With agaves you can bring a he althy dose of exoticism into your home and yard. However, there are a few important tips to follow when caring for this fascinating plant - otherwise the leaves will turn brown and dry out.
Why is my agave turning brown and what can I do about it?
Agaves turn brown if they are not properly cared for, such as incorrect overwintering, too much or too little water, incorrect substrate or sudden exposure to sunlight. Optimal care and the use of mineral substrate help to prevent agave browning.
Why does the agave turn brown in winter?
Most agave species are not hardy here and therefore have to overwinter frost-free. However, you can do a lot wrong. You should definitely avoid these mistakes:
- wintering too warm (more than 5 °C)
- Wintering near a heater
- too little light combined with too little water
- regular watering
Agaves should overwinter in a cool place at temperatures between 0 and a maximum of 5 °C, although they can also be kept darker (e.g. in the cellar) and need absolutely no water! Warmer overwintering specimens need additional light and occasionally little water.
Why do agave leaves turn brown in summer?
During the vegetation phase, there are several reasons why the fleshy leaves turn brown:
- no gentle getting used to the summer location
- too much water / waterlogging
- wrong substrate
- too little water
After the winter break, you should not put the agave in the blazing sun straight away, but rather slowly get the plant used to the new location - otherwise you risk unsightly sunburn. In addition, agaves belong in a mineral substrate that does not store water - specimens in normal planting or potting soil tend to have rotten roots because this substrate is too moist for the plants.
What other reasons can lead to the agave turning brown?
Watering too frequently can also cause the leaves to brown. Agaves like it rather dry and should not be too moist. So ensure good pot drainage and avoid keeping the substrate permanently moist. Diseases or pests also cause brown leaves or leaf spots. This damage is initially noticeable primarily as brown leaf spots. However, the basic cause here is also inappropriate care such as too much moisture, as weakened agaves in particular become ill.
Do brown leaves turn green again?
Once the brown leaves have turned brown, they have dried up irretrievably and will no longer turn green. Typically, the lower, older leaves dry out first, leaving more moisture to the upper, younger leaves. To a certain extent, it is also normal for individual old leaves to die. Simply cut them off with a sharp knife and make sure to protect yourself from the sharp spines with sturdy gardening gloves.
Tip
Brown leaf tips indicate drought
If not the entire leaf, but only the tips and/or edges of the leaf turn brown, the humidity is probably too low. This is often the case when the winter is too warm. Grab a plant sprayer (€9.00 on Amazon) and spray the agave regularly (approx. once or twice a week) with room temperature, low-lime water.
