- Prevent the death of flowering agaves by cutting off
- Gain offshoots easily when repotting
- The best procedure for separating offshoots from agaves
Agaves are very rewarding garden and pot plants under the right site conditions, as they generally require relatively little maintenance. Since the propagation of agaves by seeds is rather complex and tedious, these plants are usually propagated by offshoots.
Agaves produce offshoots
Prevent the death of flowering agaves by cutting off
Even if it doesn't apply to all agave species, some of these so-called "century plants" only flower after several decades and then most likely die immediately after flowering. Botanical research has shown that this death is directly related to the side shoots known as Kindel, which form on the side of the agave's stalk and would usually continue to grow in the same place on the mother plant. You can therefore possibly avert the death of a blooming agave if you cleanly cut off the child with a sharp knife in good time and plant it in a separate pot for rooting and further cultivation.
Gain offshoots easily when repotting
Since many agaves in this country are not hardy due to their sensitivity to frost, they are usually cared for in pots. About every two to three years, the plants should be transplanted into a slightly larger planter. This process offers a good opportunity for the propagation of the agaves, since the offshoots often grow below the surface of the earth and thus already have their own roots. If the separation of these offshoots is done at the same time as the repotting of the agaves, which is necessary anyway, this means less stress and complications for the plants overall.
The best procedure for separating offshoots from agaves
You will need the following utensils for separating and cultivating the offshoots with the agaves:
- a sharp and clean knife
- a hard, level surface like a planting table
- suitable planters and sandy or gravelly substrate
A suitable base in a comfortable working position makes it easy to separate the cuttings from the mother plant without slipping or any injury. After separation, the offshoots should initially only be watered very sparingly until roots have formed.
tips
Note that even hardy agaves are only really frost hardy after a certain age. Freshly obtained offshoots of these plants should therefore spend the first winter in a protected winter quarters.