Help with a dying Wax Agave Solved
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Please respect all forum members opinions and if you can't make a civil reply, don't reply!
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Help with a dying Wax Agave
Hello, I'm not sure if I have posted this in the right forum but it seemed the most appropriate place.
I have a 5 year old wax agave. When I bought it, it was about 3 inches wide. It grew massive, super healthy, to about 5 inches wide and I repotted it about 2 years ago, which it handled fine.
Recently, one of my rabbits got to it and chewed about 7 or 8 leaves. The Agave then dropped about 3/4 of its leaves and reduced back down to a diameter of 2.75 inches roughly (pictures attached). With it dropping it's leaves, which were soft and squishy, it has been left with a bare stalk and tough leaves (I know the stiff leaves are a good sign, so I'm hoping the plant will be okay). I have taken it out of the bigger pot to repot into it's original, smaller pot with a cactus soil I bought and some sand to mix through.
Does anyone have any advice for saving/helping this plant? The stalk is now really long with roots at the bottom and it just doesn't look healthy.
I hope this is okay to post. I feel really guilty about the state of this plant, and I'm pretty attached to it having had it for so long. It was doing so well until recently.
Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.
P.S Don't worry about the water in the glass. I'm in the middle of repotting.
I have a 5 year old wax agave. When I bought it, it was about 3 inches wide. It grew massive, super healthy, to about 5 inches wide and I repotted it about 2 years ago, which it handled fine.
Recently, one of my rabbits got to it and chewed about 7 or 8 leaves. The Agave then dropped about 3/4 of its leaves and reduced back down to a diameter of 2.75 inches roughly (pictures attached). With it dropping it's leaves, which were soft and squishy, it has been left with a bare stalk and tough leaves (I know the stiff leaves are a good sign, so I'm hoping the plant will be okay). I have taken it out of the bigger pot to repot into it's original, smaller pot with a cactus soil I bought and some sand to mix through.
Does anyone have any advice for saving/helping this plant? The stalk is now really long with roots at the bottom and it just doesn't look healthy.
I hope this is okay to post. I feel really guilty about the state of this plant, and I'm pretty attached to it having had it for so long. It was doing so well until recently.
Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated.
P.S Don't worry about the water in the glass. I'm in the middle of repotting.
Re: Help with a dying Wax Agave Solved
It is an Echeveria agavoides cultivar and looks in rude health to me, so don't worry about it. Pot in good new compost and it will grow nice fresh leaves. When the stalk gets too long, it can be decapitated and the top bit rerooted, the bottom bit might then throw some offsets for you. However, I think the stem needs to be much longer before considering surgery.
- rodsmith
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Re: Help with a dying Wax Agave
I agree with Terry - and it definitely is not dying.Terry S. wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2019 2:03 pm It is an Echeveria agavoides cultivar and looks in rude health to me, so don't worry about it. Pot in good new compost and it will grow nice fresh leaves. When the stalk gets too long, it can be decapitated and the top bit rerooted, the bottom bit might then throw some offsets for you. However, I think the stem needs to be much longer before considering surgery.
Rod Smith
Growing a mixed collection of cacti & other succulents; mainly smaller species with a current emphasis on lithops & conophytum.
Growing a mixed collection of cacti & other succulents; mainly smaller species with a current emphasis on lithops & conophytum.
- juster
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Re: Help with a dying Wax Agave
I also agree with Terry and Rod, but I am a bit concerned about what your pot, which seems to be glass and might not have drainage holes. If that's so, then this is not a good idea. Echeverias and all succulent plants need good drainage, so suggest you use one with holes. Also you mention using sand, which is OK as long as it is horticultural sand, not builders' sand.
Don't worry about asking questions, we all had to start sometime!
Don't worry about asking questions, we all had to start sometime!
Croydon Branch member, growing mainly cacti and Echeverias
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Re: Help with a dying Wax Agave
Don't worry! The glass isn't the pot. I was just using it to clean off the roots. The plant actually lives in a shallow-ish ceramic potjuster wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2019 4:25 pm I also agree with Terry and Rod, but I am a bit concerned about what your pot, which seems to be glass and might not have drainage holes. If that's so, then this is not a good idea. Echeverias and all succulent plants need good drainage, so suggest you use one with holes. Also you mention using sand, which is OK as long as it is horticultural sand, not builders' sand.
Don't worry about asking questions, we all had to start sometime!
- Echinocactus123
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Re: Help with a dying Wax Agave
jesari1701 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2019 4:50 pmDon't worry! The glass isn't the pot. I was just using it to clean off the roots. The plant actually lives in a shallow-ish ceramic potjuster wrote: ↑Tue Jul 09, 2019 4:25 pm I also agree with Terry and Rod, but I am a bit concerned about what your pot, which seems to be glass and might not have drainage holes. If that's so, then this is not a good idea. Echeverias and all succulent plants need good drainage, so suggest you use one with holes. Also you mention using sand, which is OK as long as it is horticultural sand, not builders' sand.
Don't worry about asking questions, we all had to start sometime!
Henry,
A 15 year old with a love for Slow growing cacti, highland nepenthes and bulbophyllum orchids.
A 15 year old with a love for Slow growing cacti, highland nepenthes and bulbophyllum orchids.
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Re: Help with a dying Wax Agave
Thank you everyone for your help
I was seriously worried. I have never had a plant drop so many leaves in such a short space of times.
I'm pleased it is in good health! It used to be a really bright green so the change in colour to a darker green with the pink worried me a little.
The picture attached it how it looked before my bunnies got a hold of it.
I was seriously worried. I have never had a plant drop so many leaves in such a short space of times.
I'm pleased it is in good health! It used to be a really bright green so the change in colour to a darker green with the pink worried me a little.
The picture attached it how it looked before my bunnies got a hold of it.
Re: Help with a dying Wax Agave
Your echeveria is now more the colour it should be. The earlier photo shows a plant that is not getting quite as much light as it really needs. This is indicated by the bright green colour and raised centre.
Re: Help with a dying Wax Agave
Looks good, how I wish there was cure for over watering them. :roll
With time I'm sure you'll get some good stem growth.
Wayne
With time I'm sure you'll get some good stem growth.
Wayne
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