Using her own giant Agave americana (century plant) as an example, bestselling succulent book author Debra Lee Baldwin explains why this silver-blue behemoth is both terrific and terrible. Before you let an agave pup loose in your garden, watch this!
AGAVE REMOVAL CAUTIONS
According to Duke Benadom, succulent book author, expert and long-time member of the Los Angeles Cactus & Succulent Society, very few species of Agave can be “chopped up” without potential injury to the person doing the chopping (or chainsawing). "When most members of the genus flower, all of the chemicals (juices produced by the flowering [dying] process) become concentrated in the core and in the bases of the leaves; ergo, the beginnings of tequila (just five species are used for that). Cutting into this tissue releases both liquid and gaseous chemicals that are quite dangerous to humans."
Duke himself "got extremely nauseated and came close to passing out. The fumes are overwhelming on many species and I highly recommend either waiting until the plant has dried up or digging it out by the roots while in one piece. They are also much safer to chop up prior to the beginning of the flowering process."
RELATED INFO
Also on YouTube: Six Great Agaves for Your Garden, [ Ссылка ]
Agave Americana Life Span and Removal [ Ссылка ]
Learn more at [ Ссылка ]
P.S. from Debra: I apologize for the distracting music. I'm learning! I keep older videos like this one on YouTube because they still have useful content. As for quality, newer = better. I appreciate your understanding.
BOOKS BY DEBRA LEE BALDWIN
— Designing with Succulents (mainly about in-ground gardening), [ Ссылка ]
— Succulents Simplified (good overview for beginners), [ Ссылка ]
— Succulent Container Gardens, [ Ссылка ]
CONNECT WITH DEBRA
--Facebook: @DebraLeeBaldwinOfficial
--Instagram: @debralbaldwin
--Website: [ Ссылка ]
--BluPrint classes: [ Ссылка ]
--Newsletter: Subscribe at [ Ссылка ]
--YouTube: [ Ссылка ]
ABOUT DEBRA
Award-winning garden photojournalist and bestselling author Debra Lee Baldwin shares know-how about “plants that drink responsibly” in print, photos, videos and her “Celebrating the Joy of Succulents” newsletter. Debra is based in Southern California, home to more succulent specialty nurseries and growers than anywhere else in the world.
#agavedeathbloom #agaveplant #agave #garden #succulent
This video's URL: [ Ссылка ]
