Monday, November 17, 2014

The Agave Report, November 2014

It's been awhile, the last full fledged agave report was filed on February 4th, with a quick addendum on May 5th. Since things were about to take a turn (weather-wise: cold, possibly snow but in reality "just" freezing rain) I thought it a good time to record how the gang is doing, photos taken on November 5th. I'll admit this report is mainly for my own knowledge, to serve as a record of how the in-ground agaves do here in my garden over time. I hope those of you trying to grow agaves in less than idea circumstances might find some inspiration.

We start just outside the front door with a pair of Agave ovatifolia, both 'Frosty Blue' if I remember right...

Both planted the summer of 2013. And you'l notice I didn't take the time to remove the fallen autumn leaves and other debris before photographing...

Now I've walked around to the driveway, the southeast corner of the front garden. A pair of Agave americana, both in the ground since 2011. I thought they were gonners after last winter but thankfully not. This is where those of you from the Southwest are shaking your head, those are A. americana? Yes, yes they are.

A pair of A. bracteosa, these poor plants are too shaded by the styrax in the hellstrip as well as the yucca to their left. Still they soldier on (planted in 2011).

A. parryi 'JC Raulston' (2011)...

With a couple of pups.

I really should have removed these before winter set in.

Oh look, another A. parryi 'JC Raulston'...

And another pup.

Yes another 'JC Raulston', or actually two. These went in last spring, I thought I'd be suffering much worse agave losses from last winter and bought replacement plants. Then whadda ya know, most of the others pulled through and I had to find a place for this double...

I doubt I need to tell you what this is? These are very reliable agaves in my garden, thus I've bought a few.

And now for something different. Diagonally starting in the lower left corner we have an agave of unknown ID (a pup from one of the monsters in this garden) planted out last spring, an Agave ovatifolia (went in as a tiny pup in 2011) and another A. americana (this one's been in the ground since 2010). Oh wait! Front and center is A. ocahui (and peaking out from around that opuntia in the upper left is the 'JC Raulston' from the above photo.

The last A. parryi 'JC Raulston' (in the front garden at least)...

A sad A. ovatifolia duo...

Another pair of A. bracteosa, one planted out this spring and one in the ground since 2011.

Agave americana var. protoamericana, planted in 2013.

NOID agave on the left (planted in spring of 2013) and a small A. parryi pup planted this spring.

A collection of pups whose names I've lost track of.

Now we're in the driveway where the veggie tanks have been taken over by other plants for the winter, this is the pair of agaves which usually live just off the path to the patio. They get moved here every year because the soil is much better drained and I can easily pull them to come inside if the weather forecast looks dire. I was surprised to see how much they'd grown this year!

This bad boy is an Agave weberi.

He's spent a couple of years in this container parked right in this spot, I love how he's starting to get those mature agave twists to his arms (and in the interest of full disclosure my kind husband wrestled this container into the unheated, detached, garage last winter during our coldest temps (12F).

In the back garden...some of these have been in the ground since spring of 2013 and a few were new last spring.

I believe the large agave in the center-ish is an Agave neomexicana (2013) and the green one on the far right is Agave montana 'Baccarat' (2013), the smaller pups were mostly planted this spring.

Starting on the far left Agave neomexicana, then Agave americana “something” (broken tag) which was severely knocked back last winter, and the spiky Agave striata var. striata on the right, looking more yucca-like (all planted in spring of 2013).

To be honest I've lost track of what the tiny pups in this photo are! Dead center is a Dyckia 'Burgundy Ice' and on the far right, going out of frame, is a Mammillaria plumosa which I was sure to lift before the temperatures went south.

The Agave parryi in my raised dish planters look great. I really do need to give them a root pruning and fresh soil next spring.

The agave planting area next to the stairs down to the patio...

Starting at the top, below the dasylirion that's an Agave havardiana, followed by a couple of small A. 'Mateo' pups, a large A. bracteosa, a smashed together couple of Agave neomexicana, the small pup on the left I can't remember and on the right is an Agave americana. In the very corner is...

Agave 'Royal Spine', and it's obviously not happy (rot on the lower leaves)...

No time like the present to get it out of the soil.

Moving on to the last section with agaves...I lost an Agave gentryi 'Jaws' over last winter so planted a new one this spring (far left).

Another A. neomexicana (2012) on the right, an NOID pup on the left...

Agave gracilipes (2014) and a pair of A. parryi 'JC Raulston' pups (2012, slow growing!)

I often forget about this Agave bracteosa, as it's on the other side of the upper garden. I think it's looking especially squid-like the way it's sprawling across the ground (2012).

And the container agaves making a go of it "in-place" this winter: Agave ovatifolia and multiple A.lophantha 'Splendida' both planted last spring. I will be pulling the lophantha's out this spring and giving the entire container to the ovatifolia (should have done that late this summer)...

Finally I'll close this agave report with a shot of the Agave weberi, taken Friday morning as the freezing rain that coated the garden the night before started to melt...

All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

31 comments:

  1. It's always interesting to see what Agaves you are leaving in the ground for the winter. I have only a few -- A. parryi 'J.C. Raulston', A. havardiana, A. bracteosa, and two more whose names I've forgotten, but I do remember researching them at the beginning of the spring and finding out they should survive. Keep your fingers crossed for them all.

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    1. Sounds like you made great choices Alison, all of those have been through a couple of winters for me.

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  2. I also find it very interesting to see which agaves survive outside in which climate zone. I don't typically bring agaves inside, but I bought a few this year that I think will have to become houseplants for the winter, especially Agave petrophila.

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    1. As you know I'm jealous of your agave friendly climate!

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  3. So A. ovatifolia is ok in the ground? I'm asking for one for Christmas this year from my plant-supportive husband. We had freezing rain all over everything again, it was a nightmare flashback...especially so early in the season. Here's hoping we pull through unscathed this winter.

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    1. Oh yes, it's a good one for in ground living here in Portland, of course a container adds extra insurance should things get brutal. I went around on Friday afternoon and removed all the ice from the centers of my agaves. The sun had melted the frozen rain on the leaves but not around the center cone.

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  4. Love that pic with the icicles hanging from the spines magnified as red dots

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  5. I really like the way you have planted these agaves to provide foliage contrast.

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    1. They are a pretty spectacular plant that makes every combination better.

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  6. Your spiky kids are looking pretty good this November! I only have two in the ground, ovatifolia and bracteosa, everyone else came inside for a nice dry winter.

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    1. Ah...I'm sure they're appreciating the accommodations! I remember where your A. ovatifolia is, where's the A. bracteosa?

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    2. A. bracteosa is in a red pot down by the Danger Gardenette.

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  7. The winter is no friend to Agaves on our hilltop, so they winter indoors. I quite like seeing them every day. Of course there would be no room for you, Andrew and Lila if you moved all yours into the house.

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    1. It's kind of funny when I stop to think about it. There are the ones in the house, the ones in the sp greenhouse and the ones outside. Quite a few agaves!

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  8. Yep, we find inspiration in your experiences in growing agaves outside. Your report is very handy and a reference source :)

    I like the multiple planting of Agave parryi 'JC Raulston' in your garden especially at the front as it inadvertently became a plant that ties in everything nicely. Hopefully very little to no casualty nor damage will happen to your agaves this winter.

    Root pruning agaves, haven't thought of doing that before. Is that to keep the a. parryi in the dishes small or just so they won't push themselves up and out?

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    1. Great point about the 'JC Raulston' being a cohesive feature, I like that - since as you know I was feeling a little lost over the grevilleas all dying back out there.

      I've accidentally discovered the benefits of what I think of as "root pruning." If I've got an agave that's been in a container for awhile and it's just not looking happy (no growth) I can take it out and cut back the majority of it's roots, replace it in the container with new soil and BAM! In no time it's looking happy and starts to grow again. For the dish A. parryi's roots are starting to grow out the bottom of the container, and there is so little soil there I imagine it's all pretty much roots at this point. I guess I'm thinking of the treatment there as being good for their long term health more than anything.

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  9. Great report, I was thinking about how your garden looks in the colder months with out all the lovely pottery. Looks good...hope you have a gentle winter!

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    1. Thank you Laurin, me too! (and the same for you)

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  10. So many agaves is what amazes me when I see your report and that's the positive side of growing them in your climate. You can fit so many more in the garden if they stay small. The variety available to you also impresses me.

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    1. We really do have a great selection of agaves available locally (of course I augment that with my travels to the SW and CA). I remember it wasn't always that way and visiting my brother in Phoenix was about the only time I could find them.

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  11. They're looking very good overall, Loree. I hope they make it through the deep freeze!

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    1. The deep freeze is being pretty kind to them...now if the wet months ahead will just do the same.

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  12. I love these reports. That last photo is spectacular! I've never noticed the spines on A. americana var. protoamericana, very cool. And I'm glad you pulled out that sad 'Royal Spine'. It will be ok won't it?

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    1. It got worse after I pulled it out, but the rot seems to have stopped. He's down to only about 6 leaves now though.

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  13. Sheesh, the combos in the first 4 photos are amazing. I cannot tell if I prefer agaves growing out of mossy greenery in soaked PDX, or agaves in sultry Austin greenery! Yours' is surreal...that bright moss...

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    1. Ya the moss is definitely in it's element this time of the year!

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  14. Uh, that last photo is awesome!! I hope you don´t loose too many agaves this winter. For the moment they seem to be doing well.

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    1. Indeed they are, this (post long hot summer) is their best looking time of the year really. It will be interesting to see what they're looking like come May.

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  15. Always fascinating how different they look in another climate--though most interesting is that bracteosa looks exactly the same here. Perhaps it is the most adaptable species of all Agaves.

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    1. Good point, it does always look the same. The universal agave!

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