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Re: Growing proteas

Nan Sterman wrote:
> 
> Anyone with any experience growing proteas?  I live in coastal So
> California and want to grow proteas beneath a very large black acacia tree.
> It's western facing so gets full sun most of the day (the tree foliage
> starts at least 20 feet up, little water, sand-based soil (unfortunately > alkaline), and dry summer/rainy winter.
> Which proteas would you recommend here?
> 
Nan

A well- drained, low-fertility, sandy soil is what proteas like best and
I don't think the tall Acacia tree should present much problem, but the
alkalinity will certainly limit the species you can grow, as many
proeteas definitely demand an acid soil. 

However, there  are at least three good species which will grow in
alkaline soils the most attractive being P neriifolia. In New Zealand
This would be about the most popular species. The typical plant has
fairly long narrow pink flowers with a fringe of black beard, but we can
also get all sorts of varients, from pink to green and white and with
either the dark or with white beards. P obtusifolia, which is equally
tolerent, is more of a tree thamn a shrub and its flowers perhaps not
quite so attractive, they vary from pink to white and have no beard.
Another particularly accomodating type is P.repens "Sugar Bush" .Flowers
may be pink, white or white with varying pink tips. There is a handsome 
very vigorous almost green one with very large flowers grown here called
'Iceberg' I have seen these species in other people's gardens, but have
not grown any of this group myself, as my natural soil is an acid one
which gives me the scope to grow other and more uncommon species. 

There are lots more Proteas, some very beautiful, but almost all of them
will only grow in acid soils.

When you come to grow them, proteas have one peculiar characteristic.
They have very low requirements for phosphate, and applying any sort of
phosphate fertilizer can be fatal. In fact, the only safe additive for
protea-growng soils is probably some well-rotted compost, which may be
applied as a mulch.

They are extremely intolerent of root disturbance, so it pays to get
them in the right place to start with, and to be careful not to damage
the root ball when planting. Digging up even very small plants, if it
involves even mild disturbance to the roots can cause them to die. You
should also be very gentle if weeding around the roots at any age. A
good compost mulch should ensure you don't get many weeds anyway.

 While adult plants are highly drought-tolerent, you will need to keep
young ones from drying out in summer for about their first three years
Always water round the roots, not over the top. Proteas are pretty
disease-free, but high humidity often leads to leaf spots..

Proteas benefit from a yearly pruning after flowering. If you want a big
bush, you can just remove the spent floweres, but if you prefer to keep
them smaller, and particulrly if they are becoming straggly, you can
prune harder, provided you do not cut into leafless wood, which in most
species bears no live buds.

I have presumed when you say "Proteas" you mean protea and not other
members of the protea family. If you want names from other genera, there
are a  very few which are also alkaline tolerent.

I hope I have covered all the important points, but please ask if you
would like more information.

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand/Aotearoa ("Land of the Long White Cloud")
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