www.blueagaveranch.com http://www.blueagaveranch.com Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:22:32 +0000 en hourly 1 How Fast Does A Blue Agave Grow http://www.blueagaveranch.com/2011/10/12/how-fast-does-a-blue-agave-grow/ http://www.blueagaveranch.com/2011/10/12/how-fast-does-a-blue-agave-grow/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 www.blueagaveranch.com http://www.blueagaveranch.com/&p=8 The Agave tequilana plant is commonly called the blue agave due to its color and is primarily used in making tequila. It is native to Jalisco, Mexico and is a valuable lucrative product for the area because it is the main ingredient used in making tequila. The plant prefers a high altitude above 1500 meters and grows in rich, sandy soil. The sugary sap from the heart of the agave plant is removed around its twelfth year of growth to make tequila and other alcoholic beverages including pulque and mescal.

Commercially grown blue agave plants grow large with fleshy, spiked leaves and often are over two meters tall. At the age of one year, the plant produces shoots that are removed to allow for more growth, which produces a bigger heart. The shoots are planted to produce more blue agave plants. In general, the older the plant, the greater amount of accumulative starches that will form in the heart for converting into fermentable sugars for the production of alcohol.

On the other hand, wild blue agave plants sprout a shoot when they are about the age five years old. The shoot grows around five meters tall and blooms yellow flowers, which are pollinated by a native bat. The plant produces thousands of seeds and then dies.

]]> http://www.blueagaveranch.com/2011/10/12/how-fast-does-a-blue-agave-grow/feed/ 0 Medical Uses Of The Blue Agave http://www.blueagaveranch.com/2011/10/10/medical-uses-of-the-blue-agave/ http://www.blueagaveranch.com/2011/10/10/medical-uses-of-the-blue-agave/#comments Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.blueagaveranch.com/&p=7 Blue agave nectar is a derivative of the blue agave–agave tequilana–plant, used for medicinal purposes such as a substance to reduce itching and as a diuretic. The prickly looking plant flourishes in Mexico, South Africa and Guanajuato. Unlike many other types of plants, blue agave relies on bats for pollination purposes. Through advancements of technology, genetic monoculture is responsible for today’s crops.
A process extracts the juice from the plant to use for a topical application. When you rub the extract directly on a rash or other cause of itchiness, the plant is known to stop the itching. On the contrary, blue agave in its natural state causes itching and burning when a person has direct contract with the juice. Besides itching, the plant’s steroids reduce inflammation caused by a variety of conditions like arthritis. Corticosteroids use the steroids as one of the ingredients to relieve swelling.
Agave has heart healthy properties because of the diuretic qualities of this plant. As a natural remedy for alleviating excess amounts of water and salt in the body, the cactus-like plant expels these substances that directly affect the heart’s ability to pump blood.
Other benefits of agave tequilana include its capability to fight against colic and its antispasmodic effect. Parts of the plant are used to create a disinfectant for your scalp, boosts your immune system and battles against bacteria.

]]> http://www.blueagaveranch.com/2011/10/10/medical-uses-of-the-blue-agave/feed/ 0 Care And Feeding Of The Blue Agave http://www.blueagaveranch.com/2011/10/09/care-and-feeding-of-the-blue-agave/ http://www.blueagaveranch.com/2011/10/09/care-and-feeding-of-the-blue-agave/#comments Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.blueagaveranch.com/&p=6 Taking care of a blue agave is not a hard thing to do. The blue agave plant requires minimal watering and fertilizing and ideally grow in sunny areas. The blue agave is either potted or gardened.

A potted blue agave should be planted outside in the sunniest available spot. Cool and shady areas cause rotting. They should be watered during warm months when the soil is dry. Watering in the winter should be kept at limit. A slow release granular fertilizer should be used. Moreover, their pots should be replaced when their roots fill the it, or when the top of the plants become heavy. Potting compost designed for plants with thick fleshly leaves, or regular potting compost with a third of it being sharp sand should be used to after replacing the pot or container.

Gardened blue agaves should be planted in the sun or a place where they could achieve at least six hours of sunlight. Water them when they are first planted and during dry times such as summer. They do not need a lot of fertilizer, but mulched organic material is beneficial. If you want to reproduce the plant, take pups that have roots systems and separate them from the parent plant, or take seeds from flower spikes.

]]> http://www.blueagaveranch.com/2011/10/09/care-and-feeding-of-the-blue-agave/feed/ 0 Where Is The Best Place To Plant My Agave http://www.blueagaveranch.com/2011/10/08/where-is-the-best-place-to-plant-my-agave/ http://www.blueagaveranch.com/2011/10/08/where-is-the-best-place-to-plant-my-agave/#comments Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000 admin http://www.blueagaveranch.com/&p=5 Blue agave is a species of plant native to Mexico and the southern and western United States. It thrives in warm climates and requires very little water. Its blue tinged leaves give this gorgeous plant its name, and it can grow to a height of six feet.

Blue agave plants thrives in the sun. Place a potted agave plant in the sunniest spot you can find. Too much shade could cause your agave plant to rot. Agave needs water only when the soil is completely dry, and it is important to refrain from using a dish underneath the pot, as the plant’s water must be allowed to thoroughly drain. It is crucial to repot your agave when it becomes top heavy to allow room for further root growth. Using a soil that contains 33 sand will improve growth and beauty.

Plant garden agave in sandy soil in an area which receives a minimum of six hours sun per day. Water only during summer when the soil is dry. Agave can be propagated from the soil around the parent plant after root systems have developed. Blue agave is easy to grow and provides beautiful color and variety to a desert garden.Keep looking, there’s more: New Familia Camarena Tequila

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