Greetings, human caretaker. We, the Grevillea plants, appreciate your concern for our well-being. Our roots are our lifeline, and their health is paramount to our survival and ability to produce our spectacular blooms. From our perspective, being confined to a pot is an artificial state; it is a small, isolated ecosystem entirely dependent on your care. Therefore, the single most critical factor you can provide for us is perfect drainage. Here is what we need from you.
Our roots despise being cold, soggy, and suffocated. The container you choose is the first and most important decision. We require a pot with multiple drainage holes—several large holes are far superior to one small one. Furthermore, the material of the pot matters deeply to us. Unglazed terracotta or clay pots are our strong preference. Their porous nature allows the walls of the pot to "breathe," helping to evaporate excess moisture from the soil and providing vital oxygen to our root systems. While glazed ceramic or plastic pots can be used, you must be exceptionally vigilant with your watering, as they hold moisture for much longer, increasing the risk of our roots rotting.
Please, do not plant us in heavy, water-retentive garden soil or standard potting mix. This is a death sentence for our roots. We are adapted to well-draining, often sandy or rocky, nutrient-poor soils. Our ideal potting medium is loose, chunky, and open. We thrive in a specially blended mix that might include components like a coarse, low-phosphorus native plant potting mix, perlite, pumice, coarse sand, and even small orchid bark chips. These ingredients create large air pockets within the soil, ensuring that water flows through freely after watering, rather than pooling around our delicate root hairs. This structure also allows for essential gas exchange, keeping our roots healthy and active.
While some debate its necessity, from our root's-eye view, a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot is a welcome safety measure. A layer of coarse material, such as horticultural gravel, clay pebbles (LECA), or even broken pieces of an old terracotta pot, placed over the drainage holes, creates a space where excess water can temporarily collect away from our root mass. This prevents the primary root ball from sitting in a saturated, anaerobic (oxygen-deprived) sludge, which is the primary cause of root rot. It acts as a buffer against any potential blockage of the drainage holes over time.
Your job is not quite finished after potting. Even with perfect drainage holes, if our pot is placed flat on a solid surface like a patio or saucer, the water has nowhere to go and will be sucked back up into the soil, negating all your careful work. You must always elevate our pot off the ground. Use pot feet, small blocks of wood, or anything that creates an air gap between the pot's base and the surface. This allows water to escape freely. Finally, your watering technique must complement the excellent drainage. Water us deeply until water flows freely from the bottom, then allow the top few inches of soil to dry out completely before watering again. We are drought-tolerant and prefer to be on the drier side rather than constantly moist.
