How to Remove Agave Pups from the Mother Plant
Release time：2023-09-15 15:24:57 oRead0
Part 1
Part 1 of 2:
Digging up the Pups
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1
Wear a pair of gloves when handling agave. Many common varieties of agave have sharp spines on the leaves. To avoid painful pricks, slip on a pair of gardening gloves before approaching the plant.
- Thicker gloves, such as a good pair of leather gloves, offer the most protection and are worth using if you have them.
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2
Locate the small buds in the ground. Agave pups look like miniature versions of the mother plant. They usually pop out of the soil around the mother plant, but sometimes they can appear right under the plant’s leaves.
- Lift the plant’s leaves carefully while wearing gloves to find any small pups hidden from sight.
- The pups are easiest to remove when they’re small, so searching the plant for them now can save you some hassle later.
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3
Remove the plant from a pot if it is in one. You will need to remove the agave first in order to separate the pups. Tip the pot onto its side, allowing the pot’s contents to come out. Pull the plant and soil out of the pot, taking care to avoid disturbing the root ball.
- If you have a flexible pot, you may need to squeeze or push on the sides to empty it.
- For ceramic and other hard pots, you can move a trowel along the inside edge of the pot to loosen the dirt.
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4
Clear the dirt around the plant to expose its roots. Brush or dig away the dirt around the roots. Normally, you do not need to take the mother plant out of the soil. Avoid touching the roots as much as possible. The pups will attach to the root cluster through a single large root, which you should be able to spot without taking apart the entire root ball.
- You can dig underneath the plant’s root ball, then lift the plant out of the ground with a shovel. This can help you locate the connecting roots.
- For agave plants too extensive to dig up, loosen the dirt around the plants you wish to remove.
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5
Pull the pups away from the mother plant. Grab the pup by the fleshy root you exposed earlier. Twist the pup from side to side as you pull it towards you. Most pups will come free easily this way. Be aware of the spines and throw away any loose leaves so you don’t step on them later.
- Cutting through the root is always an option. Slice about halfway along the root connecting the pup to the mother plant with a sharp knife, shears, or a shovel.
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6
Replant the mother plant if you dug it up. Check the mother plant to make sure it is stable in the soil, with the roots covered. Shovel dirt evenly over any holes you had to dig earlier. If you use a pot, return the agave to the pot and refill it with soil.
- Set the agave in the center of the pot, then add a store-bought soil mix specifically for cacti and succulents. Cover the roots with the soil. Lightly water the soil to help it settle over the roots.
- Cacti and succulent soil is well-draining and contains a high percentage of sand and gravel.
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1
Plant the pups in suitable soil with full to partial sunlight. You can plant the new pups around your garden. As long as the plants are in full to partial sunlight, they should thrive as well as the mother plant. For pot growing, separate the pups into individual pots filled with a store-bought soil mix for cacti and succulents.
- The pups can be planted anywhere with loose, well-drained soil. If the mother plant grows in your yard, chances are the pups will too.
- Loosen the soil about 12 in (30 cm) deep. Plant the pups so the root ball is covered and the leaves are right above the soil’s surface.
- Agave grows best when planted in the early fall or spring. The roots establish in about 2 months. When you touch it, the plant will feel firmly attached to the ground.
- Be patient, as agave plants are slow growing.
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2
Dampen the soil once a week for a month. Give the new pups a supplemental amount of water to encourage root growth. After planting, add water until the soil appears slightly damp. Wait a week for the soil to dry, then dampen it again. Do this a few more times until the agave is established in its planting bed.
- Water the agave once a week for no more than 6 weeks. Afterwards, the plant should need water about once a month, or once a week in the summer.
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3
Fertilize the soil every month in spring and fall (optional). To ensure a healthier plant, apply a fertilizer that is 20% nitrogen, 20% phosphorus, and 20% potassium. Spread fertilizer around the plant from March to May, then again in September to November.
- Spring and fall are the growing seasons for agave, so this is when the fertilizer is effective.
- Agave does not require fertilizer to grow into a healthy, mature plant.