Protea from cut flowers

I think NZ would be a good place to look Sal.

But bearing in mind the Embothrium is fairly hardy I never found it easy, that's not to say some people haven't mastered it, Bob, who used to post on here from Devon way had a massive one just down the road from him.

 

Longk, that is really interesting , just 2 worrying it seam that proteaceas flowers are available from now to april and then even if I manage to germinate , will they ever flowering?

 

Bear in mind that those sites are South African (southern hemisphere), so the season timing needs to be reversed.

 

Basically, you need a UK grown plant to take the cutting from.

 

As far as I remember I`ve never seen any proteaceas flower on sale in summer , in the south hemisphere it`s actually spring summer , the perfect time for plants to flowering.....
my point of all this, is that if I go to the market get £5 (no idea but he sell everything at £5 ) and get all the flower i want as he allow me to mix the flower.

as temperature are really cold the flower are actually almost frozen at this time of the year , another point is the fact that I`m actually interested in other plants as well .......

really wonder what other cutting I can get out of cut flowers!

 

My Protea flowered in June I think, I have a feeling they adapt their flowering to the conditions, so our colder temps in spring probably delay flowering.
Of course under glass I think you could even find some are winter flowering, as the buds tend to form in late summer and hold over the winter.

 

Sal,
The various regions of South Africa have seasonal rain. The Western Cape where the bulk of Proteas come from is in a winter rainfall region (May - October). The remainder of the year will actually be very dry. Now I am not suggesting that we grow our plants in a similar way in the UK, just something to bear in mind.

Re the temps of the flowers. They will be harvested from the wild, and then put in cold storage for shipping around the world. This is so that they will last as long as possible.
I wouldn't try growing Proteas at these temps, and it isn't ideal for them.

A friend of mine in SA has a flower farm (Cultivated Gerbera mainly) and it is really interesting to see.

 

Ok today i bought some protea and loucospermum
I really wish I had some willow to start the rooting process
can I put some rooting hormone in the vase?

 

Sal,

If you want to try and root these, this is what I would do:

Take a deep pot. Fill with a mix of sharp sand and peat.
Scrape away some of the bark of each flower with a sharp knife, apply some rooting hormone, and insert into the pot. Keep damp.
Some bottom heat would definately help.

I really don't think you can just root them in water. I might be wrong.
But I have had Proteas loads of times in vases, they just go over, and that's the end of it.

 

Sirius , I`ve promese my miss not to buy any plants untill spring , tecnically I bought her some nice flower , she is happy and if after I will try to put in sand and pit , that is a different matter ....so for now they must stay in the water .
So if i clean the stem and put some rooting hormone in the water , will that help?

 

To be honest, I have my doubts.....