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The agave is a real child of the desert and is often cultivated as a houseplant in this country, provided that the respective species is suitable for it. As far as care is concerned, this succulent is rather undemanding.

In a nutshell

  • is very suitable as a houseplant
  • As a succulent, it can store large amounts of water in its leaves
  • copes well with drought
  • loves the sun and has low nutritional requirements
  • occasionally needs to be repotted into a larger container

site conditions

The agave should be in a warm, draught-free and, above all, full sun place - preferably in a south-facing window. Ideally, she gets full sunlight for five hours a day. Unlike other houseplants, it doesn't mind dry air, so it doesn't need to be sprayed with water. If possible, it can also be placed outdoors from the end of May to October.

Agave schidigera 'Durango Delight'

The right substrate

The trade offers special substrate mixtures for succulents and cacti. They are tailored to the needs of succulents and cacti, i. H. they are low in nutrients and reduce the risk of waterlogging. If necessary, you can also make your own mixture of two thirds of commercially available potting soil and one third of pumice gravel, lava stones or quartz sand. However, you cannot do without a drainage layer in the pot.

watering and fertilizing

  • Agave gets by with little water and fertilizer
  • too much water can promote root rot
  • basically only water very sparingly
  • about once or twice a week
  • depending on the room temperature
  • Allow the substrate to dry thoroughly after each watering
  • preferably with lime-free water
  • Agave grows very slowly
  • Nutrient requirements are therefore low
  • fertilize from April/May to September
  • about every 14 days is usually sufficient

The best way to fertilize is to use a liquid fertilizer suitable for cacti or succulents, which is dosed and administered according to the manufacturer's instructions in order to prevent overdosing.

Tip: If the agave is in hydroponics, it usually only needs to be watered every three weeks and every six weeks in winter. A water level indicator can be helpful here.

To cut

Pruning measures, as known from other plants, are not necessary for the agave as a houseplant. On the contrary, they would rather damage the plant and, in the worst case, cause it to die off. Only dead leaves can be cut off directly at the main stem with a sharp knife for visual reasons. But they should be completely dry. Cuts that occur usually close by themselves.

Tip: Wear thick gloves when removing the leaves to avoid injury from the hard thorns on the edges of the leaves. You should also know that the sap of the agave is poisonous.

hibernate

If the houseplant has been outside all summer, it is important to bring it back inside before the first frost. In winter, the agave likes to be a little cooler with temperatures around 12 degrees and of course in a bright place. Watering and fertilizing does not usually have to be done in winter. If the plant is actually suffering from a lack of water, it will show this on the leaves, which will then become slightly shriveled. Then, of course, it should be watered.

dragon tree agave (Agave attenuata); Source: Ahmiguel, PICT9018-Agave-attenuata-'E, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 3.0

Tip: It is advisable to remove the dust from the leaves from time to time by rinsing them off with a shower or with a damp cloth.

repot

Repotting an agave as a houseplant is not so easy, because there is a risk of injury due to the sharp thorns. To protect yourself from them, you can put smaller but sufficiently thick Styrofoam plates, wine corks or the like on the thorns and use them to carefully lift the plant out of the pot.

  • the best time to repot is right after winter
  • new pot should be just a little bigger
  • Sufficient drainage holes are important to avoid waterlogging
  • put drainage on the bottom of the pot
  • made of gravel, expanded clay or potsherds
  • Fill the pot about half full with cactus substrate mix
  • Insert agave in the middle
  • just as deep as in the old pot
  • fill up with substrate up to a few centimeters below the edge
  • Press down the soil and water a little
Source: Dominicus Johannes Bergsma, Agave, edited from Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Tip: Even if this is advisable for many other plants, when repotting the agave, you should avoid shortening the roots and cutting the leaves.

propagation

about offshoots

Propagation usually takes place via offshoots called Kindel. They form on the stalk or below the substrate surface and usually appear at a distance from the mother plant. Nevertheless, they are connected to their roots. Since you usually have to take the plant out of the pot to remove the young, it makes sense to cut it off when you repot it.

  • Only cut off the pieces with a sharp knife
  • some already have roots
  • Do not damage the stalk of the mother plant too much when cutting
  • To be on the safe side, treat the cut with charcoal powder
  • then let it dry well
  • Then put the mother plant back in
  • Put the children with or without roots in cactus soil
  • about an inch deep
  • Press the substrate down and water very sparingly until it roots

by sowing

Propagation by seed is also possible. However, it is sometimes difficult to obtain suitable seeds. If you have bought some, sowing can be done all year round. First, let the seeds soak in lukewarm water overnight. Then you sow them about a centimeter deep in moist potting soil. The seeds usually germinate within three to ten weeks. From a certain size, the young seedlings can be planted separately in pots.

diseases and pests

root and stem rot

In most cases, care errors are the cause of damage to the plant. As a houseplant, the agave is often affected by overwatering. This inevitably leads to root and/or stem rot and, if left untreated, to the loss of the agave. As long as it is still too badly damaged, you should stop watering immediately and let the substrate dry out completely. However, it is better to repot the plant in fresh and, above all, dry substrate. All rotten or otherwise damaged root parts should be removed. Even after repotting, there is no watering at first. As a precaution, you should pay attention to a well-drained substrate and be extremely economical when watering.

This image shows stem rot on another plant. The disease causes similar symptoms in the agave. Source: Maja Dumat from Deutschland (Germany), Stem rot on Vanda after 4 days (23316061373), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0

leaf chlorosis

Another common agave disease is leaf chlorosis. A slight whitish discoloration of the leaf rosette is typical for them. Too hard water is responsible. If the water on site is very calcareous, the lime content can be reduced by heating it to at least 60 degrees. After cooling down, the water can then be used for watering. Normal rainwater would be ideal.

This picture shows leaf chlorosis on another plant. In the agave, the disease shows a similar clinical picture.

scale insect infestation

Occasionally it can also come to an infestation with scale insects. They can be recognized by small, oval, brownish labels. Household remedies such as soapy water, alcohol and soft soap or simply rinsing off with a hard jet of water are often not enough to combat it. A combination with suitable biological pesticides is therefore advisable.

This picture shows another plant with scale insect infestation. The agave shows a similar clinical picture.

frequently asked Questions

At what intervals should you repot the agave?

In general, these plants should be repotted when the pot is well rooted. This is usually the case every two to three years. In the case of younger specimens, if necessary also annually.

Can the agave flower as a houseplant?

In its natural locations, it can take 10-15 years to flower. Indoor cultivation can even take up to 50 years before the first flowers. In some species, the plants die after flowering.

How poisonous is the agave?

The plant sap is poisonous to humans, but especially to dogs and cats. Both small children and pets should not come into contact with this plant. In sensitive individuals, mere contact can cause severe skin irritation and conjunctivitis. The sharp thorns can also penetrate deep into the skin and also cause irritation or inflammation.

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Indoor plants