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Timedwards
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 8:08 pm Posts: 93 Location: Dudley, West Midlands UK
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Agave attenuata from seed - how difficult?
My Agave Montana and Ovatifolia all germinated well and are now growing on nicely/slowly. However, out of 10 attenuate seeds I only had 2 germinate, both were thin and fragile and have since sadly gone to the big compost heap in the sky! Is it just bad luck or are they more difficult than the others? I would like to try again but just wanted a few opinions first.
Thanks Tim
_________________ Tim
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Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:21 pm |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: Agave attenuata from seed - how difficult?
It shouldn't be any more difficult than any other agave to raise from seed so perhaps it wasn't good seed. But it would require higher temperatures to grow well - do you know this isn't a hardy species?
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Sat Feb 17, 2018 2:24 pm |
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Timedwards
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 8:08 pm Posts: 93 Location: Dudley, West Midlands UK
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Re: Agave attenuata from seed - how difficult?
Thanks Paul I will try it again and hope for more success. I thought they would be o.k. in an unheated greenhouse for the winter and keep them as pot plants. Very nice agave and with it's soft nature worth the trouble. I have just bought 10 Giant Mezcal Agave seeds which will be interesting as I think they are tender too and grow quite massive! I will cross my bridges when I get to them though - It will be quite some time before my Agaves are big enough to cause me trouble and cheap seeds off ebay so worth a punt Just reading your response again do you mean it will do poorly in the British summer? If so it may not be worth me bothering with if I just end up with a miserable plant.
_________________ Tim
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Sat Feb 17, 2018 4:24 pm |
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Paul Spracklin
Joined: Tue May 05, 2009 3:55 pm Posts: 2564 Location: North Thames delta UK
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Re: Agave attenuata from seed - how difficult?
It will be fine in summer but really would prefer around 5C in winter. Anything much colder and they start to decline - ive lost even fairly big plants in my greenhouse at just over freezing.
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Sat Feb 17, 2018 4:54 pm |
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Timedwards
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 8:08 pm Posts: 93 Location: Dudley, West Midlands UK
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Re: Agave attenuata from seed - how difficult?
That's useful information and I will now forget that one since I am not going to heat my greenhouse. That's very helpful so thanks for that info' it's much appreciated. I will be aware of that in future.
Cheers Tim
_________________ Tim
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Sat Feb 17, 2018 5:51 pm |
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AlexW
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2010 7:39 pm Posts: 95 Location: Reading UK
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Re: Agave attenuata from seed - how difficult?
No more difficult than others in my experience - perhaps a bit more fragile as seedlings. Very fast growing in comparison too, some of my 2 year olds are about 40 cm across already - grown outdoors for as much of the year as I dare since I don’t have a greenhouse. The beauties on Tresco would indicate that hot summers are not a necessity.
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Mon Feb 19, 2018 8:12 am |
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David Matzdorf
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:06 pm Posts: 5321 Location: Islington, London UK
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Re: Agave attenuata from seed - how difficult?
I've not tried to germinate seed of this species, but I had a very large one that I air-layered last year, because it was too tall and kept falling over. It looks much better now at 600mm height than it did with its rosette about head height.
It grows vigorously here, faster than most Agaves, as long as I keep it away from temperatures at 0ºC or lower. It doesn't seem to need heat, although it prefers sun. Not having a greenhouse, I haul it indoors every winter, where it insists upon trying to grow. The leaves that grow indoors in low-light conditions get burned by the spring sun after it goes outdoors, but it soon grows out of that.
Except for its total intolerance of frost, it's an easy species.
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Mon Feb 19, 2018 12:15 pm |
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Timedwards
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2017 8:08 pm Posts: 93 Location: Dudley, West Midlands UK
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Re: Agave attenuata from seed - how difficult?
Right then another change of plan, which is me all over, so I have re-added it to my wish list. I have a conservatory so I can't give up on it and will try again. I am having a roof put on the conservatory to make it habitable but still should get enough light for winter given the large windows. The flower spikes look gorgeous just before they die lol I think they look more like swans than fox tails though!
_________________ Tim
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Mon Feb 19, 2018 11:06 pm |
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