NOTE: The terms Century plant and Agave americana are identical in this text; in reality, Agave americana is Century plant’s biological word.
The century plant is a stunningly beautiful agave species. It can grow up to ten feet wide and six feet tall with leaves in grey-green or variegated colors. The leaves are tipped with sharp spines that protect them from pets or people. The plant’s leaves are considered to be mildly toxic.
Why does my Agave americana roots have rot?
Root rot on your Century plant (Agave americana) can be dangerous if left untreated. In order to keep your plant alive, we strongly suggest that you follow our advice if the signs start to show: blackened and mushy roots.
Why does my Century plant have gray mold spots?
A particular fungus known as gray mold spots spreads quickly and frequently damages flowers. This fungus is probably to blame if you see any brown (or gray) spots. If you disregard these warning signs, your plant could die.
Our Solution
The solution is quite logical when you know the cause of the problem. Most of the time, it is due to overwater of the Agave americana. We advise you to remove the infected parts of the plant, cut off the infected roots and leaves, then repot your plant using sterile potting soil and a clean pot.
Why does my Century plant have leaf spots?
This type of disease is one of the most frustrating for Century plant owners, we give you all the leads to spot and save your plants that present symptoms such as leaves that suddenly change color, or wilt/droop.
Why are my Century plant leaves turning yellow?
In the world of horticulture, yellowing leaves are undoubtedly the most common problem. The two main causes of this problem are overwatering and a lack of nutrition.
Reduce your watering frequency when you fear your plants are being overwatered, and follow these steps to determine whether they may be lacking in nutrients:
Each deficiency produces a different yellowing on the Agave americana in question, here’s how to spot them:
- Yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves are the first sign of magnesium shortage. Veins continue to be green while the leaf’s core turns yellow. The leaf’s edges yellow last.
- Yellowing between leaf veins is another sign of iron shortage, but young leaves on plant tops and branch tips are initially affected.
- Sulfur shortage first affects the youngest leaves, turning them entirely yellow.
- Insufficient potassium causes the leaf edges to turn brilliant yellow while the interior of the leaf stays green. Older leaves show the symptoms initially, and the leaf edges quickly darken.
- A lack of nitrogen is indicated by a widespread yellowing. Older, inner leaves are the first to yellow. As the yellowing progresses, it eventually touches young leaves as well.
Our Solution
According to the symptoms mentioned above, you just have to act accordingly. You can reduce your watering frequency, or fix a deficiency in Potassium, or Nitrogen, for that, you just have to buy a special soil for your deficiency, a consultant in a gardening store will know perfectly well how to inform you.
Is my Century plant sunburned?
You can easily tell if your Century plant (your Agave americana) has a sunburn. In this case, your plant will change color, starting to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.
As we saw above, the leaves of your Century plant can also change color if it receives too much water or insufficient light.
The bottom of the yellow leaves with a shaded area closer to the base can be examined to determine if they have been sunburned. If this part remains greener, the yellow leaf is most likely sunburned and not something else.
Why are my Century plant leaves turning brown?
The classic sign that a plant has been overexposed to direct sunlight and sunburned is the development of browning leaves. Rest assured that while this may probably save your plant from dying, it will adversely affect its growth.
Should I leave my Agave americana in direct sunlight?
No! Don’t leave your Agave americana (or Century plant) in the sun if it displays the symptoms mentioned above; that’s why it’s in such a bad situation.
Our Solution
As stated in the paragraph above, the cure is straightforward: simply position your plant’s Century plant so that it is out of direct sunlight. With proper watering and this method, your plant should quickly come back to life.
Why are my Agave americana leaves drooping or wilting ?
In most cases, this happens when your Agave americana lacks water. This is especially the case for large plants, naturally they need more water than others.
Whether your Agave americana plant’s pot appears light, the soil and roots are likely fairly dry and need water, so you can readily tell if it needs to be hydrated.
Our Solution
If the soil in the container is completely dry, you must first moisten it to guarantee that your plant’s roots absorb the benefits of the water. One common mistake is to drown the Century plant right away after a dry time because you think it needs a lot of water.
This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.
Caring Tips for Agave americana
Water Occasionally
Water is necessary for your plant to live, but timing and amount of watering must be balanced. Overwatering could have disastrous effects on your own name, as we already mentioned.
Touching the soil will let you know whether your plant needs water or not; if it still feels damp, it’s generally best to wait a few more days.
Always keep temperatures stable
Maintaining a consistent temperature for your Agave americana is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your Agave americana close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.
Keep your Century plant Dust-Free
This one relates to indoor plants. Just like your furniture, dust collects on the leaves of your indoor plants. The issue is that this can block the photosynthesis process from starting, which would cause the plants to gradually lose their color.
This would be a true journey into hell for your Century plant and would also satisfy the pests.
To remove the dust from the leaves of your plant, take a microfiber cloth and gently rub the leaves. You can wet the cloth to make it easier to remove the dust, but never use corrosive products (such as rubbing alcohol!)
Keep drainage in mind
If you have a tendency to overwater, you need to keep an eye on your drainage, we advise you to opt for a pot with drainage holes if it is not already the case and a saucer.
If your pots don’t already have holes in them, you can add volcanic rocks (or any other pebbles with holes) to the bottom of your pot in the meantime. This will assist in creating a channel and keep the water from pooling there for an extended period of time, protecting the roots from decay.
