casing ?'s

Started by fungiguy, July 11, 2009, 05:20:54 AM

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fungiguy

ok, so i am venturing on to grains. i have pint of fully colonized popcorn. i think i am gonna use peat/verm mix. do i put a layer of the mix down 1st, than the popcorn, than another layer of mix? the tub goes back into incubator for how long?? i'm not 100% on how to do this. any help would be greatly appreciated!! what type of "peat" should i be using??

malabar

Fungiguy,
  Welcome to the wonderful world of grains!    :rolleyes:
I case and spawn grains, exclusively, and have very little problems,...  Ever.  ( Except when the central A/C died in the house for 2 days! )
  I am guessing you are using containers that are at least 3 - 4 inches deep?   

   #1 )  I use, 50%Organic Long Fibered Sphagnum Moss, which comes almost like a brick at my supplier, and 50% Fine Verm.  Moisten to field cap., and pc this well.

   #2 )  Apply a thin moist layer as a base, and after shaking, and breaking up the grains, commit them to a depth of at least 2 inches.  ( small aluminum trays generally take a good full Qt. )

  #3 )  Apply a loose but complete casing layer on top, 1/4" - 1/2".  Mist well, cover with Foil, and place back in the incubation closet, and leave it be at 80F - 85F degrees for about 4 days before checking on it. 

   ***  Day 4 or 5, I take a looksee,......  When the mycelium starts to break the surface in one or more spots,......  Rip off the foil cover, Mist it well, and introduce it to the neighbors in one of my FCs.

  Mist lightly and provide light, and FAE as usual, and you should be fruiting in 5 or 10 days. 
 
  I have tried various peat products, including that with "Miracle Gro", but IMO, organics w/o additives are best unless you are using them to spawn outside.
   ~Malabar     :mellow:
My Kung Fu may suck,.....  But, my Shrooms Kick Ass!

fungiguy

thanks malabar. i am going to the store shortly to pick-up some supplies. just to be clear, is peat the same as peat moss? i already have some verm, but it is not fine verm. is that ok?

malabar

  Sure enough,........  It's all about marketing.  Peat, Peat Moss, Sphagnum, Sphagnum Moss.  For indoors, I generally go to ACE for the bricks of Sphagnum Moss.  It's a little work, breaking it up, to make it fine enough to mix with the verm, but it gives my grand kids something to do since they are here for the summer!  Slap a mask on them, and put them to work,.......  Then off to the waterpark later as a reward.    -_-
  As for the verm, I suppose it's all the same.  Just rock...  You can get a 40 or 50 lb bag of that at Lowes for about 8 bucks.  And it should last you for a while.  I have been trying to use up the 3 bags I have in the shop for over a year,..  It just won't go away!  lol
  ~Malabar   :mellow:
My Kung Fu may suck,.....  But, my Shrooms Kick Ass!

fungiguy

thanks again malabar. u da man!!!!!

malabar

  No problem,......  Enjoy, and keep me posted as to your progress.
And by the way,.......  You da man Fungiguy!
   ~Later   :ph34r:
My Kung Fu may suck,.....  But, my Shrooms Kick Ass!

nomoredroughts

hey malabar,do you use any type of lime in your casing mix. i read somewhere that peat was to high in ph and you have to add lime to nutralize it.i have 3 qts of popcorn just about ready and im still scatching my head on the casing
DID YOU SEE THE SIZE OF THAT CHICKEN!!!!

malabar

#7
Nomoredroughts,
  A number of years ago I added Lime, Calcium Carbonate, or Oyster Shell powder, but for indoor growing I didn't see a significant difference other than the expense.    -_-
  However, when I spawn outdoors I do have lime in the soils, but mainly because of the other residents in the garden.  My spawn and old grains share the garden with the veggies I grow.  Even then I can say there isn't isn't different in the performance, since some grains end up in or around the soil near my Lime, and Grapefruit trees, and I don't do much  in their vicinity other than pick the fruits.
  So,........ I guess it's to each their own.  If it works for you, do it.  My wheel ain't broke so I'm not trying to fix it, or reinvent it either.     ^_^
  ~Malabar     :mellow:
My Kung Fu may suck,.....  But, my Shrooms Kick Ass!

fattrout

hey guys, i've been camping and fishing this last 3 day. so i'm just now catching up. so anyway i have been casing popcorn for awhile now. i may never go back to cake!!
as for lime, i don't use it at all. when casing, i use a peat/verm 60/40 with great results...
i also just started a casing using coir/verm...
anyway theres many casing mixes, just follow malabars tek  :mellow: and you will do great.... 
fattrout

shroomzer

Mr. Trout .. seems you started something here.  I haven't read so much about people using popcorn since you started it a while back.  Nice job and great adventures to those of you who are now on the 'popcorn' train~!

fattrout

shroomzer, when are you goin put those cakes away and get on the trian.. ^_^
fattrout

malabar

Fattrout,
  Hope you enjoyed you trip this weekend.  It will be my turn this week!      ^_^
  Thanks for the support on my TEK.  It appears we are very aligned in TEK, just different substrates.    I have thought about popcorn, just kind of caught on the grains for so many years,....      -_-
  Had dinner with Deadneck yesterday.  He's on popcorn now.  I think we will perhaps trade a few strains, and further info.   
 
  Q.  Why do you prefer to use the coir, and a blend for casing, rather than directly spawn to the coir? 
  I spawned a dozen containers this past weekend, and they have taken off radically already after only 48 hours!   Of course I will have an other step,...  if I decided to case.  But I am just a bit curious.
   ~Malabar     :mellow:
   
My Kung Fu may suck,.....  But, my Shrooms Kick Ass!

shroomzer

Trout .. cakes is enough for me.  I don't want a freezer full of shrooms .. lol

dub504

Is the 60/40 better than the 50/50?

malabar

Dub,
  I think it's a matter of opinion, or taste.  I just tend to like the richer side to be Peat.
   :mellow:
My Kung Fu may suck,.....  But, my Shrooms Kick Ass!

fattrout

" Q.  Why do you prefer to use the coir, and a blend for casing, rather than directly spawn to the coir?"

malabar, i just haven't tryed it yet. i will soon...
fattrout

malabar

Fattrout,
  Cool enough.  It was more of a curious thing for me.  I know how easy it is to "get stuck" on a familiar path,...   Like me and my grains.  I have been using the rye, brown rice, and millet for so long it's natural. 
  I just traded a couple of jars of grain for some popcorn today with Deadneck,..  and that will be a whole new learning curve I suppose.  I'm just glad I am beyond the baby steps since it is starting to colonize now.  So I will just put my gameface on and get ready to do a g2g with popcorn in the next week to diversify my portfolio.
  ~Malabar   :mellow:
My Kung Fu may suck,.....  But, my Shrooms Kick Ass!

dub504

malabar, do you use a flow hood?

fattrout

hey dub504, i have a honeywell hepa filter i run in my lab, lol (walk-in closet). i start it up 1 hour before i do sterile work. i still clean my work area with 91+ alcohol. i also spray the whole house with lysol 1/2 hour. it maybe over kill, but i have not had any contams in along time..
fattrout
fattrout

fattrout

"Is the 60/40 better than the 50/50?"
yep, its just personal preference.
fattrout