baileysup
Green Thumb
Posts: 435
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 11:04 am
Location: NE-PA(Zone 6a-5b)

Agave Concerns

I got this girl off ebay a couple weeks ago. One of the leaves did break in shipping, and I didn't think much of it until recently. At first there was just yellow around the wound, but know it's turned to a grey/black. I'm not sure if this is just the final stage of the leaf tip drying out, or if it could be fungal related. Some of the other leaf tips have some yellowing as well, but I attributed that to transplant shock (I did trim the roots a bit). Has anyone seen this before, and can give me some advice on what action to take (if any)? I was just gonna wait it out, but I don't know if this will spread at all. Thanks, and here's a pic:

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baileysup
Green Thumb
Posts: 435
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 11:04 am
Location: NE-PA(Zone 6a-5b)

After observing the agave for a few days, I noticed that whatever it was on the leaf, was spreading rapidly. This made me think that it was fungal related, so I took action. At first I just removed the broken end of the leaf, and applied some cinnamon to the affected area. Shortly thereafter, I decided not to entrust the cinnamon for the cure, and removed the entire affected portion of the leaf. I have the plants best interest in mind with this procedure, as I didn't want to risk having the infection spread to the rest of the plant. It was for the best. :shock:. Hopefully this stops the yellowing leaf tips as well. Should I apply cinnamon to the open wound, or just let it be? Thanks


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applestar
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Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I'm not sure about applying cinnamon. When I first learned about cinnamon as fungicide, I liberally sprinkled the ground powder as if it was a fungicidal dust... And the entire leaf blackened and died :eek:

I tend to spray rubbing alcohol for a lot of the open (plant) wound kind of stuff. Some people say peroxide, but I have some doubts about hydrogen peroxide on live plant material because if I get that on my own (unbroken) skin and not rinse off for like 2 minutes, the area begins to sting, and then the skin turns white and won't recover. I once accidentally sprayed an earthworm that was hanging out on the surface of a container soil, and it writhed in apparent agony until I poured water enough to make a puddle around it.

baileysup
Green Thumb
Posts: 435
Joined: Fri Nov 12, 2010 11:04 am
Location: NE-PA(Zone 6a-5b)

Thanks applestar. I applied some rubbing alcohol with a q-tip for good measure. Hopefully this does the trick, and she makes a full recovery.



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