How to Care for Caribbean Agaves

Caribbean agave, or Agave angustifolia, occurs naturally in Mexico and is widely cultivated throughout the southwestern United States as a landscape ornamental. The 1- to 3-foot-long, swordlike leaves emerge from a central stalk and form a dense rosette with a globular shape, adding dramatic visual interest to xeric, or low-water landscaping. Like most succulents, Caribbean agave is easy to care for if it is planted in a sunny bed with good drainage, but it looks better and lives longer if provided with regular watering and yearly feeding.

Things You'll Need

10-10-10 ratio fertilizer
Garden hose

Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Plant Caribbean agave plants where they can receive six to eight hours of full sun each day. Choose a bed featuring sandy soil with excellent drainage. Avoid beds with clay-based soil or deep shade.
- 2
  Feed Caribbean agave plants once a year in early spring. Apply 10-10-10 ratio fertilizer diluted to half strength around the base of the plant. Wash the fertilizer into the soil to a depth of 3 inches using a garden hose on low volume.
- 3
  Water Caribbean agave plants deeply, but infrequently. Run water on low volume at the base of the plant for 10 minutes every 10 to 14 days. Water only when the top 3 inches of soil has dried out completely from the previous watering.
- 4
  Prune off any dead or damaged leaves as they appear. Snip the leaves off at the base using clean pruning shears. Wear gloves when pruning Caribbean agave plants since they have sharp spines and can cause injury.
- 5
  Decrease water in late September approximately three to four weeks before the first frost. Water sparingly during the fall and winter months. Apply just enough water to keep the leaves from withering but do not saturate the soil. Withhold all water if it rains.

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