Starting a xeriscape bed with some hardy yucca, cactus, and agave

[ColdBonsai]

Pic is of the plants I'm staring with. Yucca x schotii, opuntia aurea, opuntia ellisiana, and agave havardiana. 

The only one I think might be marginal is the ellisiana, but that one will go along a southwest wall. 

How much summer water should these get, specifically the agave? It'll get some, but not much, spray from the sprinklers. I can move the pattern to avoid it completely if need be. 

I'm pretty happy with the size of the agave too. Much larger then I expected to find locally and I counted six pups in the pot with the main plant.

It's hard to find interesting plants that love my high desert soil, along with hot, dry summers, so I'm pretty excited for these!

Edited May 2, 2021 by ColdBonsai

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 5/2/2021 at 2:26 AM, ColdBonsai said:

Pic is of the plants I'm staring with. Yucca x schotii, opuntia aurea, opuntia ellisiana, and agave havardiana. 

The only one I think might be marginal is the ellisiana, but that one will go along a southwest wall. 

How much summer water should these get, specifically the agave? It'll get some, but not much, spray from the sprinklers. I can move the pattern to avoid it completely if need be. 

I'm pretty happy with the size of the agave too. Much larger then I expected to find locally and I counted six pups in the pot with the main plant.

It's hard to find interesting plants that love my high desert soil, along with hot, dry summers, so I'm pretty excited for these!

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Imagine you'd be fine soaking these once a month, maybe only a couple times during the entire summer.. You'd be surprised how little water any of there will need, esp. up there where it is generally cooler ( compared to here ).

[amh]

My Opuntia ellisiana all experience -F temperatures this year, as long as the plant gets at least half a days sun, the cold will not be a problem.

Also Opuntia ellisiana does like water.

Edited May 2, 2021 by amh

[ColdBonsai]

  On 5/2/2021 at 6:01 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Imagine you'd be fine soaking these once a month, maybe only a couple times during the entire summer.. You'd be surprised how little water any of there will need, esp. up there where it is generally cooler ( compared to here ).

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That'll be perfect. I can easily cut off the irrigation and drag a hose over once in awhile. I was worried it might be a bit too cool here for these, especially the agave, but the guy at the nursery told me it does pretty well so who knows. He did steer me away from the neomexicana.

And good to know the ellisiana like a little more water, I'll have to find a spot with a good balance for it. Not a lot I imagine, but more then the rest.

[Silas_Sancona]

  On 5/2/2021 at 3:55 PM, ColdBonsai said:

That'll be perfect. I can easily cut off the irrigation and drag a hose over once in awhile. I was worried it might be a bit too cool here for these, especially the agave, but the guy at the nursery told me it does pretty well so who knows. He did steer me away from the neomexicana.

And good to know the ellisiana like a little more water, I'll have to find a spot with a good balance for it. Not a lot I imagine, but more then the rest.

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Agave are pretty tough, well, most anyway.. a few cold wimps around.. actually dong better in the foothills -where its a little cooler/ wetter- ( when  it rains ) then down here in the valley ( need more shade to keep them from burning ..or rotting out completely during summer ( all mine planted out front did ) here.

Would look over sites like Cold Hardy Cactus/ Ethical Desert for other Agave/ Yucca which should work up there - if looking to add more, once you've tested these- Numerous smaller cacti as well ( Escobaria, Pediocactus, other Opuntia, etc.. you can add as fillers that will flower at different times.

[newtopalmsMD]

The harvardiana will get bigger.  Got the one below as a very small plant (3-4 inches across) 3 years ago.  its in a cactus potting mix that is as high as the pot top to allow growth.  I've been told that wet + freezing temps spell doom for this agave while it's OK if it's dry and cold.  In my east coast 7a I just put the pot in the garden during summer (with gravel below it) and bring it inside in the winter.  I believe there are people in this area who build structures over harvardiana to keep it dry for the winter so it can stay in the ground year round.  (I am too chicken!)  In the summer I let the medium dry out and then give it lots of water, and repeat that cycle.  It is really humid here in MD just north of DC, I have not had a burn problem.