Restios are best grown from seed and since the seed in many species is very fine, it needs to be handled carefully. Researchers in the National Botanical Institute, now the South African National Biodiversity Institute, have discovered that treatment with smoke greatly increases the germination rate of this and many other species of Restionaceae.

The main requirements for growing restios successfully are full sun, a well-drained soil and plenty of air movement. The plants adapt to a large variety of soil types. The best time for planting restios is at the beginning of the rainy season, as the plants need regular watering during the first six weeks to two months after planting. After this initial period the plants can survive with very little additional watering. They may be fed with standard organic fertilizers such as Seagro or Kelpak, or by sprinkling the surrounding soil with a small amount of ammonium sulphate during the growing season. Restios will respond to regular watering by showing more robust growth, but they are essentially plants which are adapted to a long dry season.

Elegia tectorum is often used in plantings around office blocks or along roadsides. Most plants of Elegia tectorum, which are commercially available, will grow to a height of either 1.5 metres or about 2.25 metres. It is important to select the variety according to the particular requirements. If a variety has been planted that is too tall for the particular locality, this presents a problem because the plants can not be pruned back to the desired height. When the stems are cut back to reduce the height, they slowly die down and only a few young stems are produced. These plants will never look good again and die within two to three years. The only maintenance necessary is the removal of the outer layer of brown and decaying culms.