How is the seed dormancy in Protea seeds broken?
Protea seed dormancy is broken when 1) the seeds absorb water; 2) the seed are subject to relatively low temperatures; and 3) the seeds have been exposed to fire or smoke. To trigger the response that these seed have to fire and smoke when the ‘fynbos’ (local vegetation) burns during late summer and early autumn. To achieve this, we soak the seed, both hard-shelled and winged, in a smoke solution of distilled water and Smoke Primer Disks. These paper disks are impregnated with the natural chemicals found in bushfire smoke, as well as other components found to help Proteaceae germinate. When you soak seeds in a solution of these components, you recreate conditions similar to the start of the rainy season after a fire. This starts the germination process.
