Exactly, and I start out with just a tiny amount of cells, not a whole cutting.

I like to use stems and take cells from node sites. Stems work well, because they can be cleaned better and you can get more cells than from leaf or root cuttings.

I'll cut the stems into 1" lengths with a node site in the middle. Put those in a bleach water test tube, put tubes in the box. By the time the box is ready to go, they've soaked for 30 minutes or so.

I dump the test tube into a empty petri dish and one at a time I take a stem cutting and extract cells. I cut the stem length wise down the middle and at the node site, I'll scrape out a sliver of cells, then transfer them to a petri dish. I'll take 4 or 5 slivers per stem per dish.

Once I'm done, I'll seal the petri dishes with this gauss tape and store any waste in a ziplock bag. Then I clean the box with another spray/wipe. I leave the box sealed, with the petri dishes sealed inside. Unless a glove rips, if I have cultures, they stay in the box.

When I remove sprouts from the box, the fan in the side can be removed to create a small second chamber to pass things through with as little contamination as possible. The covers actually unscrew on both the inside and outside. So, I remove the fan from the outside, spray in some lysol, replace the cover, glove up, remove the inner cover, insert up to 4 test tubes, replace the cover, unglove, remove the test tubes and replace the fan...

-Loki

Loki, That sounds great. I'd like to see some shots of your progress when you get everything you need.

Well, here we are at 5 wks. and no more mold problems with the remaining 10 samples. There are only 9 visible in this shot, as 1 of the cuts is in the second row. I would say that the Widow has been successfully put into micro culture, as these last survivors seem to be stable. I am hoping to see some more aggressive growth so as to be able to take more cuttings from these. Since these are now sterile as is their environment it should be easier to do without to much more of the mold issues.

This is the 5 wk. shot of the sample cutting we have been watching. Not a lot of change, it seems to be existing, but not thriving and growing as it should be.

This picture is of the 1 cut that seems to be going someplace. Nice growth and new sprouts. If I try to take any cuttings from these 10 remaining samples, this will be the 1 I'll work with first. This 1 cutting has the potential right now to become 4 individuals. This is so cool, they would have to be less than 1/4" tall .

If I'd wait a while longer they could be split into 7 plants. The test tube it's in now is 1" dia.. Kinda gives you the idea of the size of cuts we're looking at.

wow. that's remarkable. (MVC-113F)

Muadhib, my gosh you're so cute. Does your picture do you justice? I can only hope. SOM

lol. if you only knew.... hahaha... good stuff.


actually it's a custom avatar I whipped up from some link on photobucket here . This is actually my dream girl of the moment. In a bigger version, she's in a 'grow room' playing with fairy.. see below....she's a little creepy looking moving around like that.

I'm a testosterone filled dude without a doubt.




peace.

pretty, for a dude.