Mistaken identity.

So today my neighbor across the street knocks on the door and says, " I just wanted to know that the other guy across the street has a brother that is a cop. I don't know if you know but its not legal to grow here. I got caught once growing it my window and his brother saw it when he came for a visit."

My reply, "Those are not Pot Plants, they are tomatoes. I don't grow Pot but thanks."

I think I might have embarrassed her.

Germination Successful!!!

Finally, I'm starting to see some green in the flasks. The 2 commercial medias seem to be leading the charge so far. No big surprise really. Its very possible that the cornstarch media is germinating as well too but due to the color of the media (light blue) and the color of the seed naturally (light yellow) it has always kinda had a greenish hint in the cornstarch media so I'm waiting for them to swell a bit more before I say for sure. One flask that did germinate was sown on a previously contaminated empty flask that was wiped with a lysol wipe. Unfortunately earlier this week it appears that the contamination has returned, so if it starts to spread too quickly I will be replating (see pic).

Flask Cabinet Replate Shelf

I added two 15w daylight CFL bulbs to the replate shelf. With everything being white on the inside it is extremely bright now. Even the lower shelf for the mother flasks 1 15w CFL with the door closed is extremely bright. At least I think so from looking through the crack between the doors. 

More Contamination

Upon inspection of all the flasks of media, both with and without seed. I found 3 flasks of P723 in poly containers that were microwave sterilized with milky contamination. The good news is that all flasks that have been sown so far show no contamination. This includes even the seed that has been sown and sterilized using the gas fumigation method. However no germination has yet to be witnessed so it is possible that the seed is sterile, or has been over sterilized with bleach.

Syringe filter observation

After testing and sowing sterilized seeds via syringe, I have found that a small peice of cotton ball works the best. I tried coffee filter, but found that it was easy to tear, and if folded so it doesn't tear it then is very difficult if not impossible to draw up solution. Once I did get a good peice of filter in the cap that was not torn it worked beautifully. When I tested paper towel, it didn't tear and worked fine with just water, however once seed was added it became clogged. This eventually lead to the paper towel filter tearing and become pretty much useless. The small peice of cotton ball however maintained the same properties drawing up and expelling solution even after seed was added. My conclusion, use cotton balls, they really are pretty inexpensive and are much easier to work with.

Contamination was found

The first flask was found with contamination. It did not have seed sown in it yet, but was a microwaved poly flask of P723. As and experiment I dumped out the milky contaimnation then wiped with a lysol kitchen wipe. After all they are advertised to kill 99.9% of all household bacteria and viruses. The contaminated flask was then put in the sterile box and a second lysol wipe was used to wipe the surface and the whole of the container once more. Then a small amount of seed was sown with 1ml of water.

Otherwise the other 40 flasks show no contamination, aside from 2 flasks that were pressure cooked that look to have some small particulate stuck in the media. There does not  appear to be any mold or other growth on those two just the foreign particulate that must have been present when they were sterilized. 

(photos will follow)

Lighting the Flasking Cabinet

After diligent searching, I finally settled on using a plastic socket with a modified extension cord. I wanted to make sure it worked before purchasing additional supplies and good cfl daylight bulbs. The total cost was only $3.25 (in canada no less). Once I get a good bulb it will only come to less than $8 per light. If I feel I need more like I can add a second bulb and still be less than the cost of a standard fluorescent fixture. (nearly $18 including junk bulb with lumen output) Its very simple there are only 2 components. A socket and a cheap lamp
extension cord.

I just cut the female end of the cord off and and split the wires. Then stripped back a bit of the insulation. You need only find which is the hot wire and which is the black wire and the screw the leads down.


I used the pliers to chip two small grooves in the plastic socket flange so it would sit flush to the cabinet wall and screw the plate down.

Then just screw in a blub and plug in, and presto we have light.

( I doubt this is to code, and please use caution when dealing with electric)

The photo to the left was taken through the 1/8th inch crack between the doors, so it is quite bright when the doors are closed. I think with a daylight bulb the color will be more natural.



 Photo to the right is the flasks with media that is just waiting for seed.