Pruning Proteas

Pruning enables you to shape the plant. Removing flowering stems helps keep the bush compact and looking great. Always use sharp secateurs. With young bushes tip prune in spring and late summer. With mature plants prune immediately after flowering, usually leaving 10cm of healthy stem.

Leucadendron flower every year. Prune by removing all flowers when the colour has gone. Cut flower stem leaving about 10cm of leafy stem. Trim non flowering stems to the same height. Remove curly stems or any that are on the ground. Leucospermum are pruned in the same way.
Prune Leucadendron & Leucospermum by removing all flowers. (Click for a larger image)
   

With Protea and Telopea plants the non-flowering stems should not be pruned as they are next year's flowers. When pruning older Proteas that have been neglected, never remove more than 50% of the plant leaf area and ensure that the remaining cut stems have at least 15cm of healthy green leaves remaining.
With Protea & Telopea, non flowering stems should be left unpruned. (Click for a larger image)
   
After pruning, each of the cut stems will produce 2 or 3 flowering stems for next season. As plants mature and the number of stems increase, the stem length often reduces. To produce longer stems, thin the bush by completely removing some stems, usually from the centre of the bush.
Pruned Leucadendron. (Click for a larger image)
   
Serrurias must be pruned either by cutting the fresh flowers or by removing them immediatly after flowering. Leave about 10cm of healthy stem for the plant to re shoot from.
Leave about 5cm of healthy stem when pruning Serruria. (Click for a larger image)
   
Cut all flowers, remove any bent stem or stems growing towards the ground and trim off any non-flowering stems at the same height as you've cut the flowering stems. Each cut stem will flower next year.
Even up the plant. (Click for a larger image)
   
'Blushing Bride' after pruning. From this stage the plant shoots fairly quickly. If you require a compact plant with short flower stems, tip prune the plant, removing the growth tips during December when the new growth is 10 to 15cm long.
Completed 'Blushing Bride' plant. (Click for a larger image)

Return to Home                   Top of Page