Splitting an Agave?

I bought this Agave americana last week and was wondering how to go about removing a couple (or all?) of the pups (if that's the right word)?


I presume that it's best done in the spring - is that correct?

Thanks in advance.................

 

not really ,they are though plants , managed to get mine rooting in winter ....
go for it , also mine survived outside with few damage .

 

Thanks Sal - how do I do it?

 

I've just done one of mine. Got 5 pups out of it.

I just prised them off with a sharp trowel held sideways. Easy peasy.

 

Excellent. I'll use my meat cleaver. Into an airy cactus mix? What about humidity?

 

I put mine into ordinary compost but Cactus Mix would be good. I just didn't have enough Cactus Mix in my shed for the 5 pots.

Dunno about humidity. Mine are outside in a place that gets no rain.

 

0Hi Kindrespirit ,how you doing ? really curious about the cactus you`ve planted last year , any loss?

 

Longk

Once you take them off and if they are cut/broken let them air dry for a day or two to callous over , I had one a "kitten" came out the bottom drainage hole , water the compost once then leave alone no misting required

I sold mine to a garden centre they got so big I had to put corks on the end as the dogs got speared in the ear.


Spruce

 

Two have sucuumbed, Sal. I think a few days of misty rain that drove in under the glass roof did them in.

The third and fourth are doing fine. They were further back from the edge.

I normally NEVER lose plants. Obviously I didn't keep my eye on the ball with the first two, although I was pushing the boat out, I'll admit.

 

They are easy enough to separate, the pups are mostly on a stem adjoining the main plant.
Personally its something I would do in May or June when new roots are forming naturally with the rising temperatures and the longer days.

In my opinion they aint as hardy as a lot say they are, mostly temperatures quoted are based on a nice dry bit of desert in Mexico somewhere.
Add some wet snow and a freezing wind like tonight, followed by tomorrow temps hardly reaching zero and you can see its a totally different proposition.
Black spots form readily after a cold wet winter.
I prefer frost free unless undercover.

 

I was pointing them at you at the time , but I was really hoping that I was wrong , I had few surprising survivour in my garden , can`t belive myself ......I will push the boat out myself next year .

Longk , you should try one outside as well.

 

In the first pic, the cacus planted out got soaked with driving rain even though it was a good bit in under the glass canopy. Notice an Agave pup poking its head up as well.



In the second pic, there are 3 cactus planted into pots outside. The one on the left was continually dug up by Sparrows having dust baths. That's why you see it falling over. I must have replanted it 5 times. Eventually it gave up the ghost. The other two are doing OK. The one on the right keeps threatening to flower each time it gets wet with rain. There's actually moss growing around the two on the right now because it has been so damp here for so long. Amazing! Cacti surviving in moss!!!



I'll take better pics when I have a chance.

 

This is my agave , has been really wet al winter but still alive .



it would be interesting to see what have survived and what got damage during winter ...

 

Thanks to you all for the tips! I'll probably wait until late spring to divide it as I really don't need any more pots cluttering the house, greenhouse etc. Good advice regarding drying the cut too

sal73 - I will be trying one outdoors in due course.

Kindred - that area is looking good to me!

 

Hi I have got one outside but it is under cover, and so far, seems fine.It also has a lot of pups attached and I'm going to have a go at removing mine come May