U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | mould over gum

mould over gum



        For what is worth.... I have been growing "Wheat Grass"   and
juicing it for the past year for health purposes.... One of the main
problems with growing Wheat Grass is  this  gray, white mold that develops
on the surface of the dirt and seed....Some of the remedies for this may
also  apply to Gum Arabic.. ....
        The mold is much  worse during the warm humid months of
summer...Because it is a food I do not want to treat the mold  with any
chemicals  ...... So far I have found that a few things help but am still
experimenting......
         I found if I refrigerate the seed it cuts down on mold development
dramatically but still does not  totally get rid of it....I have also found
that by  spraying  the surface of the seed/dirt with    Hydrogen Peroxide
solution ( 3 capfuls  of 3% HP to 1 quart of water)   it stops or slows  the
mold "almost" ( It  seems to  be just a bandage ) .......
         I have been told that a few drops of " Grape Fruit Seed Extract" in
the seed/sprout  soak water will eliminate the  mold problem totally. I have
researched this but have not tried it as of yet... It looks very promising.
Grape Fruit Seed Extract has  antibacterial, antifungle and antiviral
properties.  The most unusual property is that there is  no build up
resistance of the pathogens to the extract  if used over time...  It is used
topically as well a orally..... I think that it may be a interesting thing
to try with gum ...... I do not know if it has a residual effect once dried.
        The extract is ideally made using a CO2 extraction method but a cold
press extraction is probably what you will find..  You can find it on Ebay
or on line at  various health food outlets ,
John Cremati




> This is not a new technique, but a problem submitted me by a friend.
> She told me that some of her gum bichromates have developed small white
> dots, and asks for something able to kill the mould and its spores but not
> the color of the image.
> I am thinking to salicylic or ascorbic acid (or their salts) instead of
the
> old and more poisonous mercuric chloride, or to some commercial
agricultural
> products. Have you any better solution?
> Alberto
>
>