Plant Tissue Culture PPT

We got into the process about three months ago after we opened our first Eco-friendly, green products website. We decided it was in our best interest to try some of the products we sell and set out to do so. We have everything from baby bottle nipples to innovative composting solutions. I was inclined to go pretty far left and see how successful we would be composting our kitchen waste. I'm happy to report that the last 60 days have been quite successful- we not only set-up and maintained a 1500 worm farm, but did so with some pretty good results. We have harvested 2 trays of the nitrogen-rich compost and our flowers and plants love it. What's more, the system generally takes care of itself while helping you establish a comfortable, rotating schedule over a 6-8 week period. The processing tray is the lower most tray with the oldest food- this becomes compost first. Above this tray are the working trays full of kitchen scraps, fiber, breads, junk mail, egg shells, coffee grounds, yard waste, corn husks, expired fruit- you name it, it's in there with the exception of citrus, meat, bones and dairy.

As one tray becomes full, a new empty tray gets stacked on top of it and so goes the cycle. The system we've been using has 5 trays. When the trays are full, generally after a period of about 8 weeks, the compost is returned to the earth to your plants, flowers, vegetables, lawn and pretty much anything else that grows. One caveat- the compost is highly acidic when removed from the worm farm. It's recommended that you mix 1 part worm castings to three parts regular potting soil. It's also advised to let the castings sit for a period of 1-2 months before spreading. This allows the compost to oxygenate and over time, become more pH neutral. If you don't want to wait, rose bushes love highly acidic, nutrient rich food. Our anemic box out roses grew about a foot in two weeks after 2 cups of worm poop were applied and exploded with flowers. That's the end game- a nice, 5-gallon bucket of worm compost about every two months- your lawns and garden will love you for it. Here are some tips for being successful with your farm.

Worms are High Maintenance

Their health and well-being, as well as stress-free environment are paramount to them grinding up your kitchen scraps. The temperature of their bedding has to be between 40-80 F. They must be in a relatively quiet and well ventilated, shady area. If your temperature doesn't routinely fall within the limits, they need to be inside in a controlled temperature. Our worm farm lives in the dining room- no smell, no fuss no muss. One word about the specific kind of worms you want to use- Red Wrigglers, there is no substitute.

Moisture of Bedding is Critical

This cannot be over emphasized. The bedding for the worms needs to have just the right moisture content, like a rung out sponge. If it's too wet, add dry, shredded paper to the mix to absorb the overage. If too dry, you can simply add moistened or wet, shredded paper. When you squeeze together a handful, it should produce a few drops of water but no more. The bin will dry out and needs to be re-moistened every couple days. I usually dump a half cup of water over the newspaper covering the food. If it's too dry, you'll experience ants and fruit flies but more important, the worm's respiration becomes compromised as they need moisture next to their skin to breath.

Stick to the Menu

Our worms eat about 2-3 pounds of kitchen scraps per week- that's a whole bunch of waste. Feed them a little at a time. If you have larger quantities, park them in tupperware containers in your refrigerator as they continue to break down. Bank this food and only disturb the worms about every two to three days- they hate people and light. Over-feeding is something to watch and get a feel for, specifically how much they will consume over a given period of time. Worms are like us- too much food at once leaves them fat, lazy and inactive, not working very hard crushing our food. On the cover of the worm farm it tells you what they like and what to avoid. Wrigglers like a mixture of about 60% food scraps and 40% fiber, paper, breads and yard waste. No meat products, citrus or sugary foods. For a properly functioning worm farm they recommend the following: vegetable and fruit scraps, their husks, peelings, tops etc., coffee grounds, egg shells, breads, pizza crusts, junk mail, egg cartons, newspaper, rotten refrigerator food, nuts, cardboard, yard waste, lettuce and moldy bread. This along with dead leaves, is a great accelerant to the breakdown and compost process.

Following these fundamentals will get you started on the right foot and regular maintenance and monitoring of your system goes a long way toward successful vermiculture. The overall benefit is you get a useful product for your flowers and plants, cut down on the garbage you send to landfills, provide an excellent teaching environment for your kids, and gives you a pretty cool hobby all at the same time.

Kelley Murphy, owns a successful media production business in the healthcare vertical market, and is a new e-commerce business owner of gottabgreen.com, promoting and selling a responsible lifestyle and eco-friendly green products online. Looking to rid the world of plastic, follow his blogs and shop GottaBGreen.com for the Best Selling Green Products.

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