Question
We have a giant agave blue I believe on our front lawn.It is dying I think.It has very dead looking ends and black color also here and there.some one said to saw off the dead parts?can you tell me what is wrong with this plant.its not very attractive like our nieghbors.theirs is upright and pretty.ours is bent over and twisted!thank you.

Answer
Jessica,

Chances are, yours has met the same fate as one of mine. It looked ok, except there was an unusual odor. When I gave the center leaves a tug the whole plant came with it. There is a bug called the Agave beetle that lays eggs in the soil around Agaves. The larva borrow into the plant and eat the "heart" of the plant, causing it to rot and die.

It may be that yours had the same fate. It may also be that there was too much water around. Overwatering (or too much rain) can also cause Agaves to rot. Sorry for the bad news.

Sincerely,

Greg