Separating agave pups is ruff but doggone rewarding
When you grow agaves, mangaves, and aloes—which love our Texas summers—you often get pups. That’s what you call the baby plants that grow up under or beside the mother plant’s leaves. Not all agaves produce pups (the ‘Whale’s Tongue’ does not), and that can be a plus if you want a specimen plant that requires almost no maintenance. But getting pups, like this litter on my ‘Macho Mocha’ mangave, can mean a never-ending supply of free plants for your garden or those of your friends.
This weekend I tackled the de-pupping of the mangave. It was looking messy with all those pups poking out and getting taller and taller, and I’d noticed that the mother plant was looking tired and a bit saggy since it bloomed. Perhaps removing the rapidly growing pups from her root system will help to revive her energy level. (Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’, unlike agaves, is not monocarpic and survives after blooming.)
De-pupping a spiky agave is dicey work, but that wasn’t the difficulty with the soft-leaved ‘Macho Mocha.’ Rather, the mangave’s broad, heavy leaves must be lifted to get to the pups, and they are brittle and easily broken. I enlisted my daughter to help me. We both wore gloves to protect our hands from the rough edges of the leaves, and she carefully lifted the leaves out of the way while I reached under and attempted to snip the pups free of the mother plant.
It wasn’t easy, and the pups clung tenaciously, like little pit bulls. Sweaty and mosquito-bitten, I started tugging on the pups, pulling them free with brute force. Some came out with good root systems intact, while others were snapped off at the base. But at last the pups were all unleashed, and the mother plant looks clean and spiffy again.
And see all the mangave pups we potted up? I have a ‘Macho Mocha’ kennel!
Next up for a de-pupping was my squid agave (A. bracteosa). It produces solitary pups from time to time (not visible in this picture).
I’d already transplanted one pup a while ago.
I pulled the latest pup out and got a nice, long tap root. The root was too long to be easily planted, so I made a clean cut under one of the root hairs and planted it in a good-draining mix of soil and decomposed granite. Squid agave, like the ‘Macho Mocha’ mangave, prefers partial shade in our hot climate, which makes it perfect for my live-oak-shaded garden.
I picked up these lovely Aloe saponarias at The Great Outdoors recently, when all their plants were on sale for 50% off. While I was planting pups this weekend, I also moved some sun-scorched irises to a morning-sun location and replaced them with these sun-loving aloes. Backed by feathery bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa) and fronted by Dalhberg daisy (Thymophylla tenuiloba), it’s a combo made for sun and heat.
Aloe saponaria, an African native, is cold-hardy in Austin, and it puts up stalks of tubular flowers in spring. It also produces a LOT of pups. When these begin to pup, I plan to remove them regularly to keep the single-star look.
Speaking of aloes, I also planted this big Aloe striata, which I picked up at Oracle Gorge‘s recent plant sale. This is a new plant to me, and I have no idea whether it pups or not.
It’s a beauty, though, with those pink margins along the stripey leaves.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
I need to divide my Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’. Several park projects could use this non-dangerous, drought tolerant cross. Thanks for putting this thought in my head.
You have quite the dog pound growing here Pam. I would grow all of those lovely plants if I could. I do have an aloe that looks like saponaria. It doesn’t look as well rounded as yours and it is already making pups. Geez it looks like I am going to the dogs too.
It’s sometimes a brutal job. I need to find some of that fancy chain mail that I saw at the Renaissance festival. We gave away maybe a dozen pups this year. I think just about every one of them drew blood. 🙂
I don’t know which is more impressive; that you are out there doing this work in the heat or that you can actually plant new plants in the heat. You and your agaves and aloes are all tough cookies! Congrats on all the babies!
Pam: That manfreda is looking luscious with the pups all removed. I am pleased to learn that I could look forward to some pups from my A. bracteosa-I bought a small pup a year ago, though it hasn’t been the fastest grower.
I just love my Aloe saponaria/maculata plants for the splendid blooms each sends out every 3 months. To think I almost did not accept the plants from the friend who offered-I had thought they were just plain old aloe vera-of which there is no shortage here. I only took them because I didn’t want to offend her as she had already ripped them out. It is truly a very aggressive “puper’. I use gloves and easily pull out the babies.
I don’t believe the Aloe striata sends out pups. These aloes were to be seen everywhere on my recent trip to San Francisco. The lovely thing about all these plants you posted on is that if you are trying to establish a new garden their prolific reproduction certainly helps.
Thanks for the info about the Aloe striata, Nicole. Yes, I’m happy about all the other pups. I have a lot of ground to fill. —Pam
I have an aloe that looks an awful like your Aloe saponaria (color, growth, cold hardy), and I’ve pulled away loads of pups. I pulled the pups this past spring, and the pups have pups! We could have had a pup swap!
Between the two of us, we may end up filling all the Austin bloggers’ gardens with aloe pups, eh? —Pam
It sounds like difficult work! You do have a lot of pups there. Is it any cooler there lately?
Cameron
Not a bit, Cameron. Still above 100 degrees every day, but I often garden dripping wet from the pool. —Pam
Those plants can take an amazing amount of abuse. We have had a few tugs of war over here with the pup making agaves. Too bad I missed yet another sale.
Pam, thanks for that informative post on de-pupping. I think it’s cute that they are called pups instead of babies, because it looks like they have long ears. Guess what? I saw an agave (w/thorns) at the Home Depot yesterday. A large one for $39.00. Agaves are expensive. Unfortunately, I don’t know the variety because there was no tag. I was trying to decide if I want it for a container plant. Still haven’t decided, but it’s a pretty thing.~~Dee
Agaves are expensive, Dee, as they are often slow-growing. But they are so worth it! Once you have one you’ll want others. 🙂
Sometimes there are strings…or in this case, tap roots… attached to free plants! But, those pups seem well worth the effort. They are going to make you and a few friends very happy. So glad to know how to reduce the size of tap roots to make planting easier…I am going to try this technique on the year old babtisia. gail
Hi Pam.
One of my favorite activities – pup planting (as you well know). Although I can do without another major agave bloom for a few years! I knew that 50% off sale would be too tempting to pass-up 🙂 It looks like you picked up a fine pair of spikey friends. I really like the look of the Aloe striata, and if it ever does have some pups – please put me on the list if you should have surplus!
This post made me want to “a pup hunting” myself!
In fact I think I will.
ESP.
Have fun pup-hunting, ESP. I’ll definitely save you a striata pup if I ever get any. How about a Macho Mocha pup instead? —Pam
Pam,
Jamie and I thought we had a Whales Tongue, but it produces tons of pups. I wonder what it is?
Good question, Randy. An Austin blogger tells me that her A. ovatifolia is also producing pups. I’m wondering whether there’s a hybrid Whale’s Tongue out there or whether it’s the old story of simple mislabeling. —Pam
You have some very nice looking Agave’s.
Jake
What a good mom you are! I’m sure all those agaves – large and small — are thanking you today. And you’re amassing quite a collection of agaves for the new yard. Can’t think of a better time to do it than the summer from *#&&, when everything else is choking for water.
The pups gave me a good reason to get my hands in the dirt again, Diana. I was going through garden withdrawal! —Pam
I have so many agave and aloe pups there’s nowhere else to put them. No one wants them anymore, and as much as I hate it, I usually end up throwing them out. Agave angustifolia is the most prolific pup producer, as well as A. desmettiana and A. lechuguilla. I will never plant those again!
Aiyana
That’s a great idea for a container for your mangave. Also, on an earlier post, I liked your chip and dip bowl with succulents, too! You have lots of good ideas.
Thanks, Amy. It’s fun to play around with unexpected containers. And I’m just crazy about stock tanks. —Pam
What a great instructional post… and I swear that I saw Mama Macho Mocha looking much more relieved once she was de-pupped! 🙂
By the way, have you tried using that aloe for… well, soap? We have a specimen of that at the botanical garden where I volunteer, and I’m always fascinated by the fact that it can be used that way.
Hi, Kim. No, I haven’t used that aloe for anything but landscaping. —Pam
Your xeric plants are all so foreign to me, that’s why I enjoy your blog so much. I especially like that star shaped aloe, and would love to find it here as a houseplant.
They do have a nice shape, don’t they? Thanks for stopping by, Robin. —Pam
Crazy — After reading your comment on my agave post about the desmettiana life cycle, I googled “separating agave pups” to learn what to do with them, and your blog was the first thing that came up in the results. Thanks for the guidance. I could not be less prepared to tend a garden, so I’m going on faith and bits of advice wherever I can get them.
Thanks for commenting, Devon. There’s a wealth of real-life information available on local garden blogs; find links to them under Garden Blogs I Dig in my sidebar. And don’t worry about being a newbie. Even the most experienced gardener started out right where you are. Experience is the best teacher, after all. Happy digging! —Pam