Proteas are South African members of the Banksia & Grevillea family.

They grow very well in the climate and soils of South Western Australia and have proved themselves reliable as spectacular garden plants as well as a cut flower crop.

They are generally easy to grow where a few basic requirements are taken into account. These are:

1. SITUATION - They grow best in full sun but will tolerate some shade for part of the day. Wind doesn’t bother them and in fact strong winds are beneficial in that they promote air movement and reduce the risk of disease. In WA frost does not present a problem.

2. SOILS - Soil type is not critical as long as drainage is good. They have proved themselves in coastal plain sands as well as the cams and gravels of the hills and wheatbelt. In general they like an acid to neutral pH and do not like lime although some varieties are tolerant of alkalinity.

3. WATERING - Proteas are quite drought tolerant and can be expected to be well established after one summer’s watering. However, if watering is continued in subsequent summers a healthier, more vigorous, plant will be produced. Drip or trickle irrigation is best where possible.

4. FERTILIZING - Members of the Protea family have a highly developed root system that is very efficient at obtaining whatever nutrients are available in even the poorest sand. However, a light dressing of a slow release fertilizer such as osmocote or macracote will be very beneficial. Slow release fertilizer tablets are also very good. Use fertilizers with a low phosphorous content for preference.

5. PRUNING - All Proteas benefit from some pruning and the best way to do this is to cut the flowers. As long as healthy leaves remain below the cut they can be cut back quite hard. The King Protea (P. cyraroides) has a lignotuber much like our Eucalypt mallees and it is best to cut the flower stems back to within about 150mm of the ground. In this way vigorous, straight new stems will be produced.

6. PEST AND DISEASES - Apart from “Jarrah die-back”(Phytophthora cinnamomi) there are no really serious diseases to worry about. Sometimes parrots will attack flowers and buds and weavils eat a few leaves but these do not cause much problem in the garden situation. In a cut flower plantation the weavils can be sprayed and birds scared off as in fruit orchards.