10 King Protea Cynaroides South Africa Seeds
“Exotic & Very Rare”
Dating back approximately 300 million years, proteas are considered to be among the oldest families of flowering plants on the planet, and the most sought after extremely rare flower.
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. They are also perfect for that rocky, hard-to-use part of your garden. One of the first things necessary in growing protea is soil. Protea plants must have well-drained soil. Their roots grow mostly horizontally, just below the surface of the soil. If water is allowed to sit and pool on the surface, the roots will become waterlogged and the plant will die.
If you’re planting your protea outside, mix bark and sand into your soil to improve drainage. If you’re planting it in a pot, use a mixture of even parts peat, bark, sand, and styro foam beads. Water your established plants every two to three weeks. If your plants are just starting out, water them more frequently. Proteas can stand a range of temperatures, from 23 F. to 100 F. though they may not survive long exposure beyond that. Protea plants thrive in acidic, nutrient-poor soil. Avoid fertilizer; an abundance of phosphorus, in particular, will kill them. If you have a dry, acidic, rocky part of your garden that can’t seem to support life, you may find protea plant care fairly easy.
Protea’s Giant flowers come in large clusters surrounded by bright, spiky bracts that make for a very unusual and striking appearance. The flowers can grow to be anywhere from 5 – 12 inches in diameter. Insects, especially Bees Love them, and they can also be easily dried for flower arrangements. Pick them at their peak, strip away the bottom leaves, and hang them upside down in tightly bound clusters in a dark, breezy spot for two weeks. The flowers retain their color very well and are particularly popular in Christmas wreaths.
Protea’s Giant flowers come in large clusters surrounded by bright, spiky bracts that make for a very unusual and striking appearance. The flowers can grow to be anywhere from 5 – 12 inches in diameter. Insects, especially Bees Love them, and they can also be easily dried for flower arrangements. Pick them at their peak, strip away the bottom leaves, and hang them upside down in tightly bound clusters in a dark, breezy spot for two weeks. The flowers retain their color very well and are particularly popular in Christmas wreaths.
King Protea Germination:
- The best time to plant Protea is during autumn or spring because that’s the period with the most oscillations during day and night temperatures, which is good for germination. If you finish planting it in autumn, the plant will have just about the right amount of time to strengthen until summer and it will be able to sustain high temperatures without any troubles.
- Submerge the seed into a fungicide solution before planting it, and leave it there for 12 hours minimum. This will increase germination speed and rates.
- The substrate for Protea planting is best with a soil acidity ph value 5-7. You can make the best mixture by adding coarse river sand and peat or degraded pine needles in an equal amount. In addition to the soil acidity, you need to look after about substrate drainage. This can be achieved by adding perlite.
- The next step is the sterilization of the substrate in order to avoid fungi occurrence. You need to put the substrate into a microwave oven for at least 3 minutes or in an oven for at least 45 minutes. Cool the substrate afterwards.
- The containers for planting Protea need to be able to contain around 17 Ounces of the substrate and have a hole at the bottom for water drainage. Instead of the container, you can use a regular, plastic, transparent bag with pierced holes at the bottom.
- Never fill the container up to the top, leave at least a few inches of space at the top. Plant the seed at the depth of its size and Most Importantly, water it generously with the fungicide solution.
- Cover the container or close the bag to keep the soil moisturized. Leave it somewhere in the shade.
- For Protea’s germination, you’ll need to provide 72 degrees F during the day. The night temperature can be as low as 55°F
- Germination usually starts in a month, but with any Exotic germination will be erratic and most of the seeds germinate during a period of within three months.
- The cotyledon is the first to sprout, and little leaves appear later on. When they start showing up, the first seedling leaves can gradually start getting accustomed to direct sunlight exposure.
- The seedlings need moderate moisture exposure and its substrate cannot be let to dry off.
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