Plant Doctor Archive

Agave damaged

For the first time in many years my Agave attenuata have been damaged by frost this winter. What should I do?

AS long as the centre of the plant is still undamaged your agaves will survive. If you want to tidy them up quickly, you can simply cut back the damaged leaves with a sharp knife or scissors - the cuts usually heal over quickly. But if you can stand the unsightliness of them for a while longer, it might pay to wait a few more weeks until the risk of further frost damage has passed.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.