Hi,

Fine Bush People has a nice bit of information on germinating Protea seeds. I germinated some P. repens last winter in a soil mix that was about 50% typical potted plant soil, 25% coarse sand, and 25% perlite. I soaked them overnight in a "smoke disk" solution, I don't know if it was needed or not.

I germinated them in December and January. Night temperatuers got down to 30 F or 40 F and that was fine. But, if it seemed like it would be colder than 30 F, I brought the seed pots indoors till temerpatures moderated.

I'm not sure, but I think most Protea species need a clear difference between day and night temperatures, 25 or 30 degrees Fahrenheit.

There is another article on Growing Proteas from Seeds at the Protea Atlas Project.

Good luck. I got some germiantion, but I sure had trouble keeping the plants alive in Houston area. Overall, it was a lot of fun and I learned about this interesting plant group.

Cordially,

LINK: Protea Atlas
http://protea.worldonline.co.za/growseed.htm

LINK: Fine Bush People, home
http://finebushpeople.co.za

Here is a link that might be useful: Fine Bush People, Seed Article