Understanding Chlorella Cultures

You cannot imagine how much you miss out if chlorella isn’t one of your must-haves. To give you an idea, let’s meet an infamous culprit: cancer. Did you know this killer accounted for a sixth of all deaths in 2020?

Many dietary adjustments prove excellent risk-reducers as the world continues its cancer fight. Remedies like supplements nurtured from toxic-free spirulina and chlorella cultures can lower that number by up to 20%. How? Through their antioxidant properties.

Chlorella is one of the Earth’s oldest and most primitive plants. This single-celled organism thrives in freshwater habitats worldwide but is best in captivity due to water pollution.

This article looks closely at chlorella cultures and how they work. Keep reading to learn more.

Materials Needed for Chlorella Cultures

To grow chlorella, you need uncontaminated materials to host and nourish your superfood. Here’s a list of chlorella cultivation key requirements:

• A container of desired sizing (the habit)
• Cup
• NPK fertilizer
• Bran 
• Urea fertilizer
• Microorganism for aquaculture
• Dolomite
• A coffee filter (or cheesecloth)
• Starter chlorella culture
• Filtered water
• Thermometer
• pH test Kit

Nutrient content varies between chlorella vulgaris vs chlorella pyrenoidosa. So, decide on which to opt before proceeding, though both are excellent.

Steps on Growing Chlorella

Like culturing spirulina, growing chlorella is a straightforward, inexpensive affair. Here are the steps:

• Boil water and soak your container in it for three minutes to sterilize.
• Allow the container to air dry.
• Mix equal amounts of NPK, urea, bran, and dolomite in a cup. About a tablespoonful each for habitat with ten liters of water is okay. Add half a tablespoon of microorganisms for aquaculture.
• Add water to your nutrient mix and stir thoroughly.
• Fill the container with filtered water to half or three-quarters.
• Place the filter over the container and pour your nutrient mix to sieve large particles.
• Stir the water in the container and add the chlorella culture.
• Place the container in a sunny location or under grow lights.

Tips on Culturing Chlorella

Stir the mixture daily (you can use a bubbler to promote oxygenation) and check the pH level. If it drops below 7.5, add baking soda. If it rises above 10, add vinegar. Ensure you don’t add too much to shock the culture. Add small amounts while testing with your pH kit.

When the pH hits ten, and the concentration is 30mg in an ounce of water, it is time to harvest. Though some species mature in three days, achieving this takes one to two weeks. Ensure you refill the container with as much nutrient mix as the harvested chlorella’s quantity.

Monitor the water temperature. The ideal temperature for chlorella growth is between 25 and 33°C.

During drastic temperature drops, place your chlorella close to a plant lamp or under sunlight. Put it under shade when the medium exceeds recommended temperature.

Where Does Chlorella Grow?

Chlorella often grows in freshwaters like rivers, ponds, dams, and more. The alga also thrives in shallow sea waters where it can get ample sunlight.

Due to the many chlorella benefits, commercial cultivation is getting popular. Chlorella farmers grow this superfood outdoors and indoors, under particular conditions.

The typical places farmers cultivate chlorella include:

• Circular Basins – basins with rotating agitators to boost air circulation (45m diameter max)
• Bioreactors – using Tøeboò technology (popular 50°N- lets the alga stay suspended in a thick concentrated film. This way, it eases extraction and separation when harvesting.
• Glass Tubes – glass-grown chlorella allows easy condition control with enhanced contamination prevention.
• Outdoors – usually chlorella grows in ponds and containers

FAQS: Let’s See How Well You Know Chlorella Cultures

What Is Chlorella Culture?

Chlorella culture is a microalgae culture that produces chlorella, a green alga. Chlorella culture cultivation typically occurs in closed systems, such as photobioreactors. This environment maintains optimal conditions for algal growth.

How Is Chlorella Cultivated?

Chlorella is cultivated by heterotrophic, autotrophic, or mixotrophic means.

• Heterotrophic cultivation involves culturing the alga in a contamination-free closed environment like a bioreactor. 
• Autotrophic cultivation involves culturing the alga in an open environment like a pond, relying on sunlight as the energy source. 
• Mixotrophic cultivation combines the two and offers better conditions control while avoiding contamination. However, it relies on sunlight availability.

What Bacteria Causes Chlorella?

Unlike cholera, this alga is not a disease, so no bacteria causes Chlorella. However, studies show that bacteria impact chlorella development. Especially in low-nutrient media like Chu 10 with reduced phosphorus and nitrogen, certain bacteria booted chlorella’s growth.

While not as fast as bacteria, this alga has the chlorella growth factor, making it double its cell number in under a day.

Is Chlorella a Bacteria or Algae?

Chlorella is not a bacteria but algae. Chlorella is a green, single-celled organism that is round in shape. It is common in freshwater (several marine species exist) and has an excellent ability to produce oxygen.

Conclusion

What is chlorella used for? Chlorella is one of the most nutritious microalgae. It abounds with

• Minerals
• Protein
• Carotenoids
• Vitamins
• Chlorophyll and other phytonutrients. 

It is also a good source of dietary fiber and boosts health in many ways. 

The superfood has a unique ability to remove heavy metals from the body. These benefits explain why it is amongst the most studied alga with increasing consumer demand.

You must care for the plant with practical necessities to produce the supplement. pH levels at 7.5-10, the temperature at 25-33°C, nutrients, and aeration are crucial. Most importantly, you need quality, toxin-free chlorella cultures.

If you don’t have the patience to grow your chlorella, well we got you! Grab a Sunlit Best Green Organics Chlorella, and let’s help you get your superfood diet thriving in no time.