Many of the over 200 species of agave come from the deserts or semi-deserts of Mexico, where a mild climate prevails all year round. That's why the exotic potted plant is not suitable for overwintering outdoors. Read how to keep your agaves he althy through the winter.
Can agaves stay outside in winter?
Agaves should be protected over the winter as they can only tolerate cold and wet conditions to a limited extent. Frost-resistant species such as Agave parryi, Agave inaequidens, Agave utahensis and Agave americana can be left outside, but should be protected from moisture and placed in mild regions.
Can you overwinter agaves outdoors?
A few types of agave actually tolerate short-term frosts down to around minus 15 or even minus 20 degrees Celsius. However, if possible, these agaves should not overwinter outdoors, but rather protected: the problem here is not the cold, but rather the wetness that prevails in Central Europe during the cold season, along with the lack of light.
Agave must be protected from excessive moisture even in winter, otherwise it will quickly turn yellow or brown leaves. In addition, most frost-resistant species cannot tolerate permanent frost, but should only be exposed to sub-zero temperatures for a short time - especially since the plants freeze to death more quickly when kept in containers.
Which agave is hardy?
The species considered to be frost-resistant include
- Agave parryi
- Agave inaequidens
- Agave utahensis
- Agave americana
Of these agaves, A. americana is the most sensitive: it can only tolerate temperatures down to minus 10 degrees Celsius for a short time, while the others have no problems with temperatures of up to minus 20 degrees Celsius. In principle, you can also overwinter these agaves outdoors if these rules are followed:
- mild region in Germany, e.g. B. in wine-growing region
- Protect from moisture: place the agave under a roof (e.g. carport or terrace)
- Cover substrate surface with conifer twigs and coarse gravel
- Wrap the plant pot with garden fleece or similar so that the roots are not damaged
You should avoid planting these agaves: If a cold winter comes with a lot of snow or rain, the agaves will definitely die.
How should you overwinter the agave?
Most other agave species have absolutely no place outside in winter and should therefore be moved to their frost-free winter quarters in November at the latest - before the first frost. Here the asparagus plant overwinters best at around 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.
Where should you overwinter agaves?
It is best for the agave to overwinter in a cool place in a place that is not too dark: some light (the warmer the temperatures, the brighter it has to be!) is necessary. Examples of good locations include:
- Basement (with window)
- Attic (also)
- Greenhouse
- Winter garden (unheated)
- Stairwell (unheated)
If necessary, you can also overwinter agaves in warm living rooms, but you should install suitable plant lamps (€23.00 on Amazon) and set them to a lighting period of eight hours a day. It is otherwise far too dark in our latitudes for warm overwintered agaves.
Do you have to water agaves in winter?
Agaves that overwinter in cool conditions only need to be watered about twice. To do this, it is sufficient to moisten the roots a little so that the root system does not dry out completely. Agaves that have overwintered warmly, however, need regular water because they do not go into hibernation. However, you can safely avoid fertilization in both variants
Tip
When can the agave go outside again?
In spring you can put the agaves outside again as soon as there is no more frost - this will certainly only be the case after the Ice Saints in May. Before that, there can still be night frosts even in April.