How do you germinate protea seeds?

Asked by: Mark Gardner

Put seeds in a coffee filter and dip them in 1% hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes to sterilize the seeds. Most Protea require smoke to germinate. Once your seeds are dry use “smoke primer disks” as directed. Plant your seeds in a seed starting tray with ample bottom drainage and a transparent cover.

Are proteas easy to grow?

Protea plants are not for beginners and not for every climate. Native to South Africa and Australia, they require heat, sun, and extremely well-drained soil. If you’d like a little bit of a challenge, though, protea flowers are beautiful and very unique.

How do you harvest king protea seeds?

Seeds are held inside the flower until the branch, or bush, dies. For harvesting purposes, the seeds should be left on the bush to ripen for a period of about seven months. Only a few viable seeds are produced per head. This species is occasionally confused with Protea neriifolia.

How do you propagate protea?

For the best rooting medium specifically tailored to the needs of protea cuttings mix two parts river sand with one part peat moss.

Can you grow proteas in pots?

Proteas also grow well if kept in pots, especially the pincushions. Once you have chosen a planting site, dig a hole somewhat wider and deeper than the root ball of the plant. Be sure to break up the soil that is removed from the hole in order to soften its texture.

What time of year do you plant Proteas?

We recommended planting in autumn or spring, allowing the Proteas to absorb as much sun as possible. For best results, allow plenty of space between plants for air to circulate and avoid planting any Proteas deeper than the surface level in the pot.

How long does it take for a protea to grow?

Growing proteas is a long-term investment. The initial selection of species is critical, since substantial product will not be harvested until two or three years (leucadendrons) to three to four years (proteas and leucospermums) after planting.

How long do proteas take to grow from seed?

We don’t want to discourage you, we just want you know that growing Protea takes effort. Also, Protea take 5-6 years to flower from seed or cutting, so we usually suggest buying a 1 or 5 gallon size Protea from a nursery.

Do Protea flowers have seeds?

Proteas, Restios and Fynbos



One disc is sufficient to treat 100 seeds. Then dip the seed into a solution of fungicide such as Thiram (use whatever your local nursery recommends for roses) before planting it. You can buy some Smoke Primer® from our online store.

How do you make soil acidic for proteas?

* A tip from a professor who grew a yard full of proteas in Port Elizabeth is to create acidic soil by pouring 50g of ammonium sulphate dissolved in 10 litres of water onto the soil every two weeks in summer and monthly in winter. * Proteas dislike their roots being disturbed in even the slightest way.

Can you grow proteas indoors?

Pincushion protea can also be grown indoors. Sadly, Leucospermum is a relatively short-lived perennial.

What is the best potting mix for proteas?

sandy loam

Proteas prefer a nice sandy loam or open soil. Some Proteas are less fussy and are quite happy in a heavier soil although they will not survive in heavy clay soils. If you do have heavy soils it will be necessary to first mound the soil to improve it and then dig in compost and gypsum to break up any residual clay.

Can you grow a protea from a flower?

Choose a side shoot just below an emerging bud or flower, which Protea Seeds reports has the best chance of success in developing roots and becoming a healthy plant. Take 8- to 10-inch cuttings in early morning before the heat of the day.

What do you do with dead Protea flowers?

If the flower is left to die on the plant most gardeners will just remove the spent flower and leave these stems to grow. This is the fastest way I know to finish up with a straggly bush. Cut off the dead flower by all means but leave only 10 centimetres of stem on the plant.