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DJ Hobbs
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:19 pm Posts: 156 Location: Newport, South Wales, UK
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Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
This particular Agave hasnt been available for that long so when i bought it from Pan Global Plants back in 2008 i had no idea what it would grow like here in the Cold and Damp UK.
Here it is just planted in 2008
Summer 2012
Foot for scale
As you can see it has grown rather well and is now a very handsome plant showing good colour to the teeth and nice markings on the leaves.
Id love to know how others have grown in the little time its been available, especially in warmer climates that have more heat but less rainfall.
Mr Spracklin didnt you have one which was suckering? Hows it doing?
_________________ Darren
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Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:55 am |
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Troydonovan
Joined: Sun May 30, 2010 1:54 am Posts: 1466 Location: Old Beach Tasmania
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Re: Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
Very nice looking specimen !
Thanks for posting
_________________ Tasmania 42 " south Cool Maritime climate
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Thu Feb 21, 2013 12:05 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 Montana 4 Years Growth
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Thu Feb 21, 2013 12:40 pm |
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DJ Hobbs
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:19 pm Posts: 156 Location: Newport, South Wales, UK
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Re: Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
Thanks Troy, im sure these would grow all year round for you in Taz as whenever we have a mild spell in the winter mine starts opening new leaves. Are these available in your part of the world?
Paul i have always put an open sided plastic shelter above it for the winters so its never seen snow in the crown. The winter of 2010 was a real test for it with 2 weeks straight below zero days and nights, plenty of -10s and 9s with the absolute lowest being-10.4, it did have some damage on the leaves at the back of the plant that didnt recieve any winter sun that year but they quickly grew out. Of the plants and seed you have brought back from your travels have any of them shown any unusual features like some of the ones pictured in your and Nicks travelogues? Also have you tried any of the Plant Delight Variants?
_________________ Darren
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Thu Feb 21, 2013 4:03 pm |
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kindredspiritkevin
Joined: Fri Apr 23, 2010 9:02 pm Posts: 108 Location: Mid-West, Ireland.
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Re: Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
All my Montanas were mushed in the two freezes in 2010. My present Agaves (not Montanas) are now in a special bed under a glazed pergola, so don't get any rain.
_________________ https://coolwatergarden.com/
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Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:41 pm |
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stevenbrown
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2011 12:15 am Posts: 310 Location: Edenfield lancashire UK
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Re: Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
I am a little perplexed with Agave Montana it seems to vary in hardiness & moisture tolerence from plant to plant. I had three growing here in Lancashire, lost one in the Winter of 2010 at -9 ,lost the second one Winter 2010/2011 at -11, yet the third one is pristine & puts on steady growth every year. I also had one in my garden in Frejus on the French Riviera ,this one grew realy fast for a couple of years until there was a wetter than average Winter which resulted in fungal leaf spot on every leaf, to say I was surprised is an understatement, I never expected this in such a mild Mediterranean climate ,the plant was that bad it had to be removed.
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Thu Feb 21, 2013 9:48 pm |
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Alberto
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:40 am Posts: 686 Location: Carambeí - State Paraná, 2nd tableland of southern Brazil
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Re: Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
Two of my Agave montana I grew from seeds that Paul Spracklin brought from his (first?) expedition to Mexico
_________________ I´m looking after cold hardy plants,specially palms.
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Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:46 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 Montana 4 Years Growth
Darren - nothing particularly unusual has popped up in anything I have raised or seen, although they are all individuals. The Plant Delights things as far as I can see aren't Agave montana - plants like the one they call 'Bacarat' I believe are A. gentryi. There was some discussion about this on another forum and the 'Bacarat' form was collected at low-ish altitude in the middle of ripe gentryi territory, I forget exactly where now. Although, that said, I haven't had a look at their website for a long time to see if they are offering anything new or, indeed, changed the names.
Steven and Kevin - I am also very much perplexed by Agave montana. Winter 09/10 I lost 5 out of 7 plants growing in the garden yet others I know had much colder weather have them still pristine. This year I planted out another decent sized plant and it is doing ok with only minor damage thus far. Another large one in a pot was placed under shelter to keep it dry and has gone rotten. Seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Especially as I have a plant of Agave stricta that is still alive and well after that winter - and that would never, ever see a frost in habitat. Shows provenance alone can't be relied on as a yard stick for hardiness.
Alberto - those are doing really well. Was the seed directly from me or via RPS?
_________________ visit my website - www.oasisdesigns.co.uk
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Fri Feb 22, 2013 5:18 pm |
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Nick Macer
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:42 pm Posts: 1284 Location: Gloucestershire, UK
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Re: Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
Darren - I am almost as satisfied with your plant as you are. I think I have shown you the plant, but I have got a dwarf A. montana that arose from out first collection in 2004. It's about half the size of the others in the batch. Most interesting!
_________________ Purveyor of good things
www.panglobalplants.com
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Fri Feb 22, 2013 5:54 pm |
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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 Montana 4 Years Growth
I grew about 35 from Paul's seed collection (via RPS) and gave/swapped most of them away. I planted 3-4 on my green roof when they were quite small - about 100-120mm diameter - and they were doing nicely, but growing slowly, until December 2010 killed all of them except one, the smallest one in the second wettest spot, which clung to life, but didn't grow, for another year or two and then disappeared when I wasn't looking.
I concluded that they have to be planted out at a larger size and I still have five plants in pots that are now all about 200-250mm in diameter. During Winter 2011/12, I took them all in during the brief fortnight of frost in February, but this year they've been sitting in their pots on the roof, totally unprotected, since last Spring. Our lowest temperature here this Winter has been -4ºC and they ought to be able to cope with that in 250mm pots. They looked pristine when I was up there a few days ago.
I doubt that they'll ever put on any real size on the roof. There just isn't enough root-run and the soil dries out a few times during each growing season. I may plant a couple of the remaining five out this year, but I'll create a mound of 250mm or thereabouts, to give the roots a bit more room and to keep the collars above wet soil.
There's also a potential issue with the roof soil freezing through its full depth when we get a hard freeze that continues over a period of days or weeks, which quite a lot of otherwise hardy succulents aren't going to enjoy.
_________________ 51º33'07"N x 0º07'21"W
43m (142 feet) ASL
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Fri Feb 22, 2013 8:01 pm |
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Alberto
Joined: Tue Jun 02, 2009 4:40 am Posts: 686 Location: Carambeí - State Paraná, 2nd tableland of southern Brazil
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Re: Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
_________________ I´m looking after cold hardy plants,specially palms.
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Fri Feb 22, 2013 9:48 pm |
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Las Palmas Norte
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 5:56 am Posts: 1249 Location: South East coast, Vancouver Island - British Columbia
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Re: Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
I planted a seed grown A. montana last year, given to me by another enthusiast. It's roughly 6" across and seems fine. Pic taken today, Feb. 23-13.
Cheers, Barrie.
_________________ Palms and exotics for coastal Vancouver Island.
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Sat Feb 23, 2013 8:40 pm |
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Jimhardy
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Re: Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
Nice growth-beautiful plant!
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Sun Feb 24, 2013 3:23 pm |
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DJ Hobbs
Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:19 pm Posts: 156 Location: Newport, South Wales, UK
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Re: Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
Seems like this species is very variable with its cold and wet tollerance.
Nice to see some other pics too, Alberto your first picture has a beautiful blue tint to the centre of the plant that really catches the eye and Barry you must have one of the meanest looking Montanas ive ever seen, just look at the size of those terminal spines..........................Fantastic
_________________ Darren
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Mon Feb 25, 2013 9:36 am |
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Tom Velardi
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:20 pm Posts: 4337 Location: Kyushu, Southern Japan (33.607N latitude)
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Re: Agave Montana 4 Years Growth
Mine didn't like the cold wet a couple winters back and lost its crown. Luckily it pupped. I'd love to try it out in a bed to maximize growth, but I've got no good place for one. Japan is too tight!
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Sun Mar 03, 2013 10:41 pm |
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