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Messages - mushysan

#1
Cultivation / casing and perlite
August 08, 2004, 07:43:44 PM
Hi there!

Is it O.k. if I pasterize my casing soil (50/50 : peat/vermiculite+CaCO2) in hot water for 1 hour and then let it drain overnight? Or should i sterilize it in PC - though it's very hard for me to do this with larger amounts of it?

And those few days after casing is applied, when waiting for the micelium to break through the surface, is there any fanning necessery, or none allowed?

I have read some cautions and bad critics about perlite, what's the problem? I have this big box covered with plastic in which i intend to put plastic trays with compost. I thought to put the perlite on the bottom of this box to achieve humidity. What i don't know is how much perlite should i apply and how much water to add? And what about contamination issue with perlite?

tnx very much for your effort to answering my questions! nice shroom greeting!

MushySan
#2
Cultivation / cobweb mold destruction
July 30, 2004, 11:25:32 AM
Hi!

I have a huge problems with cobweb mold lately. Everything is fine until I spawn the pasterized compost (dung/straw) with healthy micelium. I pasterize the compost for 1 hour in hot water and then drain the water out. Then I apply 1 inch of pure dung over the compost and colonize the plastic boxes covered with plastic sheets with filters and holes for air at 26 Celzius WITHOUT additional fanning. Although i put some micelium on the surface on pure dung to colonize quicker and lower the chances of contamination, after 5 days of incubation the cobweb is there! And even if I manage to make a casing after the surface is colonized healthy after 5 days, the cobweb appears later even if I fann then 3 times a day. (temp is then around 24,25C)

Please tell me what could be the main cause for mold - to much humidity and not enough fanning? Should I lower the temps and increase fanning to 5 times i day on fresh air? Or perhaps the casing soil was to wet, but i thing it was ok, becasuse if you sqeeze it only a few water droplets came out fist. So, please help me out with a suggestion, because I'm getting desperate, bacause I have already grown mushrooms succesfully, but now this mold drives me mad. Please help me out! tnx!

#3
General topics / pasterization of casing soil
July 03, 2004, 01:30:34 PM
Hi again!

Sorry to bother you with my question so often- here is another one about casing -
what would be the best way to pasterize larger amounts of casing soil enough to cover aprox. 2x1 square m of surface? Microwave is to small so I thought of doing it the same way as pasterizing compost - mix the peat and vermiculit,  put it in a pillow case and dunk it in a container with hot water for 1 hour (sealed), then let it drain and squeeze all exess water out, then add microwaved-nuked grounded limestone and this is it. You know any other way to do it?

tnx for everything!
#4
General topics / danger of contamination?
July 01, 2004, 04:42:36 PM

I have spawned my pasterized dung/straw compost and covered it with plastic sheet with a few drilled holes. It's in the dark and at 26,27 degrees Celzius (82 F). I wait for micelium to colonize the compost and then I will do the casing. Is there any danger of contamination if I wait for complete colonization without fanning?

#5
General topics / grounded limestone
July 01, 2004, 04:02:45 PM
Hi!

I would like to know how much into powder grounded limestone should I add to 50/50 vermiculite/peat mixture? And Should I add it additionally after the mixture has been pasterized so the whole thing doesn't turn up in wet mud mess (I have had such troubles before). What is the best way to do it so the casing soil is airy and not too wet? I thought first to pasterize mixture of peat and vermiculite in a bed-pillow case in hot water for 1 hour, then let the water to drain and add grounded limestone (pre-nuked in a microwave for 5-10 minutes). What do you think of this?

Thx very muchos for help!
 
#6
General topics / casing
June 29, 2004, 06:59:23 PM
Hello!

Can you tell me which is better or more contamination resistant - pure vermiculite casing layer or 50/50 peat/vermiculite with grounded limestone?

tnx
#7
General topics / incubation method
June 24, 2004, 06:01:15 PM
High!

I wonder can I cover tha dung/straw compost with a plastic sheet (with drilled holes in it) while colonizing? The thing is that fruiting chamber is too big and too airy for incubation period so I thought of covering compost for a couple of days until it colonizes, then apply casing and uncover-expose it to air and light? You think this will work - i mean, covering compost with plastic sheet for a couple of days, especially if i drill some holes in it, should't cause contamination ?

tnx!
#8
General topics / casing
June 23, 2004, 05:45:14 PM
High!

Does anyone knows which casing is better in terms of fighting contamination  - pure vermiculite or 50/50 - peat/vermiculite with grounded limestone added? And which one is better in terms of yield - if any?

And, is it enough if the casing material is pasterized in a pillow case in a hot water for 1 hour?

tnx !

#9
General topics / mushrooms and substrate
June 23, 2004, 05:15:57 PM
hey,

You know, it's strange that there are hundreds of miniature mushrooms, aborts one, only few mm "big", in fact so small that they can't even be picked up, but those normal mushrooms only about 20 on the surface of 80x50 square cm.  Substrate is compost made of dung and straw, 2-3 inches deep, humidity is high-around 90% and temps 22-23 Celzius.

Do you have any idea what's the reason for my poor flushes?

Your suggestion of rye substrate is hard to carry out because it's difficult to sterilize such big amounts of rye in relation to straw and dung, which is easy to pasterize in large amounts.

So, Is there any substance that can be added to the compost to enrich the flushes?

I will also try 50/50 peat/verm casing with grounded limestone, since until now I have substituted the casing with pure dung. I will try this alternative and see if the flushes get bigger.

If you have any idea or solution for my problem, please!  
#10
General topics / mushrooms and substrate
June 19, 2004, 02:37:09 PM
High to all you growers outhere!

I have a situation - mushrooms won't fruit all over the surface of the substrate, but are somehow scattered , growing single all over the place. I saw pictures where mushrooms are fruiting in such abundance so close together in clusters that substrate is almost not visible. What do you think is the reason for my lack of flushes? I thought maybe the depth of substrate -compost made of straw and dung, which is aprox. 3" deep? Is it not deep enough, so the mushrooms haven't got enough sources to grow in larger quantity?  

Please help me out here. Thx!
#11
General topics / Bulk problem
June 15, 2004, 12:13:06 PM
I use small filter patches, a few inches in diameter, otherwise during the colonization of the compost fanning is not the key. But after the compost is colonized(which happens in few days), then air exchanges are crucial for pining and to diminish the chances of contamination. Rather start to fann the terrarium earlier, when the mycelium is vividly spreading over the compost to avoid contamination. I fann the terrarium once a day for 5-10 minutes, but i keep the temperature at 22 Celzius and it works fine. After aprox. 10 days of such conditions with flourescent light for 10 hours a day the pining starts. But if your temperature is higher, like 24 degrees, then you should fann the terrarium at least 2 or 3 times a day, otherwise the contamination might occur, because higher temperatures raise the humidity, which is perfect conditions for bacteria to develop. So, air is here the key. good luck!    
#12
General topics / Bulk problem
June 14, 2004, 03:54:57 PM
Hi!

I suggest you do the moisterizing and pasterizing the compost all at once by putting straw and dung mixed in a large pot or bowl(i use 15 l paint tray), add really hot, almost boiling water to cover the compost, seal the bowl tight with a cover and leave for 1 hour. I additionally put inside the tray over the compost a pillow cover with pure dung in it(which i need later) and put a brick on it to keep it down soaked in water. After 1 hour you turn the tray around (in a bathtub) for water to drain and leave few hours or overnight for compost to cool down. After that the compost is ready for spawn to colonize, it's moist and bacteria free. Just make sure you add an extra layer of pure dung over the compost since the dung itself is much more contaminant resistant that straw. At 23-24 Celzius and high humidity, the large amounts of compost should be colonized in a matter of days, average in a week. when it takes too long for the micelia to showw up on the surface of the compost, then something is not in order. The method is quick and simple and it never failed me yet.
I hope this helps a little.  
#13
General topics / alternative for cow and horse dung
June 12, 2004, 06:14:45 PM
Hi everybody!

I would like to know if there is any other dung that is good for making compost mixed with straw for growing magic mushrooms  - beside cow and horse's? What about chicken or sheep's dung for instance? I'm asking you this because so far I have collected dung on fields and now I will ask for an alternative in our local gardening stores.

And, is dung bought in stores good, does it need to be pasteurized or not?

What do you think, since I lack of dung right now, is it O.K. if I make compost only from straw and put 1 or 2 inches of dung on top as a casing layer? I'm asking you this because I heard straw is much more prone to contamination that dung.

tnx for your help!

Mushysan