Watering Our Proteas by Hand – Our Simple Approach at G's Lane Esk
When people visit G's Lane Esk, one of the questions we're often asked is, "How do you water all of your proteas?"
The answer usually surprises people—we don't have an irrigation system.
In fact, one of the reasons we chose to grow proteas in the first place is because, once established, they are incredibly drought tolerant. That makes them well suited to our conditions and means we don't need to rely on a permanent watering system.
Of course, newly planted proteas are a different story.
Our Hands-On Watering Routine
Rather than installing irrigation, we take a much more hands-on approach. We fill 20-litre buckets with water and carry them out to our newest plants, watering each one by hand.
It's certainly not the quickest method, but it has worked well for us from the very beginning.
Like most things, there are both advantages and disadvantages.
The Pros
Watering by hand allows us to spend time with every new plant. We can check how it's growing, spot any signs of stress, look for pests or disease, and simply get to know each plant a little better.
It also saves us the considerable cost of installing an irrigation system, which can be a significant investment for a small flower farm.
And, if we're being honest, carrying buckets of water around the paddock makes for a pretty good workout!
The Cons
The biggest downside is the time and physical effort involved. Carrying buckets across the property isn't exactly easy work, especially on warm days.
Thankfully, we aren't watering every plant on the farm.
For the 2026 season, we're only watering around 46 newly planted proteas. In total, we now have approximately 115 proteas and leucadendrons growing here at G's Lane Esk, with the more established plants happily looking after themselves for most of the year.
How Often Do We Water?
For our current season's plantings, we water once each week.
A single 20-litre bucket will usually water between four and five plants, so it doesn't take as much water as many people might think.
Of course, Mother Nature always has the final say. If we've had a decent amount of rain during the week, we'll happily skip a watering. There's no point adding extra water when nature has already done the job for us.
Our watering schedule generally looks like this:
- Months 1–8: Water once each week.
- Following 2–3 months: Reduce to watering every fortnight.
- Final 1–2 months: Water approximately once a month before allowing the plants to become fully established.
By gradually reducing the amount of supplemental water, we're encouraging the plants to develop deeper, stronger root systems that are better able to cope with dry conditions.
Not Every Plant Makes It
We'd love to say every protea we've planted has survived, but that's simply not reality.
We do lose the occasional plant along the way.
However, the plants that establish themselves well become incredibly resilient. They adapt to the natural conditions and continue to thrive with very little intervention from us.
That said, we never ignore them. We regularly walk through the rows, keeping an eye on how each plant is performing. If we notice one struggling, we're always prepared to give it some extra water or care if needed.
We Don't Claim to Be Experts
One thing we'll always be honest about is that we're not professional horticulturalists.
We're simply learning as we go, observing what works on our property and adapting when needed.
The methods we use work well for us, our soil, and our climate, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the best approach for everyone else. Every property is different, and every grower will find their own rhythm.
It All Started with Just Six Plants
When we first began this journey, we planted just six proteas.
Even back then, we used this same bucket-watering method.
Those original plants responded well, and seeing them establish successfully gave us the confidence to continue using the same approach as our collection grew.
Today, with around 115 proteas and leucadendrons in the ground, we're still following many of those same simple principles.
Sometimes the simplest methods really are the best.
Growing Alongside Our Plants
Every season teaches us something new.
As our flower farm continues to grow, so does our knowledge. We might install irrigation one day, or we might continue carrying buckets for years to come. For now, this system suits us, allows us to closely monitor our young plants, and keeps our costs manageable while the farm develops.
There's something quite rewarding about slowing down and visiting each plant individually. It gives us the opportunity to notice the little changes, celebrate new growth, and appreciate just how far these amazing plants have come.
At G's Lane Esk, we're building our protea farm one plant—and one bucket of water—at a time.
