Soil height for potted agaves

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Drel
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Soil height for potted agaves

#1

Post by Drel »

I've noticed when getting small agaves from local nurseries that their soil level is so far up the pot that it covers the some of the lower leaves, usually in a decomposing mess, with none of the white "trunk" showing. I dislike this as it's messy and unattractive to me. When I take them home I'm in the habit of removing all the dead and damaged lower leaves, clearing out the soil all the way down to expose the beginning of the roots. I repot this, filling the soil up to just where the root begins, exposing the now clean, white "trunk" of the plant (pretty much like bok choy cabbage). Does this affect the plant in any particular way? Good practice, or a rookie mistake?
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Spination
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Re: Soil height for potted agaves

#2

Post by Spination »

I agree somewhat, except that I fill the soil just a bit higher, and then add a top dressing of gravel. I feel the rosette gets more support that way. But to each there own. As far as a mistake, I think the soil too high can cause some problem where the soil is in contact with the plant tissue above the root zone, but probably only if wet too long.
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Azuleja
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Re: Soil height for potted agaves

#3

Post by Azuleja »

Sounds good. I repot pretty much everything I bring home and agree that a fast draining top dressing does add support and helps keep the crown dry. Sometimes I use one and sometimes I don't. With a plant like what you're describing, I do. I like to partially cover newly uncovered leaf bases, usually with scoria or coarse decomposed granite.
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toditd
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Re: Soil height for potted agaves

#4

Post by toditd »

Yeah, Drel, tonight I'd did the same thing. I transplanted an Agave parrasana from its nursery pot into a larger clay pot. The nursery pot was full, bursting at the seams with all the pups pushing up around the edges. I couldn't see any soil for the all pups and had no idea where the soil line was. After cutting away the plastic pot and removing the pups, I scraped away nearly 2 inches of soil from the top to expose all of the leaves, and then I removed the previously buried dead leaves, which pulled away easily. The new soil line is just below the lowest leaves. I haven't added a top dressing yet, but that will be an exercise for a later date.
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