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speedy-seeds.co.uk

Agave Americana (Sentry/Century Agave) | 15+ seeds

£3.99 GBP
£3.99 GBP
Sale Sold out
Tax included.
Please find for sale 15+ seeds for  Agave Americana more commonly known as Sentry plant Century agave or American Aloe. Hardy to most of UK, this plant makes a stunning structural piece to any garden or patio.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL ORDERS RECEIVED BEFORE 8PM (MON-FRI) WILL BE DISPATCHED SAME DAY

SAVE PACKAGING MATERIALS  - SEE OTHER INTERESTING & UNUSUAL SEEDS & PLANTS

INSTRUCTIONS - TO SAVE PAPER I NO LONGER SEND OUT WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS TO CUSTOMERS. INSTRUCTIONS ARE BELOW SO PLEASE BOOKMARK THIS PAGE. FEEL FREE TO MESSAGE ME WITH ANY GROWING QUESTIONS.


Agave Americana is a beautiful, highly architectural species, regarded by many as an indoor or seasonal plant for growing outdoors in summer. It eventually forms an enormous rosette of stiff, dangerously pointed leaves. It used to be thought that the plant takes 100 years to flower - hence its "Century Plant" name, but this is a myth, it actually just takes just 8-30 years!

The plant should be grown in well-drained soil in full sun. When mature it will be able to cope with cold and frosts provided it’s protected from winter wet. Young plants will need extra protection. Alternatively grow in a large container that you can move indoors in autumn. 

They are also very attractive as young plants in pots - see the second picture - so this is very much a plant for life!

Germination Guide 
  • Soak seeds for 24 hours in tepid water
  • Prepare a seeds tray of sieved, well-draining soil mix - Ideally a mix of  50% regular compost, 50% vermiculite (which I sell in the Accessories section of my eBay shop)
  • Potting mix should be moist but not wet
  • Prepare a seed tray and gently smooth the surface flat (but do not press hard and compact the compost)
  • Sow the seeds individually on the surface 1cm apart and very gently press onto soil to ensure a good contact.
  • Cover seeds with a thin layer (3mm) of fine sand or vermiculite
  • Keep seeds tray at around 21c in a light place but out of direct sunlight
  • First seedlings should appear within 2 weeks but germination may be over up to 10 weeks.
  • After germination, increase ventilation to reduce the risk or rot/damping off
  • Ensure compost is kept moist but not wet - nest to place seed tray inside a waterproof tray and water from the bottom. The surface can also be misted if drying out
  • After about 5 weeks, the compost should be allowed to dry out between watering to replicate natural conditions
  • Pot on as required


Olly's General Guide to Seed Sowing!

I love sowing seeds and it runs in the family - dad, grandad and finally my great-grandad for whom the hobby helped him get over his experiences in the Great War. I still get a big kick when I see the first seedling poking through from a new plant that I have never sown before or been successful at. However, even the most experienced gardeners draw "blanks" from time to time. Whilst I sow all the seeds that I sell so I know that they are viable, some are trickier than others and problems can arise so here are some tips to make "blanks" few and far between:

1) Dont Rush! Tempting though it is when that packet arrives in the post to simply bung the seeds in some compost!


2) Google and Youtube are your friends! Take some time so see the methods other people use to germinate the seed. 

3) Think Nature! What conditions do seeds face? For example a seed from a tropical plant will fall to the warm, wet and dark jungle floor. A seed from the mountains of Europe will fall to the floor in Autumn, then have to endure months of freezing temperatures before germinating in the spring. So as growers, what we are trying to do is to simulate the conditions that the seeds will naturally experience and there are plenty of tricks that can be done to short cut the processes somewhat.

4) Good compost pays dividends . The best investment you can make is to purchase three bags - one of potting compost, one of vermiculite and one of horticultural sand. With these three bags I can make up whatever soil type a particular seed likes (although for most seeds I find a 50/50 mix of compost and vermiculite works just fine) 

5) Rot is your enemy. The single biggest danger to seed germination is rot - either before or after "damping off" the seeds germinate. To reduce the risk, ensure you have good free draining soil mix and that it is moist but not wet. Unless the seed variety absolutely requires it I prefer NOT to cover my seeds trays with plastic bags, Whilst germination is often faster this way, it greatly increases the risk of rot. I prefer to place my seed trans inside a watertight plastic tray and water from the bottom - airflow over the surface reduces the risk.



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