Stephania Erecta Experiment: Thailand & Indonesia Soil Mix - Part 1, The Soil

Updated: Nov 20, 2020

As we all know, most of Stephania Erecta caudex comes from these 2 countries - Thailand and Indonesia. Each has their own specific care, tips and soil mix used to grow these beautiful plant.

Scroll through Thai or Indonesian plant groups and you will go green with envy! Almost everyone owns an Erecta and the nurseries have just the best looking growth of Erecta I've ever seen. From the choice of pot to the soil topping - all on point!

As a small-boutique caudex seller from Malaysia who gets my stocks from these 2 countries myself, I can't miss the opportunity to speak personally to the nursery owners to get an in depth care tips from them. Both have different soil mixes that they generally use (I suspect this might also depends on how easily available these ingredients are) and some parts of the care tips as well. So today, we are talking SOIL.

*Disclaimer: These requirements (from soil mix to the condition) are based on my own conversations with several caudex sellers from these 2 countries. I am not implying that this is the standard practice or the same method as other collectors/sellers from these countries. It is from my own observation on the differences they both applied to their own growing methods, used in their own nurseries. This experiment is not by any means trying to show which method is the best method, but merely a fun experiment to observe variety of techniques.

For this experiment, I will start off with 2 basic things:

a healthy bulb with no signs of sprouting yet (smooth surface, rigid and firm when squeezed)
a plastic pot with label

Thailand Soil Mix

Akadama / Vermiculite (20%)

Bonsai / Cactus Soil (20%)

Perlite (20%)

Pumice (40%)

Worm Casting (1 teaspoon)

Indonesia Soil Mix

Volcanic Soil aka Pasir Malang (40%)

Burnt Rice Husk aka Sekam Bakar (30%)

Pumice (20%)

Goat's Pellet (10%)

Both caudex will be buried in at about 70% of the size of the bulb and watered until excess drained out.

Find out the next step of this experiment which is The Condition.

Experiments

822