Protea Flower Growing Conditions

Growing proteas plant in a sunny position where the air circulates freely around the plant they love windy areas.

Protea flower growing conditions. Instead of the petal arrangement of a normal flower it has bracts which are actually modified leaves. If the soil drains well good results will usually be achieved. Cynaroides is a sparsely branched evergreen shrub with leathery elliptic leaves and terminal bowl shaped flowerheads 15 30cm across with red to pink or cream bracts. If you have a garden with heavy or clay soil consider improving the drainage by using a free draining garden mix and either creating a raised garden bed minimum height 30 45 cm or installing underground drainage pipes.

Proteas put on a gorgeous display in gardens mainly through the late winter and spring months. Proteas rarely succeed in heavy clay soils notorious for their poor drainage. For example if your summer is very hot and dry but your winter is moderate and wet sowing in autumn will give the protea seedlings a whole winter and spring to become strong before the harsh summer. Most of the plants need to be fully exposed to the sun throughout the day.

The flower itself is an incredible floral arrangement. Their roots grow mostly horizontally just below the surface of the soil. They are tough and hardy evergreen plants will thrive in exposed positions with poor soils and are also both heat and cold tolerant from 6 to 40. They thrive in sandy acidic well drained and rocky soils.

Choose the season that gives the protea seedlings the most time to grow under favourable conditions. Protea flowers aren t very difficult to grow but this isn t an easy task either. Seedbeds must be prepared in an open sunny position. Genus protea are evergreen shrubs or trees with leathery simple entire leaves and dense terminal clusters of tiny 4 petalled flowers surrounded by large petal like bracts details p.

Planting proteas on slopes or on slightly elevated mounds is often beneficial because water runoff decreases drainage problems. Protea plants are generally hardy but. For growing proteas must have a full sun location with good air movement around the plants. It s often assumed that proteas and their relatives are australian natives but they in fact hail from south africa.

A bed should not be wider than 1m the depth not more than 30cm and it must have good drainage. Thus the more sun they receive the better. Harvest the seedbuds nine to 12 months after the plants have flowered that is when the plants flower again. Planting conditions most proteas prefer soils that are well drained and acidic and we suggest avoiding heavy clay soils.

After the seed has been harvested and sorted it must be stored in a cool dry place until it is sown in autumn. The sowing time for proteas is from march to may. Protea plants must have well drained soil. These bracts are arranged around a centre of tiny florets.

The first thing you need to be aware of is the soil as they need to grow in well drained soil. If water is allowed to sit and pool on the surface the roots will become waterlogged and the plant will die. However they are closely related to some of our showiest plants such as banksias grevilleas and waratahs.