Repotting a neglected Agave

We show how we went about repotting a fairly large and neglected Agave potatorum in order to perk it up and make it grow better.

[@tamarapelian1119]

if i was going to repot i would clean up the plant to look pretty. Those dead leaves look awful in the new home.

[@veros.88]

Why not hose down that hard soil, making it easier to remove thus no prickling?? I think I would have trimmed off all the dead leaves as well. Agavés are my favorite right now, TY for saving!!

[@bodyrot2794]

The shovels and spades are your friends when putting that last bit of soil in the pot. I will sometimes use a large funnel to get the job done.

[@migette1]

That Agave would probably be OK outside all year looks like a toughy but perhaps best to put in the greenhouse during the wet winter months. Should romp away with its new pot, good video.

[@CactusCaffeine]

That little offset at the bottom is a persistent one. 🙂

[@sandyg.8318]

Cactus Caffeine it has heart lol

[@normatrewhella9003]

Love it

[@tyroneshoelace4872]

Does anyone know if you can propagate Agave from just the leaves you cut off? Mine doesn't have pups.

[@thepricklypair5254]

I can't recall hearing of any examples of Agaves being propagated from leaf cuttings and some species don't form pups or offsets unfortunately. Maybe someone else knows of examples or has tried this?

[@alexandraabraham6698]

I'm just wondering if, when tackling a sturdy, heavy plant, with spines and spikes, whether it wouldn't be advisable to, like, you know... wear gloves...? The other thing which would make it easier, is to soak the root ball THOROUGHLY for anything up to 24 hours. First of all, the plant won't suffer. Secondly, it would be much easier to disentangle all the roots and pups... Once you've managed to dislodge the majority of the soil, and have cleaned up the roots, cutting away dead matter, and separated the pups, you then leave the roots to dry overnight, and re-pot the following day. (You can tell I've done this myself, can't you?)

[@thepricklypair5254]

I use gloves sometimes, particularly with the large cacti (and all opuntias!) but sometimes find they can be a bit cumbersome when trying to get soil down the sides of the pot easily and not all over the floor! Sounds like you've got some good sized plants yourself - thanks for the tips!

[@1ilgrillo]

Dear Prickly Pear, Thank you for putting this video together. It tells me a lot about Agaves. Your answer to this person about the use of gloves also tells me that you are a person of infinite wisdom and patience and that you are or should have been a major player in the arena of international diplomatic relations. If I had to reply to such a snotty piece of prose, I would have gone, you know,,like,,,,,, bats#@it? (note that I am using the question mark at the end as I cannot imagine it being verbalized any other way.)

[@alexandraabraham6698]

@@1ilgrillo lol!

[@condradgaute7163]

@@1ilgrillo: Ever heard of gloves?

[@Lucy-on4fn]

Fun video. I'm wondering if there's something more natural to use than polystyrene that won't be floating round the garden for years to come.

[@thepricklypair5254]

Glad you liked it. Expanded polystyrene just goes into landfill in our area as they don't recycle it, so my feeling was that at least the old packaging was doing a useful job of adding drainage and also being low density means it won't add to the considerable weight of the plant and soil when I need to move it.

[@sandrajshutter2205]

This type of agave need to be in the ground because they can get 8 feet tall and they survive winters 17 ‘ cold but this agave your is suffering in the small pot. We have one 8 feet tall outside in the ground for many year.

[@thepricklypair5254]

The problem for us is more the dampness during winter here. I have grown A. americana outside for several years in the past but it was always looking weak after winter and then one year it just gave up.

[@Phantomick]

Looks like my whale tongue agave, not a fun time repotting when they get that big.

[@mizmollieharris7318]

Please 🥺🥺🥺🥺me my plant had a bad winter I was sick and I thought danny was done for then in the middle started growing I cut the dead part off I nee a pot thats giant danny weigh around 200 pounds

[@lucforest2090]

Complètement nulle comme enseignement. N’a retiré que le bébé du fond du pot. A remis l’agave telle quelle sans retirer les bébés du dessus qui ont besoin d’être retirés ou au minimum de se faire tailler les feuilles endommagées. N’a pas non plus éliminé les feuilles endommagées du plant mère. Complètement incompétent comme façon de faire en plus c’est une vidéo inutilement trop longue.