The Harvesting of Aloe Vera

Leaf Size

• Commercial producers wait until the aloe vera plant is at least 14 months old before using it. They harvest the larger leaves on the outside of the plant, measuring 4 to 6 inches wide at the base, 24 inches long and 1.5 inches thick. Only the outer leaves are harvested, leaving the inner leaves for future harvests. At home, harvest only the largest leaves of plants at least one year old to remove the small amounts of gel needed for home use.

Harvest

• The outer leaves of the aloe vera plant are trimmed at the base to separate them from the plant. Aloe vera plants typically yield two to three mature leaves, leaving eight to 10 behind for picking the following year. Follow this same harvesting procedure at home by leaving behind the inner leaves to ensure you will always have aloe vera in the future.

Processing

• Commercial aloe vera operations carefully process the leaves of the plant to extract the gel, keeping as little as possible of the yellow sap of the plant from getting into the gel. The yellow sap acts as a laxative, and can damage the digestive tract if it is taken internally on a regular basis, warns Diane Gage in "Aloe Vera: Nature's Soothing Healer." Leaves are split in half with machines and the gel inside is scooped out. Harvesting the gel at home is done by halving the leaves lengthwise and using a spoon to scrape out the clear gel from the inside of the leaves.

Uses

• Aloe vera gel is used as a topical skin soother for rashes, poison ivy, burns, sunburn and itching, according to Howard Garrett in "Texas Gardening the Natural Way: The Complete Handbook." Rub the gel onto the irritated area for immediate relief. Oral intake of aloe vera is not recommended because it acts as a strong laxative and can cause intestinal pain, according to "Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs."