Agave pups everywhere, but not a live root in sight

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Dave Brown
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Agave pups everywhere, but not a live root in sight

Post by Dave Brown »

The consequence of this wetter than average year is..... when I did my annual Agave americana harvesting, the pups pulled out by hand, and revealed that all 15 had no live roots at all. I must admit the parent does not look as good this year so maybe that has no roots either :roll: When I removed the pups the lower dead leaves were soggy and mushy around the base of the pups. I removed all of this before taking the pics as before they looked an absolute mess. The pup sizes are between 18 and 24 inches so have enough bulk to root up in s well drained mix.
160708 pics 002.jpg
160708 pics 004.jpg
This is the age old problem of poor drainage :roll: When I planted the Agave in 1996 ... by memory, I dug out a hole about a foot wide and filled with grit. However, after 12 years in the ground the base of the Agave is 3 feet in diameter, so it is well into the clay surrounding the original hole. Best bet if in a clay soil like me , is to plant in a raised bed or at least a mound.
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Dave
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Owen

Re: Agave pups everywhere, but not a live root in sight

Post by Owen »

Would you ever consider digging the plant up to replant it in better drained soil?

I know this would not be a task to undertake lightly- i myself have moved my large A. americana around a bit recently and know how much damage they inflict on your arms! Although having said that- i would be careful about disturbing the plant later on in the year as disturbing the roots really do seem to affect the cold tolerance of the plants. I lost 50% of my agaves this way last year after i dug them up in october to dig in more sand and gravel to the bed.

Would be a shame to loose the plant in a wet winter as it grew larger.

Perhaps you could excavate say a 1/4 of the area around the plant at a time and add more gravel to the soil one section this year and another the next?

Just an idea.

What do you do with all your pups? Your neighbours must all have them by now!
Don

Re: Agave pups everywhere, but not a live root in sight

Post by Don »

Dave-I think part of the problem will always be that the gravel pit method can act as a sump for water from the surrounding area and have the reverse effect to what you are trying to achieve. Adding a deep mulch of gravel/ballast to the soil and planting into it gives the drainage required and those roots then have the opportunity of selectively exploring into the lower regions. I suppose this method is really a raised bed without the work. :wink:
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Dave Brown
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Re: Agave pups everywhere, but not a live root in sight

Post by Dave Brown »

It is sort of a raised bed and contained by bricks on 3 sides.... just filled with clay garden soil. :roll:

Here is a pic of the bed before the Phoenix dactylifera was killed by a winter freeze in 1994 or 1995. You can see it was completely surrounded by walls and garden path.
Phoenix dactylifera.jpg
Here is the Agave and pups in May 2008. The pups at the front were removed last year.
170508 Agave 004.jpg

The Agave has been growing in the same place for 12 years now, but the only difference is I am now watering the Cycad which is next to it. I suppose I could try removing some of the heavy stodge and replace with a sandy gritty mix now, but the best Idea might be to completely dig it out next spring, dig all the soil out to a depth of about 18 inches and fill with a sand, gravel, loam mix then replant. Might be a bit of a problem lifting unless it has a bit of a haircut, as it must weight 2 ot 3 hundred pounds. :roll:

Alternatively I may move the Agave, as that is a nice baked spot with potential for protection being built so may be suitable for something less hardy :lol:

I think I recall Paul Spracklin saying he had this problem with some of his Agaves at some point in the past.

Yes, Owen, all the neighbours and surrounding roads have had their share of Agave pups over the years. My Father-in-Law's pup is now bigger than my Mother plant :shock:

Image
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Dave
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Guy

Re: Agave pups everywhere, but not a live root in sight

Post by Guy »

Dave, that's one hell of a beautiful plant. I'm envious. :twisted:

You're inspiring me to replant a dry bed and give one a go. My soil is much drier and more suitable although it's a lot colder here in the beclouded Midlands. Thanks for sharing.
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