Propagating protea plants

[happypalms]

Propagating protea plants is fairly easy to grow protea commercially for cut flowers you have to bud them ie take off the side shoots that come from around this year Flowers the small semi hardwood cuttings around three inches long and don’t trim the leaves it will create fungi’s on the leaves and the cutting usually dies the mix I use is coco peat perlite with late winter temperatures in a hothouse up to 27 degrees Celsius night temperatures down to 7 degrees with misting every week not to much water or fungi’s will strike them dead it’s a fine balance to learn your humidity water program all grow situations are different from one end of the hot house to 70 percent shade cloth situations but don’t give up try another location once you learn to propagate proteas and understand the cuttings needs you will have many  joyful flowers 🌺 the variety in the photos is  protea Exima used in the original breeding program and now rare because of hybridisation 

[happypalms]

2 minutes ago, happypalms said:

Propagating protea plants is fairly easy to grow protea commercially for cut flowers you have to bud them ie take off the side shoots that come from around this year Flowers the small semi hardwood cuttings around three inches long and don’t trim the leaves it will create fungi’s on the leaves and the cutting usually dies the mix I use is coco peat perlite with late winter temperatures in a hothouse up to 27 degrees Celsius night temperatures down to 7 degrees with misting every week not to much water or fungi’s will strike them dead it’s a fine balance to learn your humidity water program all grow situations are different from one end of the hot house to 70 percent shade cloth situations but don’t give up try another location once you learn to propagate proteas and understand the cuttings needs you will have many  joyful flowers 🌺 the variety in the photos is  protea Exima used in the original breeding program and now rare because of hybridisation 

Forgot to add the cutting photos 

[Silas_Sancona]

On 8/22/2023 at 4:14 AM, happypalms said:

Forgot to add the cutting photos 

Great info..  Wonder if the growers in CA use the same technique when propagating theirs.    Impossible to grow here in the desert ( too hot where winters are mild enough / cold, ...Parts of the state where it isn't too hot.   Soil composition, at least for some species, is ideal though )

A sobering story regarding the future for Proteas:  Similar story with some of the iconic plants here as well..

https://africageographic.com/stories/proteas-threatened-climate-change/

[happypalms]

10 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Great info..  Wonder if the growers in CA use the same technique when propagating theirs.    Impossible to grow here in the desert ( too hot where winters are mild enough / cold, ...Parts of the state where it isn't too hot.   Soil composition, at least for some species, is ideal though )

A sobering story regarding the future for Proteas:  Similar story with some of the iconic plants here as well..

https://africageographic.com/stories/proteas-threatened-climate-change/

Yes makes you wonder we’re the gene pool will be in 100 years scary thoughts for all plants 🌱