Proteas
Learn Protea gardening & Cut Flower Proteas, Study at home by distance education
Became a Protea Expert
- Learn to propagate and grow proteas as a garden plant or cut flower
- Start a Protea Business, Work on a Protea Farm or Nursery, or indulge a passion
True Proteas come from Africa.
Many produce spectacular flowers, with great commercial value as garden shrubs or a cut flower crop.
The term “Protea” is sometimes loosely used to refer to any plants in the Protea (or Protreaceae) family; though the scientific name “Protea” is strictly confined to one genus.
Even nurserymen and cut flower growers the world over, may sometimes use the term Protea to refer to related plants in the Proteaceae family, such as Telopeas, Leucadendron and Leucospermum (though strictly speaking they are not Proteas).
This course is primarily concerned with those plants classified scientifically into the genus “Protea”.
The true “Proteas” do share characteristics, with related plants:
- similar soil and water requirements
- susceptibility to the same problems
- other similar cultural needs
- sometimes a similar appearance, in foliage and flower.
A plant collection (either pressings or illustrations with written cultural notes etc) is prepared in each lesson, to build your knowledge of different species and cultivars.
There are 8 lessons in this course:
- Introduction
- Review of the system of plant identification
- General characteristics of Proteas
- Information contacts (ie: nurseries, seed, clubs, etc.)
- Protea Botany
- One way of Classifying Proteas
- Culture
- Planting
- staking
- mulching
- watering
- feeding (nutrition requirements, deficiencies etc)
- pruning
- protection from wind, salt air etc.
- drainage requirements
- techniques for providing drainage, etc.
- Propagation
- Methods of propagating this group of plants (cuttings & seed)
- Propagation of selected varieties, etc.
- Most Commonly Grown Varieties of Proteas
- Protea cynaroides
- Protea mellifera
- Protea repens
- Pests, Diseases and Problems
- Protea botany
- Pest & diseases
- Drainage problems
- Other Proteas to Grow
- Protea aristata
- Protea caffra
- P. coronata
- P. cedromontana
- P. compacta
- P. exima
- P. grandiceps
- P. holosericea
- P. lacticolor
- P. laevis
- P. laurifolia
- P. longiflora
- P. longifolia
- P. lorifolia
- P. pulchra
- P. punctata
- P. rubropilosa
- P. recondita
- P. speciosa
- P. stokoei
- Making the Best Use of Proteas
- Reasons for Growing Proteas
- Proteas for warm climates
- Hybrids
- More cultivars for landscaping
- Foliage affects
- Harvest and post harvest
- Dried Flowers
- Growing Proteas in Containers
- Special Assignment - based on one of the following (your choice)
- How to grow Proteas for commercial flower production.
- The botanical characteristics and cultivation requirements for a selected Protea culivar.
- A collection of different Protea cultivars on a budget equal to an average one weeks wage for workers in your country. selection of the varieties to grow, how to establish them in
- containers, how to maintain peak health throughout the year.
- Month by month what to do to proteas to achieve and maintain peak health in your garden. You should indicate when to feed, how much & what.....when to prune, and how, when & if to mulch, pest control measures etc.
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
For more information on this course, please request your free course information pack.