Protea scabra thrives in sandy, acidic, well-drained, nutrient-poor soils and should be planted in an open area, preferably on a slope, where they receive the maximum amount of direct sunlight. It can also be planted in a rockery or in a raised bed. Feed with well-rotted compost applied as a mulch and do not disturb its roots.

The propagation of this species is achievable but challenging.

Protea scabra is self-incompatible making it dependent on pollinators, or hand-pollination, for cross-pollination in order to achieve successful production of seeds for future generations. Allow the seeds to mature on the mother plant for at least 9-12 months before harvesting. Remove the fruiting head, when it is dry it opens up and releases the seeds. Select the fertile (plump) seeds. Sow the seeds in autumn (March-May), using a well-drained, acidic seedling mix. Treat the seeds with smoke from burning fynbos, or soak in the Instant Smoke Plus Primer-infused water before sowing to improve the percentage germination. Lightly cover the seeds with clean sand or fine-milled bark, water well and place in a protected, warm, well-ventilated environment and keep moist but not wet. Treat with a fungicide every week to maximise the number of surviving seedlings. Seeds should germinate from about 3 weeks. Transplant the seedlings as soon as the first pair of true leaves have developed. Place the potted seedlings under light shade (40%) to harden off and develop. Use a well-drained, nutrient-poor, acidic soil mix with a pH between 5 and 6.7. Feed with organic liquid fertilizer and avoid chemical fertilizers containing phosphorous. Mulch with well-rotted compost to keep the roots cool in summer. Allow the soil to dry out between watering, to prevent root rot.

Proteas can also be propagated by cuttings, but propagation of Protea scabra by cuttings has not yet been attempted at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. Viable cuttings would be difficult, maybe impossible, to obtain since the stems are underground and very short. Trials were conducted at Kirstenbosch on Protea angustata, another ground protea, where stem cuttings taken from plants in an unburned area did not root after 6 months, but some of the cuttings taken from new stems on plants that resprouted after a fire did root in the nursery. The length of the stems seems to influence the success of rooting, but more trials have to be done to come to any firm conclusions (Mashudu Nndanduleni, pers. comm. 23 July 2024).

Thus, for any chance of success, cuttings should be taken in summer (from November to April), from new stems on resprouting plants after a fire. The cuttings should be semi-hardwood material. Remove the leaves from the bottom third of the cutting or remove the top half of the leaves to reduce transpiration. Treat the cut end with suitable rooting hormone and plant into multi-trays filled with well-drained and aerated medium such as coarse sand mixed with fine-milled pine bark. Place the cutting trays on heated benches, 24-30°C, with intermittent mist, and regularly treat the cuttings with a fungicide to prevent fungal infection. Protea cuttings generally take 3 months to root. Pot up the rooted cuttings and grow on in the same manner described for seedlings.