Preparing My Agaves for Winter Storage
As cooler weather sets in, my outdoor grounds crew rushes to complete our long list of fall gardening tasks around my Bedford, New York farm.
This week, one of our main projects is to prepare all the tropical plants for winter storage, including my giant blue agaves. Agaves are succulent plants with long, thick fleshy leaves. Since they are native to the hot and arid regions of Mexico, the southwestern United States and tropical areas of South America, they are sensitive to the cold and cannot survive outdoors during the harsh Northeastern winters. Before moving them indoors, the crew removes those that are root bound, and carefully transplants them into larger pots.
Here are some photos.
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- I love agaves and always have various specimens displayed around my farm during summer. I have several types of agave including these giant blue agaves behind my stable. Do you know… tequila is distilled from the sap of blue agave?
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- Many of the blue agaves around the farm have already been transported to the hoop house specifically designated for all my tropical plants.
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- Blue agave plants lend themselves well to container growing since their roots don’t mind being a bit crowded, but several of the plants have outgrown their pots and need transplanting.
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- These agaves have several pups at the base of the plants, which will also be removed and planted separately.
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- Phurba removes these smaller pups before taking the parent plant out of its container.
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- Agaves often produce small plant offsets around the base of the main parent plant. These perfectly formed miniature plants eventually grow into full-size plants. They will be replanted and kept in my main greenhouse until they mature.
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- Next, the old pot is removed. These plants must be handled gingerly because of their sharp, fleshy leaves.
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- See how large the root mass has grown? This plant definitely needs a new pot. Repotting is a good time to also check any plant for damaged, unwanted or rotting leaves as well as any pests that may be hiding in the soil. This plant is very healthy.
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- Once the pups are all separated and the root ball is removed from the pot, it is time to untangle the roots. This thick white root is actually the root of another offset and is working its way up to the surface. Because it is so big, we will cut it off to allow room for the other roots to spread.
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- It was quite long and had already wrapped around the root ball twice.
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- Next, Ryan gives the bottom of the root ball a nice clean cut. Never be afraid to give the roots a good trimming – succulents are very forgiving.
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- And look who is watching from the dump truck – my two curious blue peacocks. They are always out and about exploring the farm.
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- Agaves grown in pots need a soil that will dry out slowly but offer good drainage. Use a potting mix of equal parts compost and soil. Do not use peat moss; its acidity and its water-holding properties are not desirable for growing agaves. Osmocote is mixed in with the nutrient-rich soil before going into the pots.
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- A layer of potting medium is placed into the larger pot.
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- And then the agave is gently and slowly lifted over the pot and lowered. This agave will be very happy in its new container. Always wear gloves when working with agaves as the sap could burn.
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- And always plant agaves so that the crown is well above the soil line and will stay that way when the soil subsides after watering.
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- Phurba fills in the pot with more soil, but never overfill – only place potting mix until the bottom of the pot’s rim, so the soil does not spill out when it is watered.
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- Some of the lower leaves are also trimmed if necessary.
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- Because my peacocks have been raised here at the farm, they are very accustomed to all the people, and sounds of farming equipment – they are not scared of anything.
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- These agaves will be very happy in the hoop house for the winter where they will get plenty of light. Potted agave plants will need to be repotted every other year or so to replenish the soil and root prune the plant. What succulents are you repotting this season?
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