1. Look for fresh and healthy foliage; and flowers that are evenly colored.
2. Beware of blooms that are too tight or too open. For maximum vase life, a protea is often picked when they’re just starting to open.
3. Speed and care are of the essence. It’s possible to extend a protea’s life by several days if they are processed quickly and placed into water as soon as they arrive.
4. Re-cutting protea stems is a very important part of their care since the stem tip may become blocked and incapable of transporting water up to bloom. Cutting ¼” off the base of stems can increase the vase life of protea by up to 45%.
5. “Clean and fresh” takes on new meaning with protea. Your buckets, containers, vases, knives, clippers, and other equipment used in processing must be sanitized.
6. Carefully remove all the leaves from the bottom half to two-thirds of each stem. As a rule, remove any foliage that will be below the water level to prevent it rotting in the water.
7. Water quality has a direct effect on the longevity of protea. Clean water is essential.
8. Protea are thirsty flowers and can take up 75% to 80% of the water in the first hour. Cold or warm water can help to rehydrate stems faster than water at room temperature.
9. Make sure the protea and foliage above the water stay dry.
10. Leave the stems in a cool place for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight. This ensures that the protea are fully hydrated before they are brought back into a warmer environment, displayed and Enjoy!
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