hi, i've bought a load of topical seeds on ebay, some palms, some bamboo, some passion fruits, etc. etc.

all the seed germinating instructions say pretty much the same thing; make a potting soil with peat moss or sterile sphagnum moss mixed with an equal amount of perlite or vermiculite

i have no idea how to find any of these components here in phuket

we have the same bags of soil everyone sells, looks like composted twigs, leaves, coconut husks, etc.

so i have a question, what do you gardeners do for potting soil for starting seed and is there an easy to find, local equivalent of perlite or vermiculite? (for example, i wonder if crushed up superblock, the lightweight white aerated concrete blocks called 'eet muan baow' would work)?

thx steve

i just noticed this

http://www.palms.org/principes/1999/palmseeds.htm

'Planting Medium

Germinate the easy varieties in a commercial mix of peat moss or sterile sphagnum moss mixed with an equal amount of perlite or vermiculite. You may also use commercially prepared, finely cut coconut coir to which the same fast-draining material has been added. Sand, wood chips, screened rock or volcanic cinder screened to a maximum size of 9 mm can substitute for vermiculite or perlite. Whatever you use, the medium should be very porous and drain extremely well. '

i'll try mixing the compost in a bag with some coconut chips and some ground up superblock, sounds pretty close i think.

interested to hear what other people are using through

composted shredded coconut husks

I get vermiculite at Do Home here in Korat. I presume other big D-I-Y places will have it.