agave roots - Knowledgebase Question

costa mesa, Ca
Avatar for tnocel
Question by tnocel
January 5, 2010
I have a very large Blue Agave cactus approx 7 ft tall by about 30 feet around the outside, Im wondering how deep will its roots go into the soil and can they damage sewer lines


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Answer from NGA
January 5, 2010
I can't find any documentation to indicate the roots might cause problems. As a rule the roots are fibrous and remain in the top 24-36" of soil, spreading out as the plant matures so it's likely that a 30' agave will have a roots within a 40' circle and probably 2 or 3 feet deep. I suspect your water and sewer lines are deeper than that and, unless there is a leak which provides a constant source of moisture, I don't think the roots will congregate in or around the lines. The only way to know for sure is to dig into the soil near the sewer line and inspect it. Wish I had more information to share.

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