I need a bit of advise please. I'm very new to this and have acquired a mature Century Plant, Agave Ferox. It had been pushed out into a barditch because the property owner didn't want it. It bloomed there, but a storm knocked it over. We had to cut the bloom stalk in half to move it to my yard. I know most of the pods did not mature properly but have found some with seed inside. There are a few black seeds, the rest are cream colored & almost like paper. Are the black seeds the good ones? I know nothing about agave, any advise is welcome!
Seed from Century Plant
My (not expert) guess is that the black ones might be good. But if your plant survives and is fine, you won't have to worry long about getting new plants. It makes offsets of little plants before too long.
I don't have the aloe but all the cacti species I have put out viable, easy to germinate black seeds. They will germinate within a month if they are viable (9 times out of 10 anyway--the occasional seed will take longer).
The agave rosette will die soon after having bloomed as it has completed its life cycle. Agaves generally produce pups (small plants) for years prior to blooming. The seeds ought to be good. I'd even let the lighter colored ones dry a bit and plant them too.
They are kinda fun too aren't they Pat? Some of the cactus of Texas will stay in a "grasslike" phase when they first germinate, for what seems the longest time--then suddenly turn into succulents and will make good sized garden plants (larger than what's usually offered at the nurseries) within a year and a half. The native cacti (not barrel type but "spear" looking types) were a plant I wasn't really crazy about until I started doing seeds of them. You should have a lot of fun with the seeds Janice!
Debbie
Thank you all for your replies. I'll be an agave plantin' fool now!
Janice