Hi Charles Good to hear from you. Can you post a picture of your setup? I would like to see it. Since I am new to this, I have been purchasing media from Phytotech Labs pemixed. They have different formulas depending on the type and species you are trying to sow. Also there is different media depending on whether you are sowing seed or replating your seedlings. They have been very helpful in answering questions about proceedures and such. In general, you can buy premeasured powder to make 1 liter of media. To mix, add the powder to 1 liter of boiling distilled water. I use a wisk to get it mixed well. The media is then placed into clean jars with the lids slightly loose to relieve pressure and into the pressure cooker. Cook at 15lbs steam pressure for 15 min. When cooled you are set to go. I put aluminum foil over the lids before they go into the cooker and I leave it on untill the jars are being opened to sow or receive small plants. I have been using pint jars and I get about 7 jars per liter of replate media. When you get ready to test your flow cabinet, make up the jars of media and let them sit for say a week or two to make sure that the sterilization worked. Then you can open one inside the flow area for 10 min or so, seal it and wait again a week or two to see if there is contamination. There are other points to this that I have learned but I don't want to go on forever. Any questions just ask. There are alot of others on this forum that have more experience then I have and I am sure they will jump in if needed. Either Phytotech's website or the Orchid Seedbank project site has information on sterizing the media in the microwave. I haven't tried it because I like the results from the pressure cooker.
John
|
Hybrid Mode
