Question Time – agave, cactus, xanadu

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Dying tips on agave

Don was asked about dying tips on an agave (Agave sp.) growing in the garden. He thought that too much water may have caused the brown tips, or that it could be a salt problem. He suggested replanting the agave in a raised garden bed, where the drainage would be better. Or, an easier solution would be to dig the agave up, wash the garden soil off the roots and then put it into a pot. It would be best to use a specialist potting mix for cacti and succulents, which is very free-draining, or make your own using 50/50 ordinary potting mix and coarse sand. (Cacti and succulent mixture costs about $7 per 10 litre bag.)

Bent cactus

An audience member told Don that her cactus is starting to bend over in the pot. She tried tuning the pot in the hope that the plant would grow towards the light, but without success. Don suggested putting a temporary stake in the pot, and then tying the cactus to the stake using an old stocking. He thought that the plant would straighten out in about 12-18 months.

Spiky cacti can be handled painlessly. Small cacti can be managed with kitchen tongs. But if you have a bigger cactus, the trick is to make up some ‘hands’ out of a foam box used by fruit shops. Carefully cut up a foam box so you keep one of the corners attached to two sides, and you have a good, safe cactus-handling device.

Cacti love sun. Water them once a week, and give them a weak quarter-strength dose of slow-release fertiliser in spring and summer.

Xanadu

An audience member asked Don if it would be ok to plant Philodendron ‘Xanadu’ near a salt water pool. Don said not to worry about whether the pool is salt or chlorine. However, it is important to avoid messy plants (such as jacaranda) that drop leaves and flowers into the pool.

Philodendron ‘Xanadu’ is a neat and tidy plant that is ideal around a swimming pool.

It is an evergreen low shrub with a compact growth habit and attractive lobed leaves. It rarely exceeds 1m x 1m, and usually grows to around 75cm (2’6″) high. ‘Xanadu’ can be grown in the garden in tropical and subtropical Australia and in warm temperate coastal areas. In the colder parts of Australia it’s best grown as an indoor or patio plant under high light conditions.

‘Xanadu’ is great planted near pools, in pots, in tropical-look gardens or in drifts for a massed display. It likes full sun to semi shade, plenty of water in spring and summer and annual fertilising with slow release fertiliser to keep it green. Plants are readily available at nurseries and cost around $25 for 200mm (8″) pots, and about $40 for 250mm (10″) pots. It is also possible to purchase sun grown advanced plants for an instant landscape look.