Q) How long does it take for the bulb to sprout?
A) If you place the bulb under our grow light, it usually takes about 1 month or less for it to sprout.

Under indirect sun (filtered by windows), it take about 1-5 months. From our experience, the best condition for it to sprout is when bright filtered sun rays hit the bulb. The duration it takes to sprout very much depends on the amount of light the bulb receives, as the plant has to convert light energy into energy to push out new growths.

Q) How much do I water and what’s the frequency before it sprouts?
A) The care tips is the same before or after the leaves have sprouted. Water when the soil is 80% dry. If the soil mix is light brown, it’s dry and you may proceed to water.

Q) How do I tell if the bulb is dead or alive?
A) If the bulb is wrinkled and looks like a sour plum, it is most likely dead due to too much water. If it’s not, it might still be able to sprout. 

Q) What’s special about the stephania erecta?
A) It’s popular for its perfectly round leaves and beautiful veins which illuminate when the sun shines through. Leave it at a bright spot next to the window and maintenance becomes fuss free. You only have to water it once a week and watch it sprout new leaves.

Q) What is this plant, Is it a succulent?
A) No it’s not a succulent, because a succulent is a plant with fleshy leaves containing water. Stephania erecta is a caudex plant, meaning they grow leaves from a bulb.

Q) How does it grow?
A) The bulb grows very slowly. It will take years for the bulb to outgrow the pot. The leaves grow quickly. They multiply quickly when the location is bright enough.

Q) Where do I put it?
A) You can put it next to the window for bright indirect sun. Direct sun is fine but only morning/evening sun rays. 

Q) How often do I water it?
A) Water when the soil mix is light brown, indicating it’s dry. If it’s dark brown, the soil mix is still wet and you shouldn’t water. 

Q) How long before I have to repot it?
A) As it does not grow in terms of the bulb, you don’t really have to repot it often. If you are worried about the nutrients in the soil mix being used up, you can top up using slow-release fertiliser.

The roots of stephania erecta are very fine and soft, so you won’t have to repot them to a larger pot. You can repot if you feel that the leaves are not proportionate to the pot. But then again, it will be due to aesthetics, and not repotting will not affect the plant’s health. 

Q) The leaves of my bulb dropped and it has stopped growing ever since. 
A) There are periods when stephania erecta go dormant. This usually last for a few months and occur once in a year. If your stephania erecta is dormant, continue to care for it the same way, but go easy on the watering. If the location is bright enough, leaves will sprout again. 
Q) How long does it take for small stephania erecta leaves to grow to large leaves?
A) Once it has leaves, it grows fast as the leaves can photosynthesize and make food for the plant. So it’s usually in less than a month. 

Q) Why are some stephania erecta short while others are leggy?
A) We do not know how the leaves will look when it’s still a bulb. They are like humans and animals, varying their looks due to genetics. Some stephania tend to stretch easily, while some grow very slowly, maintaining a certain height for a long time. Some has many leaves, while some only has a few leaves. 

Any reason why your stephania has turned leggy could be due to a lack of sunlight. When there’s insufficient sunlight, the stem tend to stretch so the leaves can trap more light. To solve this problem, elevate your stephania using some boxes so it can be closer to the window.

Q) What is that yellow powdery thing on my stephania?
A) Those are their flowers. stephania erecta has very tiny yellow flowers. 

Problem: Yellow edges

Solution: Apply nutricote slow release fertiliser on top of soil and water for nutrients to be dissolved into the soil 

Problem: Brown stains on leaves due to fertiliser burn
Solution: The next time you apply liquid fertiliser, do not let the fertiliser form droplets on the leaves. Mist gently at a distance away from the plant. Use tissue to gentle wipe the droplets off to avoid fertiliser burn.

Problem: Leaves curling 
Solution: The leaves curl due to dehydration. 

A soil mix that’s rocky and has lots of air spaces for drainage e.g. 
The Plant Loft Rock soil mix (click for product URL)

Nil

Fast if location is bright 

Not necessary 

Toxic to pets