Agave is a medicinal plant. Its juice, roots, sap are used to create medicine that works for cancer, diarrhea, and more. But do you know where it grows?
Agave grows in hot and arid regions. For that, some parts of America are the best suitable for agave. Though this plant grows in the dry, some agave can also grow in tropical areas of South America.
Everyone wants to know how fast agave grows. To find the answer, you need to keep on reading. We found everything that you are looking for.
How fast does agave grow?
Agave grows in 10 years. It’s a slow plant. Therefore, it needs time to flourish and be ready to use for Medical purposes. On the other hand, some agave takes 18 years to be an adult. If you look at the growth of agave, you will find they grow very slowly. You cannot expect agave to grow fast.
To know which type of agave takes time, we have found eight different types of agaves and their growing time. This section will be on them, particularly at their fast-growing. Therefore, we will try to know which agave grows faster.
Blue agave:
Blue agave is the slowest plant you will ever find in your life. It only grows 6 inches in 6-8 years. It’s a bewildering factor about the agave plant.
If a plant only grows 6 inches in 6-8 years, what would be its maturity time? Exactly, we also look for the same. And find that, Blue agave takes almost 18 years to mature and fully flourish.
Artichoke agave:
Here comes another type of agave plant. It requires 10 to 12 years to grow and mature. It can turn into a 1-2 feet long tree at this time.
Moreover, it can grow up to 12 years. Then, it stops growing and becomes ready to use for different purposes. It doesn’t need much care; that’s why it has become the most prevalent agave that people like most.
Blue glow/flame agave:
Blue flame agave takes ten years to grow and be mature. By that time, it increases by 30 inches and extends up to 6 feet tall with its flowers. Moreover, it is the most beautiful agave.
Direct sunlight is a must for the growth of flame agave. Its beauty comes from the sun. When the sunlight falls over the blue agave, it turns into a great plant along with the flowers.
Foxtail agave:
Foxtail agave is a slow-growing agave. It takes three years to mature and flourish. By that time, it turns into a 1.5 meters’ tall tree.
In addition, it spreads up to 1 meter. However, it can tolerate both sun and part shade. That’s why it is a popular agave plant that people want to grow in their garden.
Octopus agave:
Here comes the fast-growing agave. Octopus agave only takes four years to get to its maturity. Therefore, you will get the flowers and leaves very fast.
On the other hand, you must place the Octopus agave under direct sunlight. It grows fast only when it takes direct sunlight. So, you shouldn’t put it in the shade.
Agave americana:
Agave Americana is another slow-growing plant. It can take up to 10 years and then start flowering. Once it starts giving flowers, it will go up to 20 years and more.
Moreover, it doesn’t need any specific care. You can plant it under direct sun. It is the only care you need to do.
Agave attenuata:
Agave attenuata takes ten years to grow. It can grow up to 5 feet tall. And it will spread through 6 feet.
At the same time, when it gets to maturity, the leaves start to perish. In that place, new leaves begin to grow. So, it turns into a new tree again.
Agave cactus:
Here comes the slowest agave. It takes up to 40 years to bloom properly. However, it needs full sunlight and gritty soil to grow.
You should ensure direct sunlight and that soil to help it grow naturally. Otherwise, it might take more time to grow.
Are agave slow-growing?
Agaves are slow-growing. It takes time to bloom and grow. Usually, it takes 19 years to mature. Sometimes, it will take 40 years to become an actual plant indeed.
However, agave is a helpful plant. Though it takes time to grow, it is worth it. You can use the leaves, slap, and roots to make medicine.
One of the main reasons is that agave is a cactus-type plant. It grows better in arid and direct sun. Very few agaves can tolerate shade. But to grow, it must need direct sunlight.
If you can ensure sunlight and an arid environment, agave will grow faster. Otherwise, it will take an unusual time. It could be 40 years and more.
Does agave take 10 years to mature?
Agave takes ten years or more to mature. In some cases, agave can take only five years to grow. It depends on the type of agave and environment.
If you can ensure the best environment that provides sunlight and is arid, agave plants can grow fast. In that case, it might take 5 years only. On the other hand, if the plants don’t get direct sunlight, they won’t grow.
In that case, it will only grow a few inches in five to ten years. So it’s a must to ensure direct sunlight produces the agaves naturally.
How long does it take to grow agave for tequila?
It takes seven years to grow agave for tequila. Tequila is made from agave. But it needs special care and purposes.
Mainly, farmers need to grow agaves for seven years. And then they can make the tequila. It’s a long process, and it doesn’t come with a vast profit either. One of the main reasons is time.
A farmer has to wait for 7 to 10 years to grow agaves. Then, they can start making tequila. It’s a long time, and no one would expect to earn that amount to survive for the next ten years. It is not possible either.
How to make agave grow faster?
Agave is a slow-growing plant naturally. Therefore, it takes 10 to 12 years to mature and use. Still, you can follow some steps and tricks to grow it faster.
Planting time:
Spring is the best time to plant agave. So, if you’re planning to grow agave, choose the spring. This time the soil gets enough temperature and becomes ideal for the agave.
If you want to know which season you should avoid planting, it would be winter. So, you must be careful and avoid the winter season to plant agave.
Direct Sunlight:
If you want to make the growth of your agave faster, you must ensure direct sunlight. Only direct sunlight can help the plant to grow quickly.
You need to avoid the shade. Shaded areas are crucial and make a negative impact on agave growth.
Arid Place:
If you want to male agave growth faster, you should plant it in arid regions. For that, you may avoid the south American areas. Or, you can find suitable agave plants that can tolerate shade and plant them.
However, you need to keep in mind that the agave can’t grow fast without the help of sunlight.
Make the surroundings dry:
You must ensure that the field or where you plan to grow agave; the place must be dried. You cannot grow and expect to grow fast.
You cannot use any water and make the place wet. Avoid it completely. Otherwise, agave will not grow fast.
How big does agave grow?
Agave can grow up to 5 feet or more. Sometimes, you will find that the agave is spreading up to 10 feet or more. But it’s a rare case.
The average length of the agave cannot be more than a few feet. Mostly, you will find them in 1 meter. But the agave can grow up to 10 feet tall.
On the other hand, a mature agave can be as big as 20 feet. It is the highest growth of an agave. But it’s rare. You cannot expect every agave to be that big. It’s the highest.
Some agaves can only grow 10-13 inches. That’s why the biggest agaves are rare, and you should not expect your plant to grow that big since it’s a slow-growing plant.
Final Thoughts
Agave is the slowest plant. It takes an average of 10 years to grow and mature. However, it’s not the ideal time frame. Sometimes, agave takes more than 20 years to grow. It entirely depends on the type of agave and the regions where you plant it. But you can follow some steps and make it faster.