause of the problem and fix it immediately. As long as you fix the cause of the issue quickly, then your plant won’t have any more problems. Happy gardening!