Agave 'Blue Glow'

Use this forum to help with identification issues and to show off your beautiful plants, one species, subspecies, and cultivar at a time.
Forum rules
This section is dedicated toward maintaining one active thread for each Agavaceae species/subspecies/variety/cultivar. Please feel free to add information and/or photos to existing threads or start your own by adding Genus/species as the thread subject. Note that listings are displayed alphabetically. Enjoy!
User avatar
Gee.S
Site Admin
Posts: 9568
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2013 1:42 pm
Location: Fountain Hills, AZ
USDA Zone: 9b
Contact:

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#26

Post by Gee.S »

I would absolutely try to snap one off. The trick is getting a good grip that allows some wiggle room, then just snap it off (crack!!). It is challenging (and a little scary), but to date, each attempt I've made to remove axial branches has been successful.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
User avatar
Agavemonger
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 961
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2014 5:58 pm
Location: San Diego, California

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#27

Post by Agavemonger »

Small razor knives or razor saws (Like those for sale in hobby shops for use on model building) work pretty good also (Just be very careful not to slip and cut yourself!)

The Monger
User avatar
Azuleja
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 1776
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2016 9:23 am
Location: CA | Zone 9a | Chaparral

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#28

Post by Azuleja »

A flexible wire saw would probably work well for this. They're probably sold in stores with camping/survival gear. I have one that came from a livestock supply company.
bigdaddyscondition
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 313
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 9:04 pm
Location: Inland Empire foothills, southern California

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#29

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

Sounds like a Gigli saw, the kind I used for amputations when I was in general surgery training. You guys are serious! :)
User avatar
Gee.S
Site Admin
Posts: 9568
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2013 1:42 pm
Location: Fountain Hills, AZ
USDA Zone: 9b
Contact:

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#30

Post by Gee.S »

I think they are, but trust me, it should just snap off if you can get the right grip.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
bigdaddyscondition
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 313
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 9:04 pm
Location: Inland Empire foothills, southern California

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#31

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

I think I'll try the snapping off technique first. It would be pretty messy getting a blade down into that thicket of leaves, not to mention somewhat hazardous.
User avatar
Gee.S
Site Admin
Posts: 9568
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2013 1:42 pm
Location: Fountain Hills, AZ
USDA Zone: 9b
Contact:

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#32

Post by Gee.S »

The first one is toughest. Once it's gone, you have more wiggle room for others.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
User avatar
Viegener
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 1168
Joined: Thu Nov 26, 2015 1:34 pm
Location: Los Angeles, Sunset z23
USDA Zone: 10b

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#33

Post by Viegener »

I find that serrated bread knives are often the best tools for this kind of work, unless what you're trying to cut is really woody.
User avatar
Agavemonger
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 961
Joined: Sun Feb 09, 2014 5:58 pm
Location: San Diego, California

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#34

Post by Agavemonger »

Serrated bread knives work great if you can get in there with it.

The Monger
User avatar
Melt in the Sun
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 2062
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:41 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ
USDA Zone: 9b

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#35

Post by Melt in the Sun »

Starting to spike in November, in Tucson. Didn't know this was an over-winter bloomer like A. parrasana? Or is this aberrant? No matter, will be glad to be rid of it. I wish the other one was going too!
20201121_120515_resized.jpg
20201121_120515_resized.jpg (423.05 KiB) Viewed 6399 times
User avatar
mcvansoest
Moderator
Posts: 2985
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:22 pm
Location: Tempe, Arizona, USA ie. Low Desert & Urban Heat Island
USDA Zone: 9a/b
Contact:

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#36

Post by mcvansoest »

I think it must be what they do. On another forum someone else had one start about a month ago. This person is in Indiana so the timing difference between there and Tucson is maybe due to daily temperatures?
It is what it is!
bigdaddyscondition
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 313
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 9:04 pm
Location: Inland Empire foothills, southern California

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#37

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

Have commercially available Blue Glows gone downhill in quality in the last few years? They enjoyed a surge in popularity for landscaping here in the Inland Empire a few years back, and they are not living more than maybe five years or so before spiking and growing all these axial branches. And I've seen a lot of washed-out, sick looking Blue Glows. Maybe it's just that people don't know how to care for them, but I see this a lot around here.
User avatar
Melt in the Sun
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 2062
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:41 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ
USDA Zone: 9b

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#38

Post by Melt in the Sun »

Not sure - would you consider this washed out/sick looking (no offense taken)? I've had this one since 2011 or so and bought in a 3-gallon pot. They certainly are cheaper now! I think they just don't like the low desert sun.
bigdaddyscondition
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 313
Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2014 9:04 pm
Location: Inland Empire foothills, southern California

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#39

Post by bigdaddyscondition »

Melt, yours looks a little pale, but a lot better than the ones I'm referring to in my region. I would expect Blue Glow not to fare as well in the desert, even in a cooler desert like Tucson's (cooler than, say, Phoenix or Palm Springs), as they do in cooler habitats.

The Blue Glows I've seen in the IE and Los Angeles are definitely in cooler environments. I just don't seem to see as many with that dark blue-green color and vivid red edge to the leaves. Maybe people are just planting them in too much sun.
User avatar
mcvansoest
Moderator
Posts: 2985
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 12:22 pm
Location: Tempe, Arizona, USA ie. Low Desert & Urban Heat Island
USDA Zone: 9a/b
Contact:

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#40

Post by mcvansoest »

Mine looked great under 50% shade cloth. Moving it to the new house in a more sunny position killed it... feels like it wants a lot of shade to deal with the heat...
It is what it is!
User avatar
Melt in the Sun
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 2062
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:41 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ
USDA Zone: 9b

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#41

Post by Melt in the Sun »

Late pictures (from January 2021) but since there are no actual pictures of flowers yet...here they are. Lots of axial branching too.
Attachments
20210130_161656_resized.jpg
20210130_161656_resized.jpg (238.29 KiB) Viewed 5077 times
20210130_161649_resized.jpg
20210130_161649_resized.jpg (171 KiB) Viewed 5077 times
anttisepp
Bulbil
Posts: 56
Joined: Thu Jun 17, 2021 3:37 am
Location: Suomi - Finland

Re: Agave 'Blue Glow'

#42

Post by anttisepp »

Absolutely beautiful gem among created succulents. Just bought one on occasion and now studying information.
But who and why renamed it into Shaka Zulu and does Kelly Griffin know about it?
Post Reply