moving a large aloe plant

Question

What special care do I take when moving a large aloe plant? We are fixing to have foundation work done and they will be removing and replanting my aloe. It is over 20 yrs. old, has a 7 ft. spread, and is 4 ft. tall. It is facing the south. How far down must they dig up? Is there any special care to be taken when replanting? After?

Answer 1

Wait to transplant until the soil is moist – you can soak the ground yourself or wait for a good rainfall. With an aloe of this size, you will want to dig wide because aloe vera plants grow out wide more than they do deep. With a sharp shovel, start out about a foot from your plant and work your way inward until you feel the roots, then move back and dig down a few inches before cutting in toward the center of the plant. When you cut in, go down at an angle- this way you will be several inches down by the time your shovel reaches the center point of the plant. These are just general guidelines – you will be going “by feel” and will have to adjust your digging angles and depths accordingly. When you replant, you will want to replant in a hole the same size/depth as the one you dug up. Water the aloe a few days after it is transplanted.