Useful TIPS
Grafted or ungrafted ?
Many of the plants in the Grevillea Park are grafted. This is largely because many will only grow in our conditions if they are grafted onto a more hardy rootstock. Many of the brilliant plants from Western Australia and the Northern Territory simply would not survive on their own roots. So if you want to grow some of these plants buy a grafted plant - it will be well worth the extra cost.
There are some plants that are almost impossible to strike from cuttings and so this is another group of plants that are grafted. Grevillea Goliath and Grevillea Parakeet Pink are 2 examples of plants in the park that are grafted for this reason.
Another reason to graft is to create sensational standards. These plants can be seen around the park. More often than not a ground cover is grafted on a plant (Grevillea robusta) about 1.5-2 metres tall. The groundcover weeps down to the ground displaying its flowers and foliage in totally a different way.
However, most plants that we sell at the park, including the large tropical grevilleas such as Grevillea Bulli Beauty, Grevillea Kiama, and Grevillea Firesprite do not need to be grafted. If unsure just ask for advice!
Planting Out
A little care taken when planting out can help ensure the survival of your precious plants. When we plant at the park we take the following step;
- dig a hole about twice as wide a little deeper than the pot
- fill the hole with water and wait for it to drain away
- add water crystals to the bottom of the hole
- add a slow release native plant food such as Osmocote to the hole/soil to be used for backfilling
- when planted the plant should be no deeper that the top of the soil level
- mulch around the plant but leave a dish around the perimeter to collect water
- water in the warmer months for the first 6 months
NB. If your soil is poorly drained you might consider planting above the soil level and building up the soil around the plant. Until the plant is established you may need to water a little more often in hot weather
If you have a wet site you might also use grevilleas that have been grafted onto Grevillea robusta as this is much more tolerate of these conditions.
Pruning
Deciding when to prune your Grevilleas can be problematic at times because many are always in flower.
The large tropical flowered Grevilleas are usually cultivars and can be pruned harder than most species plants. The best time to prune these is after their main flowering flush in Spring. You can safely take a third of the growth from the plants. Plants that have over a half of the growth removed also usually respond well. The message here is that you should prune the plants to the size you want. Pruning should result in a more lush plant and good flowering.
However if you wish to keep these tropical Grevilleas in flower all year you can dead head flowers and judiciously prune wayward branches as you see them.
Species have specific flowering periods and it's best to give them just a light prune after flowering. Some will take occasional heavier pruning but it's always seek advice before being too heavy handed.
Pruning can sometimes be brutal but the results for the following year are spectacular
Grevilleas that tolerate frost
We are often asked about grevilleas that tolerate frost. Many of the large tropical grevilleas are frost tender, but there are many that will take varying degrees of frost. It is a difficult topic since conditions within a property/area can vary depending on aspect and levels of protection. We have made a start on compiling a list that you might find useful. This list will continually be updated as we undertake further research and obtain feedback from growers. With many plants it is advisable to cove the plants when young if a frost is expected.
Click here for the list as it currently stands.
Australian Plant Society
The Australian Plant Society website is a valuable source of information. They have databases of plants and links to newsletters for the Grevillea Study Group. There are now some excellent Facebook pages that focus of native plants and some of Grevilleas
