Buchus can be successfully grown from seed or cuttings. Seed harvested for sowing should not be picked too early, as the embryo is not fully developed. Seed will not be viable and germination percentage will be low. Do a test by pressing the seed capsule between your fingers. If it feels hard and not soft and it is dark green or brown, it is ready for picking. The capsules disperse the seeds explosively, so place seed capsules in a closed paper bag for drying and storage.

Seed ripens in summer (October to December). Fresh buchu seed is sown in autumn (March to April). The seeds are sown into a tray containing a well-drained medium of equal portions of sand, loam and compost. Use some of the medium to cover the seed and water. Place in a covered area with good light and air circulation. Keep medium-damp. Germination occurs in one to two months.

Young seedlings are pricked out into 0.5 l bags when four true leaves have developed. Use a medium suitable for fynbos. Feed plants regularly but sparingly with a well-balanced fertilizer. Pinch out the growing tips of the seedlings to encourage bushy growth. Flowers are produced after two years.

Cuttings After flowering, plants develop new shoots or branches, which are ideal for tip, stem or heel cuttings. Collect plant material early in the morning to reduce stress. Cuttings have the advantage of producing a larger flowering plant quicker than seedlings. Tip cuttings, 50-70 mm, are taken from the current year's growth. Prepare cuttings by making a clean cut below the node and remove a third of the foliage. Dip the base of the cutting in a rooting hormone. Firmly place the cuttings in a medium of 50% bark and 50% polystyrene and water cuttings with a fungicide. Ideally these cuttings should now be placed in a well-aerated propagation unit with a bottom heat of 24ºC. Rooting occurs in 9 to 11 weeks. Carefully pot the rooted cuttings using a well-drained, humus-rich, fynbos potting medium (2 parts leaf mould, 1 part coarse sand). Plants will be ready for planting in 7 to 8 months, ideally during autumn to spring. Feed regularly with a well-balanced nutrient. Yellow leaves can be treated with an application of iron chelate.

Cultivation Agathosma gonaquensis is best planted into the garden during autumn, winter and spring. The rainy season allows buchus to establish themselves in the garden and to cope with drought and less water during summer. Once established they will withstand a fair amount of frost. Plant buchus in your garden where they will receive full sun, in soil that is alkaline to acid, well drained and composted. Before planting, prepare the garden bed by digging over the soil, adding compost and a slow-release fertilizer. Water the garden area before planting. Plant them with medium-sized plants, in groups of 3, 5 or 9, 20-30 cm apart, with enough space to encourage growth. Water well after planting. Plants require good watering in winter and moderate watering in summer. Do not allow plants to dry out and avoid cultivating the soil around the roots of these fynbos plants. They are slow-growing plants and should not be planted too close to faster growing plants. A layer of mulch is added after planting and annually to keep soil and roots cool in summer. Mulch retains soil moisture and reduces germination of weed seeds.

Agathosma qonaquensis, as well as most of species found in Rutaceae family, are water-wise. The Gonaqua buchu can be used as an accent plant in a mixed fynbos bed or in a coastal garden with companion plants such as Leucospermum cordifolium (pincushion), Protea neriifolia (oleander leaf protea), Erica patersonii (mielie heath), Elegia tectorum (Cape thatching reed) and herbaceous perennials such as Felicia aethiopica, Leonotis leonurus (wild dagga), and Dietes bicolor (yellow wild iris). Buchus provide colour, fragrance and attract insects to the garden. Interplant with other interesting buchu species such as Acmadenia heterophylla, Adenandra uniflora (china flower), Agathosma mucronulata (false buchu) and Diosma prama. It is suitable in a rockery in between rocks or used as a container plant.