Don wrote:
Folks, live in the Adelaide hills with a nice garden that includes one 1.5
metre protea (silver ice, I think) that is flowering very well on every
stem. The bush is almost too big for the roots and stem. Although staked
up I think I need to prune after the flowers loose there colour. However,
the flowers are at the junction of 5 or 6 other stems that also have flowers
or flower like things starting. There doesn't seem to be any stem at the
junction to cut the flower off from. Most articles I have seem talk about
leaving 10 to 15cm of stem. I also have one or two flowers that have opened
up all the way and are starting to look like they are dying so wish to prune
them out. Help ( no skills what soever as a gardener except that everything
I plant seems to go berserk and grow!! go figure)

regards, in anticipation

Normally the new bypass shoots which come from around the flower head
should be rubbed off to stop them growing, leaving you with a single
stem with a flower head at the top.
If Silver Ice is anything like Pink Ice it is a very prolific flowerer,
and responds well to pruning, even on older wood.
Yes, you normally need to leave 2 to 2 inches of stem; preferably this
season's growth.