There are two ways to propagate restios: dividing the rhizome and sowing seed.

To divide plants, dig up an established specimen and cut the rhizome into big chunks making sure each piece has a good number of culms and roots attached. Plant these pieces into the ground or into pots and water them well. Do this task during late summer before the cool weather arrives when plants send up their new shoots. Plants will take at least a year to settle in and start growing strongly again.

At Kirstenbosch we primarily use seed propagation for the restio family. We find this a fast and easy method, allowing us to produce large quantities of plants each year. Members of the Rhodocoma genus are always the first of the restios to germinate, generally after about 1 week, and come up in profusion.

Sow your seed from April-May (autumn) when the days are warm (20-30°C) and the nights are cool (10-15°C). Treat seed prior to planting with Instant Smoke Primer. This smoke treatment vastly improves germination rates. Use seed trays that are 10 cm deep and fill these trays with a well-drained sandy medium. Scatter the seed uniformly over the medium, cover lightly with sand and water gently. Place the trays in a light, well-ventilated area. Keep the trays damp but not wet. Once the plants have developed a few small culms, after ± 6-12 weeks, and are 30 mm tall, they can be pricked out into 6-packs or plug trays. Use a well-drained fynbos potting medium. At Kirstenbosch we use 8 parts finely milled pine bark and 3 parts coarse gritty sand.

Harden off plants in a lightly shaded area until they are growing strongly (± 4 weeks) and then place in the sun. Once the roots start to show through the bottom of the trays, pot into small black bags to grow on further or plant directly into your garden.

You can plant into your garden at any stage during the year provided there is regular deep irrigation. The other option is to use natural rainfall to your advantage and plant at the beginning of the rainy season. Make sure soil is well drained and in a sunny spot. For the first year water well, allowing plants to settle in and send roots down deep into the soil. After this you can reduce watering to a good soak once a week.

In general, restios do not have any major pest or disease afflictions. The most common problem is damping off or fungal attack during seed propagation. Once plants are affected there is no cure, so prevention is the best option: treat with a general fungicide once a week commencing on sowing and use until pricking out.