Repotting My Agaves
It’s finally feeling like autumn here in the Northeast with cold rain and temperatures expected in the low-60s the rest of the week. My gardeners and outdoor grounds crew are moving all the tropical plants back into the heated greenhouses where they will spend the winter months. They are also busy repotting many of the precious specimens, including my growing collection of agaves.
Agave is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas. Many of them have elegant symmetrical rosettes made up of succulent, stiff and well-armed leaves with little or no stem. Some plants get up to 20-feet in diameter, while others grow only to dish-size. I love all agaves and have both large and small varieties in my collection. In fact, many of the plants started as offshoots, or pups, which were removed from adult specimens and replanted right in my greenhouse.
Enjoy these photos.
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- My agave collection has grown quite a bit over the years. Here are some of the smaller ones that have been repotted before being stored away in this hoop house. Foliage tends toward a blue-green in hardier varieties and a gray-green in warm climate varieties. There are also some that are variegated with gold or white markings. And do you know… tequila can only be made from the blue agave, agave tequilana.
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- Phurba carefully removes the pot from the agave. These plants must be handled gingerly because of their sharp, fleshy leaves.
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- This plant definitely needed some attention – the root mass has grown quite a bit. Repotting is a good time to also check any plant for damaged, unwanted or rotting leaves or pests that may be hiding in the soil. Some of the lower leaves are also trimmed if necessary.
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- Here is where the fleshy agave leaf was cut. When trimming, cut through the base of the leaf with a sharp pruning saw and avoid nicking the surrounding leaves.
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- This agave also has several pups at the base of the plant. Phurba removes them and puts them aside to be replanted separately.
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- Agaves often produce these small plant offsets. These perfectly formed miniature plants eventually grow into full-size plants.
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- Phurba cuts away the old, outer roots to stimulate new growth and promote good aeration.
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- Never be afraid to give the roots a good trimming – agaves are very forgiving.
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- Phurba also cuts about an inch off the bottom and scarifies the root ball.
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- Next, he fills the bottom of the pot with compost mixed right here at the farm.
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- We use a mix of equal parts compost, and a good potting mix. Do not use peat moss; its acidity and its water-holding properties are not desirable for growing agaves.
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- Phurba positions the plant in the center of the pot and fills it with the potting medium.
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- And always wear gloves when working with agaves as the sap could burn.
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- The medium should be about one inch below the top of the pot, so none of it overflows when watering.
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- Phurba gently presses the medium into the pot to ensure it is well packed, adding more potting mix if needed.
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- Phurba sprinkles some Osmocote around the base of the plant. 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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- Here is Pete planting another small agave. He presses on the sides of the pot to loosen it.
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- Then he gently removes it from its container.
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- This thick white root is actually the root of another offset that worked its way up to the surface. Because it is so long, Pete cuts it off to allow room for the other roots to spread.
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- He also carefully cuts off any pups that have grown.
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- And finally, he cuts off some of the dead lower leaves.
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- Once it is cleaned up, Pete puts the plant back in the pot and fills it with potting mix and Osmocote. As with many succulent plants, agaves are shallow-rooted and can grow in any size container because they don’t need much soil.
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- It looks much better here on the shelf, where it can continue to grow. When planted outdoors, agaves need a spot in full sun to partial shade. The hotter the climate is, the more shade they can handle.
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- Pete chooses two or three of the healthiest pups from this agave and plants them in separate pots.
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- Just like the others, Pete positions it in the center of the pot and fills it with nutrient-rich compost and potting mix. These agaves will be very happy in the hoop house for the winter. Potted agave plants will need to be repotted every other year or so to replenish the soil and trim the roots. How do you care for your agaves? Share your comments with me below.
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