Growing Protea from seed

We are only two months away from starting to grow Protea from seed.

The Proteaceae family is found in a vast variety of vegetations, from savannas
and grassland to heavily overgrown hillsides. They thrive in areas that are
prone to periodic veldt fires. Many of the Proteaceae have evolved specialized
survival techniques in response to these fires. Their strong root systems and
thick bark on some varieties, have given these extraordinary plants the ability
survive the heat and smoke generated by fires. In fact, fire and smoke provide
the major trigger in the wild for the Protea seeds to start the germination
process. Seed can lie dormant for years waiting for the right conditions,
usually brought on by wild fires. For these fire-sensitive species, habitat
burning is the single most important cue for triggering germination of the
dormant seed.

In growing fire-prone floras commercially, particularly those of Mediterranean
zones, a solution had to be found to germinate the Proteaceae seed, without
burning your growing fields every year. Following the discovery that smoke
stimulated germination of this rare South African Proteaceae, the exploration of
the benefits of smoke-mediated germination has expanded to different parts of
the world and has been applied in nurseries and in rare flora conservation.

Protea Seed Starter packs available from DiscoverProtea.com

Next, we'll explore germination of Proteaceae seed by using smoke.