Agave is a perennial plant with no stems. Only a small number of its varieties possess short lignified trunks. The plant belongs to the agave family and grows in Mexico, as well as in Central and North America. The leaves are connected to a basal rosette and covered with a thick coating of wax. They are large and fleshy, ending with a hard, awl-shaped tip. Some types of agave at the edges of their leaves have spikes of a straight or curved shape. The color of the plant, depending on the species, is green or gray. Leaves at the edges may have yellow or white stripes. Agave, whose flower is a brush in the form of a panicle or spike, blossoms extremely rarely - once every ten to fifteen years.
Blue agave, which is one of two hundred varieties of this plant, grows in Mexico in the state of Jalisco. Only the only area of Tequila, with an area of two hundred nine square kilometers, is the best place to grow this crop. The fields where this plant grows have a height of one and a half kilometers above sea level . The soil in this area is sandy. It passes water well and is enriched with iron and many other mineral components. An important condition for observing the optimal regime during the growth of blue agave is:
- the amount of precipitation, which should be approximately a meter during the year;
- the amplitude of temperature fluctuations is not more than twenty degrees;
- the number of cloudy days during the year, which should be in the range from sixty five to one hundred and five.
Blue agave is grown from the processes of an adult plant that has reached half a meter height. Planting can be done immediately if the rainy season is expected. Then the plant will take root faster in the soil. Also, sprouts having the size of an orange can be on the surface of the field for a month. This procedure is necessary for drying them. The age that is optimal for reproduction is a period of three to five years. At this time, the plant can produce one or two processes throughout the year.
Blue agave differs from other varieties in more fleshy leaves. In shape, it resembles a large rose. The leaves of the plant are bluish or greenish-gray. They have great rigidity and end with sharp spikes. The plant is covered with wax, a thick layer of which prevents the loss of moisture.
The process of growing agave lasts eight to ten years. The following is important throughout this time:
- monitor the condition of the plant;
- produce soil fertilizer;
- take preventive measures to prevent the development of various plant diseases:
- transplant agave;
- control the growth.
At least eight years after planting, the blue agave reaches the stage of readiness for fermentation. The maturity of the plant affects the quality of natural sugar produced from it. Throughout the entire growth period, agave is trimmed. She also cuts off the tips of the leaves. Carrying out these procedures induces the core to more active growth.
Basically, the cultivation of plants is carried out manually. Its secret is passed down by the locals from generation to generation. When the leaves cease to grow in size and acquire a reddish-brown hue, consider that the core is ready for collection.
Cultivation of blue agave is carried out with the aim of producing the Tequila alcoholic beverage. For its manufacture, the large core of the plant, having a mass of thirty-five to ninety kilograms, is subjected to high temperature treatment. This process serves to extract the juice, as well as for distillation.
The blue agave core is also the raw material for the production of traditional Mexican drinks Muscal and Pulke. Blue agave contains a certain type of microelements and chemical compounds that can increase the therapeutic effect of medicines in the fight against colitis and Crohn's disease.