Can you help me get rid of an Agave Americana?

Ok, long story short....





When planting my garden about three years ago, a friend offered me a clipping of her century plant and I accepted. The color went well and we planted it near a few front windows (nothing like plants with huge thorns to deter would-be thieves). Now, three years later and many, many painful battles with the little babies that keep popping up... I'm done. I want it gone. It's invasive (it has killed many plants in the garden because the suckers pop up 15 feet away from the momma plant), it's a beast to maintain (you try cutting off the branches) and it's a menace to my toddler.





Can anyone help me with the best way to get rid of these things? I know I could always take a saw to the leaves, cut them all away and then dig out the root... but I was wondering if there is an easier (and less painful) way. I've also heard that I could be battling babies for years after I remove the momma, is that true?





Thanks for your help! -- Jen

Can you help me get rid of an Agave Americana?
I gotta lol, Why didn't you research the plant be for planting and think about this ahead of time. You could be enjoying something beautiful now instead of fighting this thing.





Wrap a chain with a slip hook as close to the base as possible, hook the other end of the chain to a truck or big car. Get the chain taught and then give it the gas. may take a couple tries. then start pulling up the smaller roots by hand. any roots you cant pull up, paint the broken ends with round up and cross your fingers. you will still have to pull up stays for a year or two.
Reply:I don't know the exact answer because I don't live in a climate that agave grow in, but given that it is a succulent to a degree I would suggest depriving the plant of water and then chop the plant off ( wearing long sleeve shirt or rubber sleeves as to not injure yourself in the process) and paint the open wound with Round Up. To get the greatest saturation on the wound I would use a sponge brush dipped in a container of Roundup.


This site gives a great over view of the plant and it's needs. Mayb you could do the opposite of it's needs. I would also check with your local extension office, since you are having a problem with these plants I would think other people in your area and zone are as well. They probably get asked about agave quite often, and may have an easy solution for you or access to one.


Definitely to help keep "babies to a minimum" cut off the flowering stalk before it has the chance to set seed and spreading your headache throughout your yard.


Good Luck.


http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/v...
Reply:this will be a long. you will need to dig up the plant and not only chop it up , but take every last peice as far from soil as possible. you must get ALL the roots or else it will grow back. also you can posion it, but this will poison the soil and make it unable to grow anything for 6 years.





i would keep on digging them up and kill the mother plant and it will take quite a few years, but they wil all be gone.





these are pretty plants, but before getting any agrave get a large pot, and stick the agave in the pot so it doesnt spread