To simplify the choice of soil mix, I grew my 3 stephania tubers in 100% pumice , and another in a mixture of lava rocks, pumice and zeolite. This soil mix is sold in my country Malaysia as rainbow rocks for cactus and succulents and quite cheap. This soil mix is called lechuna pons in many countries. I don’t fertilize my stephanias because their growth is tremendously fast and I wanted to slow it down. And I watered them completely once a week and placed them in a bright but indirect light. I don’t water the tubers except a light mist now and then. More light encourages faster growth. I don’t use soil at all. And I needn’t worry about root rot because the rocky mix drains extremely fast.
I have mine for several months now and finally I see about 3 mm growth. Your video helps me- I have more hope, I felt it was forever. Thank you for the tips.
I am from the tropic and I just got my first caudex Stephania Erecta. Following your advice in the video, I used leca to propagate it. And within 3 days it is sprouting. Thanks John.
Mine are huge, I've had them several years and use bonsai soil. I also let them climb up a something. They love to climb but I never see any other ones climbing.
I believe if it’s under indirect light and shady area it will tend to be leggy and crawls around looking for light but if it’s exposed to more indirect light it tends to be compact with leaves, that’s what my mom said she does with her Stephania’s. She has tons😪
Hi, great video! I have a question, I have a Stephania electa, it's started to bud 😊🤗 I have it in my bathroom with a zip lock bag covering it. It has two buds. Should I remove the zip lock plastic bag? Should I mist now? I appreciate your help 🙏 Thanks 😊
If there's condensation on the bag at all then the humidity is definitely high enough, no need to mist. It would be good to open it and air it out once in a while. I would let it get some good growth momentum going in the bag for awhile before repotting or changing anything. Wait until it's growing quickly before messing with it! Congrats on getting it to bud, it should start taking off soon!
Hi, I just got some stephania erecta and stephania nova tubers and did not have a clue about the substrate they should be grown in. I set them on a pea gravel bed in a large dish with a bit of water on the bottom, on a sunny windowsill and mist them daily. They are starting to grow. Your video is very helpful, I am not sure at what stage I should be putting them in pots, using the instructions in your video. Should I do it now or when there is some leaf growth? Thank you for the tips.
Good job getting them to sprout! I would recommend leaving them alone for awhile until they have a few leaves and are growing steadily. If you disturb them too much right now it could really slow things down. Once the momentum picks up and you see them growing with a bit more vigor, that would be a good time to pot them up. I hope this helps you!
Great video! Just bought my first Stephania erecta- so anxious about it! I did a cactus soil mix, small stones and extra perlite. It’s going to hold some moisture so should I leave it out of mt greenhouse cabinet until roots develop? Would a heatmat help? Thanks!
Did You maybe soak the bulb before poting? I put mine in leca but didnt use any plastic ziplock bag and now it looks like a raisin. Since 2 monts nothing changed. Thanks to your video i know i have to provide it with lot of humidity, Thanks!
My stephania produces a branch but doesn't develope leaves. They are visible but small and they don't grow, but the branch does. The branch has almos 1 meter with tiny leaves that don't grow. Any advice? :(
Hey, so I’m not sure if you’re still actively looking at and/or respond to comments, but I was hoping you could help me. I just got a stephania erecta a few of weeks ago and wasn’t expecting anything to grow this year so I just left it in the pot I was planning to put it in. Just a little over a week later, I noticed that something green popped up and realized it’s sprouted already. My room is naturally a little bit more humid even without the help of a humidifier, but it wasn’t even in any media so there wasn’t even a single root. I certainly was surprised. I was afraid that it could be pushing out a “death flower” like some alocasias had done with me before. Should I be concerned?? Do I just plop it into some gritty media?? Do I need to put it into a cloche, or should I have it get used to less humid environments??
Depends on the soil mix, time of year, and how much light/warmth they get. During the slower part of the year, you can let them get fairly dry between waterings but when they are growing rapidly you will see they get very thirsty! When mine were in gritty mix, they wouldn't grow much unless I watered them several times a week! So try to keep them on the drier side at first and once you see growth you can increase watering gradually until you find the best amount for them. Definitely let it dry out partway between waterings though!
Hello! Great video 👌🏼Thanks for filling the empty hole of good information for how to tackle ones new stephania caudex that otherwise just makes you anxious and scared 🥺😅🥰 It's a bit intimidating when you are totally new to these wonderful beings. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I have two questions. How do they do in direct sunlight? I have a lot of afternoon sun in my windows so I'm thinking that will be too harsh for it during summer. What do you think? And then I'm curious about fertiliser for these, how to do about strengths (npk) and interval?
so I got a Stephania erect and it has already one small leaf, but no roots. I do want to encourage her to grow roots, but winter is coming, so is it good to follow your guide now or should I wait until spring will arrive? and should I remove the small stem and leaf to encourage it to grow roots?
I would definitely follow the instructions here and then use a small light to help it grow throughout winter. You don’t need to remove the leaf, it will help the plant harness more energy. I’ve rooted several of these over the years and sometimes I get roots first, other times it’s the leaves that pop up first. Just give it warmth, light, and humidity and let it grow!
Hello, and thanks for the informative video! Iam VERY new to stephanias. Currently living in a humid country with no 4 season, but my stephania erecta that i've newly acquired is only having a small green bud on top (which i am hardly sure whether that's a bud or a root, but assuming it based on its previous root holes) with no root on the bottom. Can I ask, is it normal for it to be budding before rooting? Or am I doing something wrong with it?
So, these have all leaves and roots removed before shipping and yours was probably ABOUT to push out a new stem before they prepped it for shipment. I'd guess that it just is carrying on the momentum it had before you received it. They can take a while to root and establish but as long as you see any growth, that's a good sign! Keep doing what you're doing . The roots won't be green so it sounds like you have your first vine getting started. Enjoy the process!
@@JohnDennery yay!! Thank you very much for the clarification! It's gonna be a ride, I am so insecure about it cause it seems to be a more high maintenance plant compare to my currently cared cactus and succulents 🙈 but THANK YOU!!
I recently bought one form a shop that was not planted, and it has about a 5 inch sprout. how do you suggest i pot it so it is successful? (i live in the PNW and it is early January) Thank you for any advice!
So it doesn’t have any roots? I would put it in something gritty (pumice, perlite, etc.) and just keep it warm and don’t let it dry out completely. If you can boost the humidity with a bin or cloche, that will really speed things up. Make sure 1/3 to 1/2 of the caudex is buried so it can activate several root growth points. Since it already has a sprout, it probably has a good store of energy available! Hopefully it just zooms right along for you 😄
@@liai8424 that’s a great question! Unfortunately I do not have the answer to that but mine have flowered every year and I have not seen any seeds yet.
I have mine almost a year now. It’s been growing stalks and flowering but it can never maintain the leaves :( the tiny leaves dry out quickly and die.. it still grows though. is this normal? Help I want mine to leaf big :(
The leaves should stick around for a long time. I wonder what type of soil mix you are using and how often you are watering? These plants are VERY thirsty when they are growing. I had to water mine daily last year in the gritty mix to really get them going. Let me know your soil/water and I will try to help. Hopefully it just needs a minor tweak!
Surprisingly, it isn't much of an issue. Sometimes when I first put a plant in a humidity bin it will get a small amount of fuzzy mold, but I literally just brush it off with my finger and it doesn't really come back. I have some plants that have lived in the bins for over 6 months now with no problems! I was definitely afraid of mold at first but it hasn't been a big deal at all.
What some people do, me included, is sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on the soil and then cover that with another bit of soil! I believe you can also only cover the top partially so that the humidity is higher, but it won’t become all moist on the inside, which I think causes the mold. 😊❤️
@@daphnehobbelen6405 my cloche does have some ventilation holes but its placed on a odd place in my house where airflow isn’t the best. So maybe i should start running some sort of fan in the room lol the mold growth is mainly on the terracotta and not on the soil or the plant itself. Maybe I’m just too paranoid and should just leave it alone lol thanks!
@@pipoypam3812 yeah, I was pretty paranoid too at first! Just keep an eye on it and be patient if it seems like it's taking awhile. Best wishes to you and your plant!
sorry but I have no idea! I found it at Van Winden's Garden Center near Napa, California but that was a few years ago. Not sure if/where you could find it these days.There's no branding on it so I can't give you any more information. But I'm sure you will find the perfect pots very soon!
I just got mine and already had sprout about 3 inches long and some tiny leaves.. but when I was transporting it I accidentally knocked it over and discovered that it don’t have any roots.. is it okay not to have roots but already sprouted? Should i be concerned that it has not rooted yet? Coz its a bit expensive where i got it. Also, im new to this kind of plant..
Maybe the seller removed the roots but left that one sprout. The caudex can hold LOTS of energy so it should be fully capable of rooting. Just make sure it doesn't stay too wet and it should be fine!
Dude you've got an excellent channel, I feel lucky to be one of the early subscribers! I have a question about rescuing my Stephania Erectus. What I'm finding is that the stems have begun to droop to the table as if the leaves are too heavy for them (the stems are quite thin and the leaves are aplenty) and some of the leaves are falling off. When I pick the leaves up they seem to be totally healthy, not dry or anything. Do you know what might be going on?
Hey, thank you so much! I really appreciate your positive words. Your erecta sounds perfectly healthy. These are actually vines so at some point they can no longer support themselves and will either become trailing plants or need to be attached to some type of pole or support -- your choice!
Hi can you help me I have staphania nova i think. But the base o body is not fat. It getting taller instead. I hope I can send you a photo so you can see. Maybe you can help me. I'm thinking of cutting the body so instead of growing tall, the body will be fat.
I've definitely seen some novas that grow taller instead of wider. Is yours rooted already? You could actually lay it on its side and root it that way, the entire caudex is capable of growing roots. Then it may take more of the shape you are looking for but the caudex itself doesn't grow very quickly so you'll need to commit to at least 5 years of patient gardening! 😄
@@consolextreme I googled some images and it looks like your jatropha is destined to grow similarly to a small tree. It won't ever get the round, ball look you are hoping for but will continue to grow upwards, resembling a vase or glass bottle. Still cool though just not what you were expecting.
Yeah! They're all growing well again. It can take a really long time though so yours might be alive if you still have it. Thankfully though I didn't give mine the death chop with that bucket haha
To simplify the choice of soil mix, I grew my 3 stephania tubers in 100% pumice , and another in a mixture of lava rocks, pumice and zeolite. This soil mix is sold in my country Malaysia as rainbow rocks for cactus and succulents and quite cheap. This soil mix is called lechuna pons in many countries. I don’t fertilize my stephanias because their growth is tremendously fast and I wanted to slow it down. And I watered them completely once a week and placed them in a bright but indirect light. I don’t water the tubers except a light mist now and then. More light encourages faster growth. I don’t use soil at all. And I needn’t worry about root rot because the rocky mix drains extremely fast.
I just received my bulbs / caudex and planted it in pon!
You deserve more views! I can feel your passion for plants and that’s all I need for me to know that I’m not wasting my time watching your vids 😁
I have mine for several months now and finally I see about 3 mm growth. Your video helps me- I have more hope, I felt it was forever. Thank you for the tips.
I am from the tropic and I just got my first caudex Stephania Erecta. Following your advice in the video, I used leca to propagate it. And within 3 days it is sprouting. Thanks John.
Oh, that's so good to hear! Congratulations 🙌
I just ordered in my first Stephania Erecta bulbs from Inkcacti, thank you so much for the tips !
Mine are huge, I've had them several years and use bonsai soil. I also let them climb up a something. They love to climb but I never see any other ones climbing.
Oh that's awesome! Yeah, I had my largest one climbing up a pole last year and it looked great! Have yours ever produced any seed pods?
@@JohnDennery no pods yet, I haven't really researched the conditions for flowering. When i first got it i couldn't find much information.
I believe if it’s under indirect light and shady area it will tend to be leggy and crawls around looking for light but if it’s exposed to more indirect light it tends to be compact with leaves, that’s what my mom said she does with her Stephania’s. She has tons😪
These plants are so cute!
Hi, great video!
I have a question, I have a Stephania electa, it's started to bud 😊🤗 I have it in my bathroom with a zip lock bag covering it. It has two buds. Should I remove the zip lock plastic bag?
Should I mist now?
I appreciate your help 🙏
Thanks 😊
If there's condensation on the bag at all then the humidity is definitely high enough, no need to mist. It would be good to open it and air it out once in a while. I would let it get some good growth momentum going in the bag for awhile before repotting or changing anything. Wait until it's growing quickly before messing with it! Congrats on getting it to bud, it should start taking off soon!
Hi, I just got some stephania erecta and stephania nova tubers and did not have a clue about the substrate they should be grown in. I set them on a pea gravel bed in a large dish with a bit of water on the bottom, on a sunny windowsill and mist them daily. They are starting to grow. Your video is very helpful, I am not sure at what stage I should be putting them in pots, using the instructions in your video. Should I do it now or when there is some leaf growth? Thank you for the tips.
Good job getting them to sprout! I would recommend leaving them alone for awhile until they have a few leaves and are growing steadily. If you disturb them too much right now it could really slow things down. Once the momentum picks up and you see them growing with a bit more vigor, that would be a good time to pot them up. I hope this helps you!
Great video! Just bought my first Stephania erecta- so anxious about it! I did a cactus soil mix, small stones and extra perlite. It’s going to hold some moisture so should I leave it out of mt greenhouse cabinet until roots develop? Would a heatmat help? Thanks!
Did You maybe soak the bulb before poting? I put mine in leca but didnt use any plastic ziplock bag and now it looks like a raisin. Since 2 monts nothing changed. Thanks to your video i know i have to provide it with lot of humidity, Thanks!
No, I didn't soak them at all but I did plant them pretty deep while they were in leca - maybe 85% covered or so. I hope you are able to root yours!
I really like the red:burgundy plant pots. Mind sharing where you got them from?
Hey, thanks for watching! I love these pots too. I got them off Amazon from Potey. Here's the link. Cheers!
amzn.to/3AKugFt
My stephania produces a branch but doesn't develope leaves. They are visible but small and they don't grow, but the branch does. The branch has almos 1 meter with tiny leaves that don't grow. Any advice? :(
Hey, so I’m not sure if you’re still actively looking at and/or respond to comments, but I was hoping you could help me. I just got a stephania erecta a few of weeks ago and wasn’t expecting anything to grow this year so I just left it in the pot I was planning to put it in. Just a little over a week later, I noticed that something green popped up and realized it’s sprouted already. My room is naturally a little bit more humid even without the help of a humidifier, but it wasn’t even in any media so there wasn’t even a single root. I certainly was surprised. I was afraid that it could be pushing out a “death flower” like some alocasias had done with me before. Should I be concerned?? Do I just plop it into some gritty media?? Do I need to put it into a cloche, or should I have it get used to less humid environments??
How often should you water ever planted the bulb ?
Depends on the soil mix, time of year, and how much light/warmth they get. During the slower part of the year, you can let them get fairly dry between waterings but when they are growing rapidly you will see they get very thirsty! When mine were in gritty mix, they wouldn't grow much unless I watered them several times a week! So try to keep them on the drier side at first and once you see growth you can increase watering gradually until you find the best amount for them. Definitely let it dry out partway between waterings though!
Hello! Great video 👌🏼Thanks for filling the empty hole of good information for how to tackle ones new stephania caudex that otherwise just makes you anxious and scared 🥺😅🥰 It's a bit intimidating when you are totally new to these wonderful beings. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I have two questions. How do they do in direct sunlight? I have a lot of afternoon sun in my windows so I'm thinking that will be too harsh for it during summer. What do you think? And then I'm curious about fertiliser for these, how to do about strengths (npk) and interval?
so I got a Stephania erect and it has already one small leaf, but no roots. I do want to encourage her to grow roots, but winter is coming, so is it good to follow your guide now or should I wait until spring will arrive? and should I remove the small stem and leaf to encourage it to grow roots?
I would definitely follow the instructions here and then use a small light to help it grow throughout winter. You don’t need to remove the leaf, it will help the plant harness more energy. I’ve rooted several of these over the years and sometimes I get roots first, other times it’s the leaves that pop up first. Just give it warmth, light, and humidity and let it grow!
Hello, and thanks for the informative video! Iam VERY new to stephanias. Currently living in a humid country with no 4 season, but my stephania erecta that i've newly acquired is only having a small green bud on top (which i am hardly sure whether that's a bud or a root, but assuming it based on its previous root holes) with no root on the bottom. Can I ask, is it normal for it to be budding before rooting? Or am I doing something wrong with it?
So, these have all leaves and roots removed before shipping and yours was probably ABOUT to push out a new stem before they prepped it for shipment. I'd guess that it just is carrying on the momentum it had before you received it. They can take a while to root and establish but as long as you see any growth, that's a good sign! Keep doing what you're doing . The roots won't be green so it sounds like you have your first vine getting started. Enjoy the process!
@@JohnDennery yay!! Thank you very much for the clarification! It's gonna be a ride, I am so insecure about it cause it seems to be a more high maintenance plant compare to my currently cared cactus and succulents 🙈 but THANK YOU!!
I recently bought one form a shop that was not planted, and it has about a 5 inch sprout. how do you suggest i pot it so it is successful? (i live in the PNW and it is early January) Thank you for any advice!
So it doesn’t have any roots? I would put it in something gritty (pumice, perlite, etc.) and just keep it warm and don’t let it dry out completely. If you can boost the humidity with a bin or cloche, that will really speed things up. Make sure 1/3 to 1/2 of the caudex is buried so it can activate several root growth points.
Since it already has a sprout, it probably has a good store of energy available! Hopefully it just zooms right along for you 😄
How should the plant in the middle reproduce?
Are you asking about propagation? Stephanias only reproduce from seed
@@JohnDennery Do you need two him to breed? Information about him on the Internet is very difficult to find😢
@@liai8424 that’s a great question! Unfortunately I do not have the answer to that but mine have flowered every year and I have not seen any seeds yet.
I have mine almost a year now. It’s been growing stalks and flowering but it can never maintain the leaves :( the tiny leaves dry out quickly and die.. it still grows though. is this normal? Help I want mine to leaf big :(
The leaves should stick around for a long time. I wonder what type of soil mix you are using and how often you are watering? These plants are VERY thirsty when they are growing. I had to water mine daily last year in the gritty mix to really get them going. Let me know your soil/water and I will try to help. Hopefully it just needs a minor tweak!
Hello John! Do you have any ideas why my Stephania Erecta's leaves turns black? Is it due to too much water? thanks a lot
Hi there, it's hard to say. How much light does it get and what kind of soil is it in? Are you letting it dry out between waterings?
how do you prevent mold from building up inside the cover with that much humidity?
Surprisingly, it isn't much of an issue. Sometimes when I first put a plant in a humidity bin it will get a small amount of fuzzy mold, but I literally just brush it off with my finger and it doesn't really come back. I have some plants that have lived in the bins for over 6 months now with no problems! I was definitely afraid of mold at first but it hasn't been a big deal at all.
What some people do, me included, is sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on the soil and then cover that with another bit of soil! I believe you can also only cover the top partially so that the humidity is higher, but it won’t become all moist on the inside, which I think causes the mold. 😊❤️
@@daphnehobbelen6405 my cloche does have some ventilation holes but its placed on a odd place in my house where airflow isn’t the best. So maybe i should start running some sort of fan in the room lol the mold growth is mainly on the terracotta and not on the soil or the plant itself. Maybe I’m just too paranoid and should just leave it alone lol thanks!
@@JohnDennery I’m probably just too paranoid then lol going to place it back in and just leave it alone! Thanks!
@@pipoypam3812 yeah, I was pretty paranoid too at first! Just keep an eye on it and be patient if it seems like it's taking awhile. Best wishes to you and your plant!
Do you leave reservoir on leca wont it get mushy? Thanks
Yes, I left a very small layer of water at the bottom but it did not touch the caudex. The caudex was probably 3 inches above the waterline.
Where can I find your favorite Stephania pot?
sorry but I have no idea! I found it at Van Winden's Garden Center near Napa, California but that was a few years ago. Not sure if/where you could find it these days.There's no branding on it so I can't give you any more information. But I'm sure you will find the perfect pots very soon!
I just got mine and already had sprout about 3 inches long and some tiny leaves.. but when I was transporting it I accidentally knocked it over and discovered that it don’t have any roots.. is it okay not to have roots but already sprouted? Should i be concerned that it has not rooted yet? Coz its a bit expensive where i got it. Also, im new to this kind of plant..
Maybe the seller removed the roots but left that one sprout. The caudex can hold LOTS of energy so it should be fully capable of rooting. Just make sure it doesn't stay too wet and it should be fine!
@@JohnDennery thank you!
Dude you've got an excellent channel, I feel lucky to be one of the early subscribers! I have a question about rescuing my Stephania Erectus. What I'm finding is that the stems have begun to droop to the table as if the leaves are too heavy for them (the stems are quite thin and the leaves are aplenty) and some of the leaves are falling off. When I pick the leaves up they seem to be totally healthy, not dry or anything. Do you know what might be going on?
Hey, thank you so much! I really appreciate your positive words.
Your erecta sounds perfectly healthy. These are actually vines so at some point they can no longer support themselves and will either become trailing plants or need to be attached to some type of pole or support -- your choice!
Has anyone has an issue where new foliage growth turns black and falls off? I’m convinced it’s a moisture thing or a light thing.
Hi can you help me I have staphania nova i think. But the base o body is not fat. It getting taller instead. I hope I can send you a photo so you can see. Maybe you can help me. I'm thinking of cutting the body so instead of growing tall, the body will be fat.
I've definitely seen some novas that grow taller instead of wider. Is yours rooted already? You could actually lay it on its side and root it that way, the entire caudex is capable of growing roots. Then it may take more of the shape you are looking for but the caudex itself doesn't grow very quickly so you'll need to commit to at least 5 years of patient gardening! 😄
@@JohnDennery thank you. 5 years is a long time😁. Just found out its Jatropha or Buddha's belly. Is it the same as stephania?
@@consolextreme I googled some images and it looks like your jatropha is destined to grow similarly to a small tree. It won't ever get the round, ball look you are hoping for but will continue to grow upwards, resembling a vase or glass bottle. Still cool though just not what you were expecting.
Did the last one heal? I accidentally broke 1 sprout from mine a little bit and ended up with no luck.. so just curious about yours :)
Yeah! They're all growing well again. It can take a really long time though so yours might be alive if you still have it. Thankfully though I didn't give mine the death chop with that bucket haha
@@JohnDennery Glad to hear yours is doing well and thanks for the reply. I will patiently wait for mine :)
Como faz muda ?