Grevilleas are by far the most popular Australian native plants grown in gardens today. They attract native birds to the garden and many of them flower for most of the year. The only problem is that after five to six years some grevilleas start to look straggly, and they grow so tall that all the flowers are high up in the air where they can’t be seen. Don recommended heavy pruning to rejuvenate taller, brush flowered grevilleas such as ‘Kay Williams’, ‘Honey Gem’, ‘Misty Pink’ and ‘Moonlight’.
The best time to prune grevilleas is just after their major spring flowering flush (around October in most areas). You can prune at other times, but keep in mind that if you prune in autumn you’ll be cutting off all the flower buds that would open through winter when nectar feeding birds have a tough time finding enough to eat. Don’t prune all your grevilleas at once. Stagger the pruning over several weeks so that the birds will have a constant supply of nectar. Grevilleas need to be treated like rose bushes, not in terms of fertilising but in terms of pruning. Don’t be afraid to get stuck in and prune off as much as 1m (3′) in length if necessary. The plant will produce new shoots and look thicker and more attractive within three or four months. During pruning, stand back every now and again and eyeball the plant from a distance to see how it’s shaping up. Don’t worry about cutting off flowers – more will soon come. Grevilleas flower more prolifically when pruned regularly. Some people are allergic to contact with grevilleas, so wear long sleeves and gloves when pruning. Don also recommends using a long handled pruner, so you can prune while still keeping your distance from the plant.
Further information
Our segment was filmed at:
Illawarra Grevillea Park
Bulli, NSW
Phone: (02) 4284 9216