Moving Proteas: Not Ideal, But Sometimes Necessary
Moving Protea trees is not something we aim to do, and for good reason—it’s far from ideal. But approximately seven weeks ago, we found ourselves doing just that. Why? Because a full row of our Lime Light Protea plants wasn’t lined up correctly with the others. If we’d left them as they were, the next row we planned to plant would have run directly into them at fence near the white bucket. Not a great look, or layout.
So, the decision was made: the row had to move.
Of the seven Lime Lights we relocated, four had been in the ground for about 12 months. The remaining three were only planted around four weeks earlier—and unsurprisingly, those were much easier to handle. The younger plants hadn’t had time to establish deep roots or gain size, while the older ones had really settled in. Their root systems were strong, and the plants were much heavier, which made the move more challenging.
Since the transplant, we’ve been watering them once a week along with our other newly planted Proteas. Overall, they’re doing reasonably well. Some of the leaves are showing a bit of discoloration, but we haven’t panicked. It’s a waiting game, and patience is key.
Passing the six-week mark felt like a milestone, but I believe we won’t truly know how successful the move was until after their first summer. As for the older plants, we gave them a significant prune—a large “haircut”—to help them recover from the stress of being moved. We’re now seeing the first signs of new growth, which is definitely encouraging. But we’re not out of the woods just yet.
Of course, as we all know, some things can sprout new growth and then suddenly drop dead. We’re hoping that’s not the case here—but only time will tell.
We fully understand that digging around the roots and relocating established Proteas isn’t best practice. Still, we made the decision, carried it out with care, and so far, things are looking promising. I’ll continue to monitor their progress as we head into summer and the budding season.
With a bit of luck, we may even get a flower or two from the older plants. And if we don’t? That’s okay too—we know the haircut might have set them back a little. We understand the risks we took and will accept the outcome, whatever it may be.
Stay tuned—I'll keep you posted.
"You can see the problem here—notice how the space between the red line and the plants gets wider as you move toward the white bucket across the laneway. Not ideal for future planting plans!"