OK, I'm confused (Yea, I know tell ya somethin new) but if a casing is supposed to provide a layer of protection for the myc and help retain moisture but have no nutritional value, then what role does ph play?
For example - I started adding a small amount of crushed oyster shell to 73,30,10 casing and it seems to have helped as my second and even 3rd flushes seem to be more plentiful, larger and the time between flushes shortened ever so slightly.
So, is that because the ph stays @ a more consistent level longer?? Or is it due to nutrients lasting longer for the myc to draw from??
Anybody else using a slow acting buffer that could help explain to me?
Thx,
p4p
what nutritional value does crushed oyster shell provide?
None i that I know of. With lime variants or calcium carbonate, they are good in setting proper ph balance - especially with coir or peat - but over time they dissipate or lose their effectiveness in acting as a buffer and a loss of proper ph balance thus the result. The COS is not very good at setting the ph, but over time and as the calcium carbonate loses its' value, the COS acting like a slow release capsule, keeps ph up.