[Arid_gardener] Question from Home-Hort WWW page

[olin miller]

I am not aware that Master Gardeners prepare "written protocols".. We 
provide information based on "University Research" as published at 
http://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/pubs/pubs.htm
or at other states' cooperative extension sites adjusted as needed to 
account for different climates and growing seasons.  Additionally, many of 
us have training in hort/ag programs at other universities or community 
colleges and also have years of experience in growing plants and gardening 
our desert climates.  But if the inormation is not based on U of A research, 
we need to qualify it as such.

That said, any growing plant benefits from its green foliage.  If your agave 
is not stressed, cutting off the partially dead blade probaly will not hurt 
the plant.  It may come down to esthetics but I believe most of us don't 
really like the pineapple effect.  My recommendation is to cut out the dead 
part of the leaf blade with a very sharp pair of scissors back to green 
portions terminating at a point that resembles the natural growth odf the 
agave's blade.  From the street, it will look perfectly natural.

The preceding  "is the opinion of the message author. The University accepts 
no responsibility for the content. Use the recommendations at your own 
risk."

Olin, Zip 85310
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----- Original Message ----- From: <wild_kat at cox.net>
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 4:49 PM
> Katherine Darrow, 85310, wild_kat at cox.net
>
> I am wondering if the Master's Gardener Program has any written protocol 
> on the maintenance of sotol, aka desert spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri), 
> yuccas and agaves. The practise of "poodlizing" or "pineappleizing" these 
> species is widespread in the area, yet I was taught in Desert Landscaper 
> School (DBG) that this is unnecessary and sometimes harmful to the plants. 
> What does the Master Garderener program teach?