Planting and Cultivation
For all inquiries and for tray requests, email: greenhouse-requests@gowustl.onmicrosoft.com
If you are new to the facility, please follow the steps to gain facility access here.
- Trays can be requested to be filled or lab members can fill their own. We prefer that you request trays from us and we will fill them by the next business day. If you would like to fill your own trays, you must be trained by facility staff.
- 8, 12, 18, 24 cell trays are available. We place these in 1020 trays without holes and separate the corners to facilitate bottom watering the flats.
- Use Arabidopsis mix. Do not pack in. Water soil in.
- Arabidopsis seeds can be sown directly into the soil or transplanted from sterile culture. A cold stratification period in the cold room is recommended for direct planted seeds.
- Seeds should be kept refrigerated.
- Make sure all trays have a label with species/mutation, investigator name, PI/lab, date, and any special care notes.
- Place flats in a growth chamber:
- If you reserved a private chamber, you may place flats in this chamber at any time during your reservation.
- If you are using our communal walk-in chambers, follow the signs to place your flat in the correct chamber.
- Chambers close when no new flats should be placed in them. We will allow all existing flats to mature before cleaning out the chamber and baking it.
- Open chambers may be long-day (16 hour light), short-day (8 hour light), or 24-hour light.
- Never bring plants or soil from your lab or the greenhouse into the chambers. This is for pest control reasons.
- Greenhouse staff responsibilities:
- For direct seeded trays – Crack dome at first sign of germination, remove dome next day. Water if there are dry cells.
- For transplants – Crack dome after three – four days, remove on forth. Water if there are dry cells.
- Greenhouse staff will water and fertilize as required. Users should not water or fertilize their own trays unless this has been disclosed in writing to the facility manager and has been noted on both sides of the tray.
- Rotate all trays every day except those that are shedding seed.
- Tag flats for drying and move dried flats to the Plant Workroom, Room 204.
- Pest control
- Chamber maintenance
- User Responsibilities:
- Tie up plants when they bolt so that they do not flop over the edge of the tray. Flopped flats take up twice the space and are billed as such! They are also prone to disease, damage, and contamination.
- Alert staff to any issues observed
- When flats are dried, harvest seeds and dispose of plants in the autoclave waste bin in the Plant Workroom, Room 204. Dirty flats and stakes should be placed in the indicated areas for washing and reuse. Remove stickers from used flats.
- Keep your space clean!
Watering and fertilizing
All plants are watered by greenhouse staff, 365 days a year. Fertilizer is given on a schedule:
- Direct seeded trays get tap water for 10 days, then fertilizer on weekdays until they start to set seed, and back to tap water until they are ready to dry.
- Transplants get fertilizer on weekdays until they start to set seed, and back to tap water until they are ready to dry.
- On weekends, tap water is used.
- Trays are bottom watered, although some trays may have lines that mature at different rates therefore some cells may need to be watered individually.
- Greenhouse staff will stop all hydration when a pink ribbon is put on the flat and/or after 2/3 of siliques are brown. Staff will flag flats if ready.
Arabidopsis Growing Medium
Germination mix, most commonly Berger BM2 or ProMix FPX. The history of growing media use is in room 108, next to the Arabadopsis Mix bin.
Autoclaving
All Arabidopsis seeds, plant material, and growing medium need to be autoclaved. Trays are cleaned and sanitized by greenhouse staff. Please place dirty trays in the corner of Room 204 or under the sink in Room 108.
Harvesting
Labs are responsible for Arabidopsis harvesting.
Chamber Maintenance
- Staff will sweep chambers every day, mop when watering is complete.
- Staff will perform a basic cleaning of shelves.
- Users must clean up if they make a mess.
- Staff will deep clean and reset chambers after a cropping cycle.
Standard Environmental Settings
21C
45% RH
Light level: 175 μmoles (in programable chambers)
-Short day: 8 hours light
-Long Day:16 hours light
-24 Hour light
Pest Control (by PGF staff only)
- Nematode drench (Scanmask – Nematode Species: Steinernema feltiae) every 7 – 10 days
- Stratioaelaps scimituus: Fungus gnat control biweekly
- Neoseiulus cucumeris: Thrip control applied biweekly
- Fungicides and insecticides applied as needed. Always follow posted signs regarding pesticides and re-entry intervals (REIs).