I wish you luck with that. I am planning to see a specialist Protea grower over the summer, so there should be another video on the subject later on in the year. Kind regards, Simon
Hi 👋 I’m from Australia in Victoria in the Countryside with Clay and Loam soil. I have very wet, frost and cold winters getting down to lows of minus 2 degrees. I also have very hot and and dry Summers with highs of mid to high 40’s degrees. I successfully grow these proteas in the ground out in the open with no issues at all. I don’t fertilise at all. I grow Kings, Proteas, Leucospermums, Leucadendrons and Banksia’s which are all in the Proteaceae family. I would think if your temperatures are similar to mine here in Winters with frosts then you should be able to grow in the ground provided they don’t get boggy. I’ve never grown in pots as they don’t like to be repotted due to not liking root disturbance. Hope my info helps, Kind regards 😊
Hi Shell and thanks for getting in touch. That is great information and I appreciate you going into detail on this. Your wet frosty winters surprise me but make me more confident in putting ours outside. We can get waterlogged over the winters here and temperatures can go significantly colder but I can see why they survive most years in the UK Scilly isles with its better drainage and milder winters. Great comment. Simon
I just received a seed packet of king Protea seeds as a present (I am a South African living in Belgium) I am going to try and see what happens thx for the info
Used a large unglazed terracotta pot for mine (porosity helps in this case!) similar mix ratio as you suggested with a little horticultural grit mixed in with the sharp sand and e.compost. Keep mine in greenhouse. They need good air flow as well as full sun... and a LITTLE occasional top dressing of wood ash really makes them feel at *home! (* they are subject to wild fires in S.A. and regrow quickly with help of nutrients provided by ash). I believe you can make a cough syrup from their sap - but that's just a step too far for me!
Been thinking about getting a Protea,after watching your video I am going to give it a try.
I wish you luck with that. I am planning to see a specialist Protea grower over the summer, so there should be another video on the subject later on in the year. Kind regards, Simon
Hi 👋 I’m from Australia in Victoria in the Countryside with Clay and Loam soil. I have very wet, frost and cold winters getting down to lows of minus 2 degrees. I also have very hot and and dry Summers with highs of mid to high 40’s degrees. I successfully grow these proteas in the ground out in the open with no issues at all. I don’t fertilise at all. I grow Kings, Proteas, Leucospermums, Leucadendrons and Banksia’s which are all in the Proteaceae family. I would think if your temperatures are similar to mine here in Winters with frosts then you should be able to grow in the ground provided they don’t get boggy. I’ve never grown in pots as they don’t like to be repotted due to not liking root disturbance. Hope my info helps, Kind regards 😊
Hi Shell and thanks for getting in touch. That is great information and I appreciate you going into detail on this. Your wet frosty winters surprise me but make me more confident in putting ours outside. We can get waterlogged over the winters here and temperatures can go significantly colder but I can see why they survive most years in the UK Scilly isles with its better drainage and milder winters. Great comment. Simon
They are grown on the Abbey Gardens at Tresco ,Scilly Islands!
Yes they are! We are hoping to see some in bloom when we visit next month, although I know it will be a bit early for them. Kind regards, Simon
I was there half september and the protea' s where amazing! So with a bit of luck you are going to see the early ones 😉
I hope so too.🙂
I just received a seed packet of king Protea seeds as a present (I am a South African living in Belgium) I am going to try and see what happens thx for the info
Hi Susan and you are very welcome. Good luck with the seed germination and let me know how you get on. Kind regards Simon
Used a large unglazed terracotta pot for mine (porosity helps in this case!) similar mix ratio as you suggested with a little horticultural grit mixed in with the sharp sand and e.compost. Keep mine in greenhouse. They need good air flow as well as full sun... and a LITTLE occasional top dressing of wood ash really makes them feel at *home! (* they are subject to wild fires in S.A. and regrow quickly with help of nutrients provided by ash). I believe you can make a cough syrup from their sap - but that's just a step too far for me!
Hi Bruce and thanks for sharing your experience on this. I like the top dressing of wood ash, it sounds like a great idea. Simon