How to Cut the Spines Off of an Agave

Wear heavy protective clothing and eyewear, such as long-sleeved shirt, gloves, pants and safety glasses or goggles to prevent skin and eye contact with the agave plant spines and sap. While the sap of some agaves is consumed, some plant saps can cause irritation upon contact.

Cut straight across the hardened leaf tips just above the point where the fleshy leaves transition to hardened spines, using a pair of bypass pruners. Cut just above the thick, fleshy portion of the leaves, but do not cut through this flesh because this can attract pests such as the agave snout weevil that lay their eggs in damaged sections of the plant. The weevil larvae burrow into the soft tissue of the plant, introducing a harmful bacteria that rots the plant cells, decomposing the plant from the inside out.

Cut the curled, spiny teeth from the margins of the agave plant leaves, using bypass pruners or a pair of fingernail clippers. Clip off the sharp point, leaving a dull, flat surface at each spine. Do not cut into the fleshy portion of the leaf. Start from the spines closest to the leaf tip and work your way down to the base.

Cut the straight, pointed spines from the tips and the curled spines from the leaf margins as new leaves emerge from the terminal bud in the center of the plant. The outermost leaves of an agave are the oldest leaves; new leaves grow straight up from the center and fan out into the rosette to make room for the next series of new leaves.