Severe pruning of old agave - Ask Extension
HI, should I be worried that the landscaper severely trimmed the bottoms of these two 50? year old agaves? He said the reason was to keep snakes from ...
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Severe pruning of old agave #300056
Asked February 07, 2016, 4:26 PM EST
HI, should I be worried that the landscaper severely trimmed the bottoms of these two 50? year old agaves? He said the reason was to keep snakes from hiding there and make it easier for them to clean around. He removed one without notifying me, saying it was too close to the other and was "dying". I see some evidence of west side grey leaves, does this mean my agaves are dying? or is it sun damage? I never noticed any dying agave. In Green Valley, pruning compliments of Complete Landscaping co of Tucson.
Pima County Arizona
Expert Response
Hi,
It is troubling that your landscaper pruned these plants and so severely. Typically, agaves don't need pruning unless there are diseased or damaged leaves. Some people prune off the pointy ends if they extend into walkways but even this is damaging to the plant. His reasons are debatable and no notification isn't a great idea unless you gave him permission to do what he thought best. If snakes are a regular problem in your area, maybe there is a good reason for protecting the landscapers. It's not clear what sort of cleanup is required from the photos or what you asked him to do in that regard. Removing one because it was too close makes sense although it should have been discussed before removing it. Finally, agaves don't do great in direct western sun so you might be seeing sunburn on the leaves facing that direction.
Peter
It is troubling that your landscaper pruned these plants and so severely. Typically, agaves don't need pruning unless there are diseased or damaged leaves. Some people prune off the pointy ends if they extend into walkways but even this is damaging to the plant. His reasons are debatable and no notification isn't a great idea unless you gave him permission to do what he thought best. If snakes are a regular problem in your area, maybe there is a good reason for protecting the landscapers. It's not clear what sort of cleanup is required from the photos or what you asked him to do in that regard. Removing one because it was too close makes sense although it should have been discussed before removing it. Finally, agaves don't do great in direct western sun so you might be seeing sunburn on the leaves facing that direction.
Peter
