Question: I have an agave (century plant) that bloomed last year. Now the mother plant looks bad and there are dozens of new plants around it. What do I do now?

Answer: You start digging. The mother plant dies after it finishes flowering. What you’re seeing are rootsprouts, or “pups” that come up around the old plant’s crown. You need to dig the mother plant out and discard it. It will never bloom again. Save one or a few of the new plants to fill the void. Be really careful working around century plants. Their leaves can inflict serious puncture wounds. Be careful, in fact, in giving plants to friends, that they don’t have pets or small children that could be hurt.