Agave schottii

Shindagger Agave Fun Facts!

    - grows in colonies
    - not edible to livestock
    - contributes to soil building and hold soil on steep rocky slopes
    - among the Spanish culture is known as "amole" or "amoliyo" and is used for washing clothes
    - not eaten by humans due to the small sized "heads" and the bitter constituents

The following are notes by the Plant Sciences Center Horticultural Technician on the salvage, care, and planting for Agave Schottii - Shindagger.

Salvage Method:

    - bare root
    - salvageable size is a one/five gallon plant or smaller; salvaging large agaves seems to trigger a response to start blooming rendering plant unusable (it may produce pups in the nursery)
    - when salvaging mark south side, at the nursery or planting site orient and plant south side facing south to prevent sunburn  

Temporary Holding Method: 

    - roots were trimmed to approximately 6 inches and either sulfured and planted or laid out under shade for a week to callus over cuts then planted into pots or holding beds
   - holding beds and potting soil consisted of 10% native soil; 45% washed sand; 45% compost
    - planted into direct sun

Pests & Diseases:

    - no signs of pests or diseases

Watering Schedule:

    - no irrigation except rainfall for holding beds
    - potted plants received irrigation 1 - 2 x per week
    - Agaves in holding beds received one deep soaking in June 99 due to the unseasonably dry winter

Misc. Notes:

    - tends to yellow out on the edges
    - Agaves should be held in holding beds for only a short period of time (no more than 6 months) as they will root beyond the beds into the ground below 
Suggest agaves be directly planted into pots if being held for extended periods of time