Learn how to grow organic Spirulina at home and gain a reliable source of fresh protein, minerals and other beneficial nutrients right on your windowsill! Its fun, easy and cost-effective, so lets get started!

2. What is Spirulina
 A spiral-shaped micro algae from the
blue-green algae family
 One of the earliest life forms known on
earth
 Assumed to be the most nutritious of
all food plants known to man
 Traditionally used by the Aztecs for its
many nutritional and health benefits

3. Why Grow Spirulina at Home?
 Easier to grow than any other food plant
 Healthier, cheaper and better for the environment than
dried, boxed Spirulina
 An important knowledge to preserve for times of war and
struggle
 Potential source of income and lots of fun!

4. Did You Know…
 Spirulina grows by 25% of its own weight EVERY
DAY!!!
 5g per day is enough to cover all of your daily
nutritional intake
 Spirulina is both food and medicine, that’s why its
called SUPER FOOD!
 Can also be used to make soap, face masks and other
natural cosmetics

5. Nutritional Benefits of Spirulina
 Spirulina is 60-70% protein, about 3 times more
protein than in meat
 50 times more iron than Spinach
 15 times more vitamin A than carrots
 25 additional vitamins and minerals
 Anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic
and anti-oxidant

6. What do I need to get started?
 A nice sunny spot with 50% shade during the day
 A large container or aquarium+ cover
 Water pump for circulation
 Air pump for agitation
 Electric water heater
 PH meter
 Thermometer
 Additional LED lighting if needed

7. And one more thing…
A DIY Secchi Disk
“The Secchi disk… is a plain
white, circular disk 30 cm (12
in) in diameter used to measure
water transparency in bodies of
water. The disc is mounted on a
pole or line, and lowered slowly
down in the water…”
(Wikipedia)
How to use it?
• Place it in the water to check the
culture’s density
• Mark the 3cm point on the pole
or string
• Only add culture
medium/harvest If the disk is
3cm deep and is impossible to see
through the water
• If disk is 3cm deep and still
visible, culture is not dense
enough to harvest or to add
culture medium

8. Seeding
 Find a good source of Live Spirulina culture from spirally
strands- check in microscope
 Place culture in a smaller container and agitate manually
until volume is increased
 Prepare the culture medium from clean water, baking soda,
salt, iron, ash and urine
 Get precise measurements here
 Add culture medium every 2-3 days, or when Secchi disk is
invisible at 3cm
 Leave about 1/3 of the tank empty for air
 When tank is full, let the concentration rise to 2cm before
harvesting

9. How to Harvest
You will need:
 Framed 30-50 microns mesh
 Polyester filtration cloths
 10L Bucket
 Weighing device (in micrograms)
 Microscope (ideally x400 focus)
• For best results, harvest 25% of the culture in
the early morning
• Filter on a framed 30-50 microns mesh
• Place filter above tank and scrape gently
• Press the filtration cloth to squeeze any excess
liquid

10. Harvesting Tips
 Although edible, it is NOT recommended to harvest
the floating layer of Spirulina. Doing so will decrease
the percentage of Spiraled filaments and leave mostly
straight filaments- which is lower in quality.
 When the biomass is too sticky, for instance 100 %
straight filaments, it may not be possible to dewater it,
in such case, it must be washed.

11. Feeding After the Harvest
 Weigh your harvest to indicate how much culture
medium to add
 Wash filtration cloth in clean water in a bucket
 Add urine and iron mixture to the bucket (precise
measurements here)
 Mix well and add to the tank
 All culture medium ingredients can be fed every
month or so, but urine (or urea) has to be fed daily,
based on the average production expected.

12. Health Care
Issue Solution
 When starting a new tank,
Spirulina turns yellowbrown
and clumps at the bottom
 Culture doesn’t grow and stays
pale green
 Culture suddenly (within 24
hours) turns yellow and thin,
and clumps appear
 Culture slowly becomes yellow,
clumps and doesn’t grow
 Clumps appear, either floating in
your tank or stick to its sides
 Foam starts forming at the top
 Wrong water source used or
temperature is too high/low Or
wrong nutrient proportions
 Inadequate light, or a lesser version
of the above problems
 An extreme weather event has
occurred- balance temperature by
adjusting your water heater
 Medium is old or imbalanced-
renew it immediately
 Remove clumps with a strainer.
Check temperature. If culture thins
dramatically, you may need to
empty and clean your tank.
 Add more ash water

13. Health Care
Issue Solution
 Culture groups like gelatin, forming a
skin on the top, and is difficult to
mix
 Culture is military green and smells
like ammonium
 Culture is lime green
 Culture is thin and Spirulina hides at
the bottom of the tank
 There are a lot more brown bits than
usual
 Strands are short (in microscope
observation) and pass through the
filter more than usual
 Culture is thick and jelly-like
 She's looking great and healthy
 Spirulina is low on nitrogen and
needs more urine (or urea)
 Too much urine has been used.
Dilute with 1cm of fresh water and
stir well.
 She's had too much light and may
need more nutrients.
 Culture is too cold at night, or
mixing wasn’t done properly.
 Tap water has too much calcium,
dilute with fresh spring or rain water.
 Too much agitation- lower pump
volume. Make sure you have been
feeding her properly.
 Harvest more often.
 She's happy . Fill a bottle with
culture and keep it in reserve.

14. Want to learn more?
Visit us at
Grow-Organic-Spirulina.com
Buy our eBook to support
our cause and get growing!
For questions and feedback
please write to us!