Not So Glamorous Gardening - Repotting Agaves

A few years ago, an Agave 'Mr. Ripple' came home with me.  It got potted up  a couple of times but for at least two years had languished in this pot that got dragged in and out each year.  Because the plant had totally grown over the surface of the soil, it had become very difficult to water the plant so it clearly needed a new pot but being incredibly top heavy, I didn't know how I could accomplish this without harming the agave and/or the gardener.  Turns out that putting the pot on it's side on the edge of a table with the leaves of the agave worked pretty well.  Because it was so dry, it came out pretty easily.

There were a couple of pups that needed to come off.  putting the plant in it's new pot in the greenhouse would have made it way too heavy to lug outside so I grabbed the roots and took it swiftly outside where the rest of the operation took place.


 Speaking of not-so glamorous, here's the danger gardenette at the moment during the awkward stage when the winter pots of evergreens have been moved out but the succulents and cacti aren't in place yet.   The repotted agave (sun scars are from last year's move.) is the first one out of the greenhouse and since it's supposed to be hardy to zone 7 and the pot is to big to haul around,  it'll stay outside permanently. 

Meanwhile, back inside, this poor Agave bovicornuta, one of my first that came to me in a four inch pot about ten years ago, had survived an attack of scale insects last year but never seemed to really perk up.  Seemed I couldn't give it enough water.  When I took it out of it's pot to inspect the roots, I felt horribly guilty for not checking earlier.  The poor plant was so root bound that no soil was visible, just a cylinder of dense roots.  Poor thing.  It got a larger pot and a good watering.  Today when I checked, it looked a bit more hydrated than when this picture was taken.  Hopefully it'll forgive me for torturing it so.