Agave Desert Diamond - Desert Diamond Agave has compact rounded plant habit and variegated with white margins and gray-green centers leaves ...
Agave Desert Diamond, also called as Desert Diamond Agave, is cultivars in the genus Agave. This cultivars was discovered by Hans A. Hansen in summer of 2005 at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich., USA.
DESCRIPTION OF AGAVE DESERT DIAMOND - DESERT DIAMOND AGAVE
Agave Desert Diamond is an uninduced whole-plant mutation in a tissue cultured crop of Agave potatorum ‘Kissho Kan’. The plant has been successfully asexually propagated both by division and by tissue culture at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich and have been found produce stable and identical plants that maintain the unique characteristics of the original plant.
It is a herbaceous perennial which reaching 10 cm tall by 17 cm spread with mounded compact dense plant habit. The stems are short and completely covered with leaves in a basal rosettes. The leaves are spatulate, acute spinose apex, truncate sessile base, serrate and spinose margin, 7.5 cm long by 5 cm wide and have white margins and gray-green centers.
Desert Diamond Agave require several to many years to mature and blooms from the erect, sinuous, spicate inflorescences with 3-8 flowers. Each individual rosette flowers only once and then dies. The flowers are ovarium fusiform, greenish to pale yellow.
AGAVE DESERT DIAMOND - DESERT DIAMOND AGAVE CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Agave Desert Diamond prefers direct sun with at least six hours of direct sunlight. The higher the better in most cases, a minimum of 5000 foot-candles. The plants require high light to develop strong leaf coloration and will stretch badly under low light conditions. Low light levels can be offset somewhat with dry soil conditions, but only for a short period of time.
Temperature:
Desert Diamond Agave grows best at night temperatures above 13 °С and day time temperature must be at least 18-21 °С. However, the hot days of summer will not be a problem and the plant can tolerate the temperature of up to 37 °С. High temperatures and high humidity can create a lot of disease issues, so stay on the lookout.
Substrate and growing media:
Agave Desert Diamond needs a well aerated and freely-draining medium. The soil is not demanding, they are often grown on poor sandy and rocky lands. A substrate mixture of one part soil less or soil-based media with one part coarse sand and one part washed grit, small gravel, claimed clay, pumice, or expanded slate is recommended. Mixing a time-released fertilizer in the media will insure a constant supply of nutrients.
Transplant the plants in the spring, only when it is really necessary. Young plants are transplanted first annually, then in 2-3 years, and adult specimens - only when the tub or pot becomes small.
When planting, do not deepen the neck of the plant: it should rise slightly above the soil level. Sand can be poured around the root of the plant's neck, in order to avoid rotting during the winter period.
Watering:
Although the plants are desert plants and highly drought tolerant once established, they thrive on consistent watering throughout their lives. They should be allowed to dry slightly between watering. Under potting is a good way to insure that the roots don’t become oversaturated. Always on the dry side, the key factor is making sure roots have a lot of air surrounding them.
Fertilizer:
You can use a granular or slow release fertilizer at medium rates. When using slow release make sure all other conditions are optimal, otherwise stem breakage, poor quality growth, and diseases can become an issue.
Winter period:
Agave Desert Diamond tend to go dormant during the shorter days and cooler temperatures of winter. Watering should be reduced and stop fertilizer until spring. This is the time when they are most prone to fungal pathogens that cause rot. To keep them actively growing during the winter months, you may want to consider extending day length with supplemental lighting and keep warm temperature. Maintaining a lower than normal relative humidity and excellent air circulation will reduce the likelihood of disease and insect pests.
Propagation:
Desert Diamond Agave are usually propagated by offspring, by separating them; there should be one knot on each separated piece. The cut pieces are dried (2-3 hours), and then they are sprinkled with charcoal powder and planted in sand at a temperature of 20° C. Separated offsprings are planted in pots. The composition of the earth mixture is as follows: turf, leaf, sand (1: 1: 1 h). After planting, watering plants start in 2-3 days. In the summer with young plants, it is advisable to make in the greenhouse. In the first year of vegetation, young agaves form 4-6 leaves, in the second - 7-9, in the third - 10-12 leaves.
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