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Step 2Prepare the Soilwater medium
Soilwater is an essential component for cultivating algae. While the liquid plant food provides most of the essential nutrient algae also require other trace minerals which are extracted from the soil. In this step we will create a standard soil-water medium is used to supplement the plant nutrients.
First we will prepare a standardized green house soil based on a recipe from the University of Texas at Austin.
This is an adaptation of E.G. Pringsheim's biphasic soil-water medium. Variations of this medium are suitable for isolation and for growing algae to secure "normal" growth forms. Soilwater is not a well-defined medium, yet not all soil is suitable for culturing a broad range of algae.
UTEX uses some greenhouse soil they got from Indiana University. For a long shelf life it must be kept dry and away from light. UTEX keeps it in sealed 5-gallon plastic containers, keep a few quarts around in Mason jars for future use.
Prior to its use in soil-water media, treat soil in batches by placing it in a heat-resistant pan lined with aluminum foil, fill the soil to a so depth of 1/4 inch, and bake at 300 degrees (150C) for 2 hours. After it cools, cover the pan with aluminum foil and store in darkness at room temperature. Avoid excessive moisture during storage.
Now its time to prepare the medium. Add 5 tsps of green house soil for each liter of water and 5mg of calcium carbonate. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Cover, allow to cool and refrigerate. Repeat daily for 3 days. Allow to refrigerate overnight and bring to room temperature before use.
Use a large pot, make a couple of gallons. Parcel it up into the Mason jars and save what you don't use.
This is the water medium we will use to culture our algae.
First we will prepare a standardized green house soil based on a recipe from the University of Texas at Austin.
This is an adaptation of E.G. Pringsheim's biphasic soil-water medium. Variations of this medium are suitable for isolation and for growing algae to secure "normal" growth forms. Soilwater is not a well-defined medium, yet not all soil is suitable for culturing a broad range of algae.
UTEX uses some greenhouse soil they got from Indiana University. For a long shelf life it must be kept dry and away from light. UTEX keeps it in sealed 5-gallon plastic containers, keep a few quarts around in Mason jars for future use.
Prior to its use in soil-water media, treat soil in batches by placing it in a heat-resistant pan lined with aluminum foil, fill the soil to a so depth of 1/4 inch, and bake at 300 degrees (150C) for 2 hours. After it cools, cover the pan with aluminum foil and store in darkness at room temperature. Avoid excessive moisture during storage.
Now its time to prepare the medium. Add 5 tsps of green house soil for each liter of water and 5mg of calcium carbonate. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Cover, allow to cool and refrigerate. Repeat daily for 3 days. Allow to refrigerate overnight and bring to room temperature before use.
Use a large pot, make a couple of gallons. Parcel it up into the Mason jars and save what you don't use.
This is the water medium we will use to culture our algae.
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