How to grow agave
Agave cultivation method
Culture method 1. A mixture of humus soil and coarse sand is commonly used for potted plants. Fertilize once a month during the growing season. Increase the amount of watering in summer to keep the leaves green and tender. For agaves with white or yellow edges, provide a little shade when exposed to the scorching sun. After autumn, the growth of agave is slow. Watering should be controlled, strive to be dry, stop fertilizing, and cultivate the soil appropriately. If it is a potted plant, it is necessary to remove side tillers in time to maintain the beautiful appearance of the plant.
Culture method 2. Generally, new shoots can be divided after two or three years of growth, while old plants can be divided every year. It is resistant to drought and waterlogging. When potting, be sure to add gravel and fine sand as a water-permeable layer. After entering the house in winter, place it in a bright place, keep the pot soil slightly moist, and spray water on the leaves frequently. During the overwintering period, you can also take out the plants, remove the soil from the roots, tie the leaves together with ropes, and hang them in a windproof and oil-free place. You don't need to water them all winter. Leave the house on the Qingming Festival of the following year. Gradually increase the amount of watering and continue to grow.
Breeding method 3. Summer is the growing season. You can water it once a day. It cannot tolerate heavy fertilizers and avoid applying oily fertilizers. It is best to change the culture soil every year when repotting, and water the horseshoe water once a month during the growing season. To cultivate agave flowers well, you must also pay attention to its reproduction. You can use the young shoots growing next to the old plants to insert them into plain sandy loam and take root in about 20 days. After the plants have grown for a period of time, change the culture soil and the growth will be faster; The second is to split the old roots into buds with five or six buds, and water them lightly after planting them in pots. Precautions for agave farming
1. Agave is a poisonous plant included in the Chinese Plant Atlas Database. Its leaf juice is toxic and can irritate the skin and cause a burning sensation. For example, if 100ml of leaf juice is taken orally every day, poisoning symptoms such as anorexia, reduced activity, and hind limb paralysis will appear on the third day. If left untreated, it can be fatal; anatomical examination shows congestion of the gastric mucosa and ischemia of the liver. Symptoms such as otitis media, cyanosis, dyspnea, and increased heart rate may occur after eating sheep. It can also poison fish. Therefore, you should be careful not to let children touch it when placing it.
2. Fertilize the agave once a month during its growth period. Increase the amount of watering in summer to keep the leaves green and tender. For agaves with white or yellow edges, provide a little shade when exposed to the scorching sun.
3. Agave often suffers from leaf spot, anthracnose and gray mold. It can be applied with Dacnin and Picangwang ointment, which has excellent curative effect. There is scale insect damage. If there is a small amount, it can be removed manually. In severe cases, 200-300 times of dishwashing liquid and 600-800 times of wind oil and semen can be sprayed. Varieties of Agave
Agave Phnom Penh
Agave Phnom Penh is a typical variety of agave and is commonly used in garden cultivation. Also known as golden-edged lotus, agave, and golden-edged fake pineapple.
Agave agave is a perennial evergreen herbaceous plant. The stems are relatively short and lignified, with multiple sword-shaped leaves of varying sizes, 5 to 7 cm wide, and sometimes the leaves can be as long as 1 m. The most distinctive feature is the green leaves, with yellow-white stripes on the edges and purple-brown thorn-like serrations. The leaves are smooth but fragile and break easily. Mostly cultivated in gardens.
Queen Victoria Tequila
Queen Victoria Tequila, just hearing the name will make you feel a sense of nobility and elegance. The Queen is that kind of aloof and charming character.
Queen Victoria agave leaves form rosettes on short stems. The color is dark green, long and triangular, with irregular slightly convex inner lines on the leaves, mostly concentrated on the edges. Leaves entire, apex hard and sharp. This plant actually grows very slowly, growing only 1-2 new leaves every year, just like a delicate queen. Therefore, the mature plant is very valuable and is the most beautiful variety among agave.
Striped agave
Striped agave is another common agave.
The leaves of the spotted agave are flat and flaky, varying in length, thick, and often curled at the edges. The surface color of the leaves is yellow-brown to dark brown, with dense longitudinal stripes, and the edges of the leaves are light yellow and smooth.
Other varieties of agave
In addition to the above-mentioned varieties, silver-edge agave and golden-heart agave are also commonly used.
The characteristic of silver-edged agave is its gray-green leaves with silver-white edges.
Golden heart agave has yellow leaves in the middle, or yellow with thin green stripes in the middle, and green leaf edges. Explanation of the Feng Shui of agave
The five elements of agave’s feng shui
The five elements are what people often call gold, wood, water, fire and earth. For agave, it belongs to the five elements of fire, and among the five directions of east, west, south, north, and south, the south belongs to fire. Therefore, when raising agave at home, you can place the agave in the direction facing the direction of the agave. South direction. Whether it is a south-facing balcony or a south-facing windowsill, they are both good choices.
In cities, raising plants on the balcony is an important part of a prosperous home. Placing the agave on a south-facing balcony not only conforms to the properties of the agave. Another point is that the balcony in this orientation faces the sun and has good air circulation, which is very good for sun-loving plants like agave.
Agave’s Feng Shui Zodiac Signs
There is a saying that different zodiac signs should choose different plants to raise.
If your zodiac sign is Horse, you can choose to place plants belonging to metal and earth in the northwest of your home, such as one of the varieties of agave? Silverside Agave. Placing it here is beneficial to those born in the Year of the Horse. If your zodiac sign is Ox, you can raise agave, which belongs to fire, in the southwest of your home. If your zodiac sign is dragon, snake, or chicken, you can also raise agave in the south of your home.
The Feng Shui aura of agave
Different plants have different auras. The so-called aura sounds like a mysterious and mysterious word, but aura probably refers to the influence of the invisible energy emitted by a person on its surroundings. Plants are living substances. They have spirituality, blood type, emotions, rationality, and their own aura.
The aura produced by agave can affect people around you. Choosing to place agave in the south direction can create a plant aura that is conducive to adjusting people's heart and gastrointestinal health, and can play a certain role in correcting some personality problems in the family. Diseases of agave
Common diseases of agave
The more common diseases of agave include leaf spot, anthracnose and gray mold.
Among them, anthracnose of agave mainly damages the leaves, causing lesions and spots on the leaves. The lesions deepen in color and gradually expand in scope, and eventually the entire leaf will rot.
Most agave diseases are caused by poor cultivation environment. The air is hot and humid, ventilation is poor, or excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers can be prevented.
Methods for preventing and treating agave diseases
In order to avoid the occurrence of agave diseases, prevention can be the main focus. Pay attention to ventilation and reasonable fertilization during high temperatures in summer to ensure sufficient trace elements for the growth of agave. Remove diseased leaves promptly to prevent the disease from spreading.
When lesions occur in agave, you can spray 800 times of thiophanate 70 methyl, 1 Bordeaux solution, 100 times of green milky copper, anthrax, carbendazim and other drugs every 7 to 10 Spray once a day, and it is best to use several drugs interchangeably to avoid the development of drug resistance. Agave pests
Common pests of agave
The most common pests of agave are scale insects. There are also hazards caused by shield scales, mealybugs, and root mealybugs.
Pest control methods for agave
When you find insects in agave, you can manually remove the insects first. You can use bamboo sticks, tweezers, etc. to remove the insects, and then remove them from the plants. Spray medication. When there are insects in the soil, change the pots and soil in time, disinfect the plants, and prune the roots. Before repotting, disinfect and use fresh soil free of insect eggs.