Agave plants are striking architectural succulents that can transform any landscape with their dramatic, spiky foliage. One of the easiest ways to propagate agaves is through their pups – the small plantlets that emerge from the base or flower stalk of the mother plant. Learning how to properly plant these agave pups allows you to expand your collection and share these stunning plants with others. In this complete guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about planting agave pups successfully.
What are Agave Pups?
Agave pups, also known as offsets, are essentially miniature clones of the parent plant They form as small plantlets attached to the mother plant by a thick connecting root The pups emerge from the base or the flower stalk and develop their own root system while still attached. Eventually they become independent plants that can be detached and planted on their own. Agave pups are genetically identical to the parent plant, so propagating through offsets ensures the same traits are passed on.
When to Remove and Plant Agave Pups
Timing is an important consideration when planting agave pups. Here are some guidelines:
-
Wait until the pup has formed its own small root system and is at least a few inches tall before removing it This ensures it can establish well when planted,
-
Spring and early fall are ideal times for planting agave pups. Avoid summer heat.
-
Allow the cut end to callus over and dry for a few days before planting. This prevents rot.
-
Larger, more established pups tend to have higher success rates when transplanted.
Step-by-Step Guide to Planting Agave Pups
Follow these simple steps for successfully planting your agave pups:
1. Select a Healthy Pup
Carefully inspect the agave plant and select a robust, healthy pup to plant. Look for one with well-developed roots and no signs of damage or disease. Larger pups with more established roots tend to transplant best.
2. Remove the Pup
Use a sharp, clean knife or pruners to gently detach the pup from the mother plant. Carefully cut the connecting root. Try to keep damage to the parent plant minimal.
3. Allow Time to Callus
Place the removed pup in a shady spot for 4-7 days. This allows the cut end to callus over, preventing rot when planted.
4. Prepare the Planting Area
Select a site with full sun and very well-draining soil. Improve drainage by mixing in sand, gravel, or pumice. Agaves are highly prone to rot and need perfect drainage.
5. Dig a Hole
Dig a hole at least twice the width of the pup’s root ball. The depth should be equal to or only slightly deeper than the root ball.
6. Plant the Pup
Carefully place the pup in the hole. The top of the root ball should be level with the ground. Spread the roots out and fill in around the pup with your prepared soil mix.
7. Water Thoroughly
Water the newly planted pup well to remove air pockets. Allow the soil to completely dry out before watering again. Take care not to overwater.
Caring for Planted Agave Pups
Proper care once your agave pups are planted helps ensure they establish and thrive:
-
Water sparingly, allowing soil to fully dry between waterings.
-
Fertilize a few times during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer.
-
Protect from frost and freezing temperatures.
-
Prune any dead, damaged, or diseased leaves.
-
Transplant into a larger container as the pup grows.
With proper timing, planting technique, and care, your agave pups will flourish! In time, they will mature into stunning specimen plants.
Troubleshooting Common Agave Pup Problems
If your planted pups struggle, here are some potential issues and solutions:
Problem: Pup fails to establish or dies after planting.
Solution: This often occurs due to transplant shock or rotting. Allow more time for callusing next time and be vigilant about drainage.
Problem: Pup becomes discolored, mushy or limp.
Solution: This indicates rot, likely from overwatering. Allow soil to fully dry out before watering again.
Problem: Pup grows slowly or new leaves are small.
Solution: Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer to encourage growth. Ensure it is getting full sun.
Problem: Leaves appear yellow and lower leaves die back.
Solution: Could indicate overwatering. Check drainage. Or may signal under-fertilization. Fertilize to encourage growth.
Problem: White spots or fuzz on leaves.
Solution: These are signs of pests like mealybugs and scale. Wipe leaves down with a damp cloth or use insecticidal soap.
With proper care, your planted agave pups will thrive for years to come. Their striking forms and architectural appeal are worth the minimal effort involved.
Budget landscaping + design repetition
Repotting your agave pups is a great way to stretch your gardening budget since agaves and many other succulents are expensive relative to many other plants, so you can incorporate your free agave pups in your own landscape design.
Repetition is a core landscape design principal anyway. We generally don’t want to have just one of a particular plant except where you’re showcasing a large tree or specimen plant.
Repetition creates order to the eye, which humans find naturally pleasing.
Sometimes you just don’t need any more of a particular plant though, so agaves also make great gifts! One year I gave my co-workers at the landscape architectural firm where I was working pups of my Agave americana var. medio-picta Alba in simple terra-cotta pots wrapped with a burlap bow along with Pete’s Coffee cards.
The grayish-green and creamy white variegated stripes made for a nice, “California green” holiday pot. (Many plants native to CA or that do well here in our mild, arid climate are gray-green rather than green-green).
SHOP THE LOOK (Six of my favorite Agaves!) Queen Victoria Agave (A. victoriae reginae), Etsy Agave Blue Glow, Etsy Agave Blue Flame, Etsy Artichoke Agave (A. parryi var. truncata), Etsy Agave americana mediopicta Alba Agave salmiana Ferox, Etsy
[Want more design inspo and helpful plant tips? Lets hang out on Instagram!]
I decided to do a last-minute mini-planting-makeover in a small planting bed left of my home’s entry. My house was suddenly going to be on a holiday home tour to take the place of another, so I had to get ready fast.
The plantings on the left side of my front walk were overrun with tired, rangey tall plants, so I had them removed except for a volunteer palm tree and some smaller agaves I placed there years ago. (Which were not meant to be a permanent location, but here they are 8 years later!)
I knew I wanted a large, specimen agave in front of my arched window, so I planned for one of my favorites – Agave salmiana ‘Ferox’. Their large size and graceful, urn-shaped form make them a stand-out in any landscape. Ferox is Latin for ferocious, and this agave lives up to its name.
The only problem? December ‘tis not the season to be buying landscape plants, even from wholesale nurseries. My wholesaler only had it available in the variagated form, which I really didn’t want since I already have variegated Agave americana medio-picta ‘Alba’ in that bed.
So after searching around, the only place in the Bay Area that had one was at Cactus Jungle in Berkeley. It was actually Agave salmiana, minus the ‘Ferox’. However, I realized it’s actually the type planted at Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma, which was my original inspiration. I was told by Cactus Jungle that it has a broader leaf than the Ferox cultivar, which I consider to be more desirable anyway.
Stunning display of enormous Agave salmianas with Mexican Feathergrass repeated in rows at Cornerstone Gardens in Sonoma, CA
Being a retail nursery though, the price was quite a bit steeper than I would normally pay. Agaves are slow-growing plants that take a lot of time and effort to cultivate before they’re salable at a large size, so it came with a price tag of $185 for a 10 gallon container. After hemming and hawing, I decided to bite the bullet.
I always calculate the ROI (return on investment) of larger purchases. I ask myself, what’s the bigger picture beside this immediate price tag? Never-mind wanting one for years, (yes, certainly a factor) I know that with my design sensibility, this will not be a cookie-cutter landscape when all is said and done, designed and installed. Having a statement plant like this can enhance the value of my home, especially when highlighted properly with landscape lighting.
Good design should pay for itself and then some. Every time I do a design project, my goal, in addition to adding beauty and function, is to add value. When you’re considering doing a major project, whether its a landscape or interior, I believe you should consider the cost-benefit ratio; where to put your money to get the most bang for the buck. It shouldn’t be the only consideration by any means; some project elements are put in place just because they make you happy, and while that can’t be quantified the same way, it is certainly worth something.
Agave americana var. medio-picta Alba with pups in front of a Canary Island palm. Source | Greenhouse Studio
Some might argue that by this logic, maybe it’s better to fund a project like a kitchen rather than a landscape. Perhaps, but by my estimation, plenty of people can envision themselves taking on a kitchen remodel and will do a decent job of it. After all, there are only so many ways you can configure a kitchen: appliance, cabinet, and counter configuration, surface/finish materials to choose from, and all of this is laid out in a flat, and usually rectangular, box.
But a good landscape? Too often it’s done poorly or is at best, mediocre. Unlike the kitchen, there are way too many variables for most to handle well; it’s a living system with weather, slope, drainage, sun exposure etc to deal with, never mind how you actually layout hardscape, vertical elements, and then select plantings.
So when you have a great landscape, I think it provides a “wow” factor that other remodeling may or may not, often for less money than many interior remodeling projects. Therefore, potentially, a better ROI.
So this is my long-winded way of saying that the agave can pay for itself, just not next season, as they are slow-growing and will take years to get to an impressive size.
However, this agave came with several pups which I’ll use a in other places in my landscape design. This offsets the cost of a few other plants I would otherwise have purchased from the wholesale nursery.
Agave salmiana “mother plant” is planted at upper left by the entry steps. Other locations for using the divided and transplanted agave pups are circled on the bottom half of plan.
After I realized I had these pups, I decided I will use them instead of other plants that are currently laid out in my planting plan for my home, seen above.
So what does this all have to do with agave transplanting?
The bottom line is good design should provide a return on your time and money invested. A specimen plant properly sited in the landscape can be an important contribution to a landscape design project.
Also, you can save money and heck, even make some money by starting your own little succulent side biz if you want by digging and dividing up your extra pups or by propagating other succulents (if nothing else, it can fund your succulent habit)!
Now we’ll finally get on to the transplanting:
- Thick gloves (I like goatskin for cactus spines, some prefer nitrile gloves)
- Clippers/pruners (these are quality pruners at a good value)
- Containers for potting transplanted pups
- Soil for repotting (Heres a good succulent mix )
- Tarp (optional)
My 10 gallon Agave salmiana (you can purchase one here) came with about 6-ish pups that were ready to be split off and a couple more that weren’t ready to leave their mother. (The main plant is called the “mother” plant and the offshoots are “pups”.)
My Agave salmiana “mother plant” at Cactus Jungle in Berkeley, CA with pups crowding the sides of the container.
How to Propagate Agave Pups
FAQ
What to do with agave babies?
Agaves often produce small plant offsets around the base of the parent plant. These perfectly formed miniature plants eventually grow into full-size plants. This baby will be replanted and kept in my main greenhouse until it is more mature.
Can you cut an agave stem and replant?
How to propagate agave. Any pup plants that develop after flowering can be removed and planted in pots or the ground. Older plants will often form large clumps, and entire shoots can be removed, neatly trimmed, allowed to dry and then planted in pots until they are established.
Do agaves transplant well?
Just cut it off and stick in its new spot and keep it moist. It will root in a week and make its new home. You most likely won’t loose any vegetation as they hold THAT much moisture. I have agave all over my house.
How do you grow agave in a pot?
Planting in a container Place the agave pup in the middle of the pot and fill it with a mix of cacti and succulents. Keep the plant’s crown high, but firmly press down on the soil around it to keep it stable. Add more soil as needed. One of the Agave salmiana pups transplanted into a pot with cacti-succulent mix soil.
How do you propagate agave pups?
The first step in propagating agave pups is gently removing them from the mother plant. Carefully tip the container on its side and slide the mother plant out. Use shears to slice down the side of the nursery pot if you need better access to the base. Gently loosen the soil around the pups to locate their roots.
What are agave pups?
Agave pups are small offshoots that grow at the base of mature agave plants. These pups are essentially baby agave plants that can be separated from the parent plant and propagated to grow into new individual plants. Propagating agave by pups is a great way to expand your agave collection without having to purchase new plants.
How do you propagate agave?
When propagating agave by pups, the first step is to carefully remove the pup from the parent plant. Use a sharp, clean knife to cut the pup away from the main plant, making sure to include some roots with the pup. Be gentle to avoid damaging the pup or the parent plant.
Can agave etiolated pups be propagated in the ground?
In-ground mother plant: If separating a pup from a plant in the ground, use a trowel or small shovel to dig out the pup, taking care not to damage the mother plant (or yourself). Normal agave pup on upper left, etiolated pups in middle and bottom right. You can still propagate the the etiolated pups.
How do you root an agave PUP?
Use a shovel to dig around the base, loosening the pup. Prune any large connecting roots then extract carefully to not damage the mother plant. How long does it take for an agave pup to root? Left attached to the mother, pups typically take 1-2 years to fully root and be ready for transplanting.