Yuccas and Agaves

Just about all agaves, yuccas and dasylirion are very low fuss plants that have fairly simple requirements. The most
fundamental of these is that the medium in which they are grown in has excellent drainage. Read on to find more in-depth informaton regarding the plants of the Agavaceae family.

Planting

For nearly all these plants the techniques for planting are the same. Spring is the best time for planting as the weather begins to warm, this will allow the root system sufficient time to establish before winter.
All plants require a well-drained soil for best performance, this will help to insure that roots do not rot in cold and damp conditions. If the soil is not well draining, consider improving the soil structure or at least planting in a raised bed. For all plants dig a shallow hole no more than the depth of the root ball and some four times wider than the container in which it is growing. The roots of the agaves can be significantly pruned when planted. Pruning of Yucca roots is not so simple and much care should be taken to avoid damage. There is no need to backfill with add fertiliser or compost. Most of these plants rarely need fertiliser in open ground, at the most a light feed once or twice a year would be advisable.

Watering

Agaves, being a succulent are able to store water for future use, they should not be overwatered, especially in the cooler months. Cool, damp soil is an excellent host for several diseases that will rot agaves.
In general it is poor practice to water plants native to very dry conditions, which are planted in the ground, frequently with a small amount of water. It is better to water them well, far less frequently, in most cases once or twice a month in dry conditions. In the UK, in most circumstances, yuccas, agaves and dasilyrions will happily survive with no more than the natural rainfall. Intermittent watering may only be necessary in very prolonged spells of hot weather.

Containers

A relatively small root ball, a great tolerance of root crowding, and the stunning variety makes these plants excellent candidates for life in a container. Soil for container plants needs to have adequate nutrients for good growth without being too rich and needs and importantly needs to provid excellent drainage. It is important to plant agaves and other stemless plants a little high in the pot. All leaves should be above the lip of the pot, and the crown should be above the soil line. Care should be taken to select a pot that is not too large because it is important that agaves and yuccas, be slightly under-potted compared to most other plants.
Be aware although these plants are very drought tolerent, plants in containers do need additional water, especially in dry periods, due to the excellent drainage capacity of the compost when in containers. All plants can be placed in full sun.

Frost Protection

The vast majority of the agaves, yuccas and dasylirions that we stock vary between fairly hardy and very hardy. More detailed information on the cold tolerance of these plants is given in the profile of each plant. As a general rule, agaves with soft, pliable leaves are more frost tender than those with rigid, hard leaves.
A few techniques that will help to extend the cold tolerance of the plants can be found here

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