Encephalartos caffer is easily grown from seed.

Hand pollination is necessary for a successful seed harvest in cultivation. Pollen can be collected as soon as the male cones begin shedding (if a light tapping of the male cone produces pollen then the cone is ready to harvest). Store the collected pollen at minus 15ºC for best results. The female cone has to be monitored to check when the scales open. The window of the scale opening varies from plant to plant, and may last from three days to two weeks. We have achieved a good pollination rate at Kirstenbosch using the wet method (pollen mixed with distilled water and applied by syringe).

After the female cones have been collected, the seed is left to mature for a year before sowing at the beginning of summer. For best results, sow seeds in river sand on a heated bench at 24-28ºC. Germination should start three weeks after sowing, but may sometimes take longer. Special care: it is relatively slow growing and takes time to recover from relocation and transplanting. Leaves and cones are prone to scale and mealy bug. At Kirstenbosch we feed each plant with a nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) mixture of 3:1:5, as well as bone meal and an organic fertilizer (Bounce back®) each spring. We also add a generous helping of compost at regular intervals during the year.