How to trim an agave without hurting yourself

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I have several agaves in my backyard, and while they're very low maintenance, every once in a while I need to trim the bottom leaves - carefully. They're very sharp!


This is not a job to do in a hurry, but luckily I have all the time in the world. Start with some good gauntlet gloves - even the slightest scratch can be horribly painful, and I know because I've made that mistake more than once. Hopefully I'm older and wiser now. You will also need a good curved knife, like this one. I got it online and I'm sure you can find them at your local garden center. Get a good one!


You don't need a giant machete or anything, just a decent curved blade which you will use to saw the agave's leaves (or are they pedals? Fronds? Whatever).


The trick to this is body placement. I like to squat down, or sit, so that I can trim from the correct angle. And watch out for those spikes! They can puncture the gloves, which will only protect you from the edges. Take your time! I do just one or two cuts, and then move to another position.

This is a labor of love for me, and I don't get paid by the hour, so I take my time. I've already done a few, time for me to get back and do some more.

Thank you for the encouragement! If you want to see daily pics of my adventures on my recumbent trike in suburban Phoenix (just for fun, of course!) you can follow me on buymeacoffee.com/bradhall, and you can buy me a coffee if you'd like to!

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