
superspawn ratio question
#1
Posted 12 October 2006 - 05:19 PM
can one of you experienced guys give it to me in approximate parts? example: 1 part grain to 3 parts castings, then to 4 parts straw? = 1/8 grain + 3/8 casting + 1/2 straw = 100% finished product? i am not saying those #'s are right just an example.
little help?
#2
Posted 12 October 2006 - 06:08 PM
Your ratios depend on your skills, experience and comfort level. Generally speaking, 1 part spawn to 5 parts sub is a nice balance between mileage and chance of success. The more spawn you use the greater chance of fast and healthy colonization.
#3
Posted 12 October 2006 - 10:23 PM
next, i want to mix w/ pasturized worm castings & reincubate until that is fully colonized. question 1 is how much castings?
next, the fully colonized millet/casting mix to pasturized straw. question 2 is how much straw?
i am looking for average amounts here. not trying to stretch it to the limit, or be crazy conservative. what would be reasonable for a begginer?
rather than be lazy & just ask, i dug through the archives. but i found measurements expressed in "so many jars of grain" into "such & such lbs of castings" and then into a certain amount of bales of straw. to me those are apples, oranges, and some other fruit. i was looking for a common measurement from an experienced mycotek. just eyeball it and say something like, "about twice the grain amount in castings" ie 1 part grain into two parts casting. then later, double the size w/ straw (or 3 parts straw). whatever.
am i making any sense here?
#4
Posted 13 October 2006 - 07:34 AM
If super spawning, it would be much more reliable to go grain to grain ,then
spawn to the final straw/poo substrate..1 qt jar to 10 more then spawn your
jars at a 1:2 - 1:5 ratio...
#5
Posted 13 October 2006 - 08:06 AM
http://archives.myco...html?1082317318
it seems like both responses to this thred have discouraged this method. i have been tying to research stuff myself first without asking you guys everything but i may be on a track here that others have already found unwise?
thanks for the ratios BTW. would the castings/straw substrate be about 50/50 (1:1). nobody ever seems to say how much straw in relation to the other stuff. they say "a bale" or "half a bale" i bought mine at an arts & craft store, not a farm supply. they are in a rectangular cube, but i am sure there is a big diff between a farm bale and craft bale.
#6
Posted 13 October 2006 - 08:23 AM
Indoors however, I can only make an educated guess that it could work but would consider it a bit risky...
I would definately split the grow up into several or many seperate trays so u can easily isolate any problems...
#7
Posted 13 October 2006 - 08:42 AM
#8
Posted 13 October 2006 - 09:23 AM
#9
Posted 18 October 2006 - 10:38 AM
#10
Posted 18 October 2006 - 11:42 AM
Grain plus worm poop might work, but worm poop has a fine consistency and will go from too dry to mud in no time. At least the stuff I have worked with. You will have moisture and gas exchange issues if you are working with just those two items, imo. And so you will have moisture/consistency probs if it is just grain and poo in the sense that you will be breaking this up again and placing it into another substrate.
Now, I was trying to explain before that it takes a while for mycelium to condition itself from one substrate to another. Thats why when you spawn you want everything to be as optimal as possible. Because while your waiting for your mycelium to leap off from material 1 to material 2, competitors can form. It is this very idea why superspawning works so well, under optimal conditions. Because the leap off time is nill- it's going from material 1 to material 1. In your scenario, you will be spawning material 1 to material 2 to material 3. This will increase your chance of contam greatly. And since your mycelium will have to start and stop, it could be weakened.
Superspawing is not an outdated tek and in fact works pretty good. But, just like any other tek, there are certain rules you have to follow. That said, I will restate that if you want to experiment then go for it. You might find something really cool. But if your depending on this grow for tomorrows dinner, prepare to go hungry.
#11
Posted 18 October 2006 - 11:45 AM
Well the moment that you move from a sterile invironment to to the wormpoo - the clock starts ticking...as in trich toc ,,trich toc....
Lol, Golly....
#12
Posted 19 October 2006 - 12:28 AM
#13
Posted 19 October 2006 - 12:41 PM
Leary, this is just general info for the readers and not meant to dissuade you from your experiment. Have fun and be sure to report back!!!!!
Note: I was going to PM Hip about adding superspawning to the glossary, but in TMC, it is definitely two words: super spawning.
#14
Posted 20 October 2006 - 11:21 PM
Leary, this is just general info for the readers and not meant to dissuade you from your experiment
understood. i may even be using the term incorrectly. i just found this procedure in the old archives & thats what they called it. they made it sound great back then. today, i pasturized my castings and mixed w/ my grain spawn & put back in the incubator. i have pics but was chicken to start a log yet. thought is the whole thing failed, i could just skip the post & quietly move on to something else. heheh

#15
Posted 21 October 2006 - 07:37 PM
Fungus seems to love to keep on growing when you catch them in the 1st stages of their development. Spawn on.
#16
Posted 21 October 2006 - 09:08 PM
is the info in teks like this outdated?:
http://archives.myco...html?1082317318
...
not at all.
that's one nice thing about our hobby,
as lifeforms they don't change much in our lifetime,
some farm mushrooms today in the same fashion as it
was done a century ago, the methods still work like always.
so too major millet's tek will work if closely followed.
it's just a bit more complicated
and isn't really 'superspawning' as some use the term.
but many testify to the effectiveness of worm castings as a poo/dung bulk substrate, and of course straw is much more common.
and major millet was/is quite a talented cultivator,
and his pictures tell the story as well.
so don't let others discourage you much,
chose for your self.
#17
Posted 22 October 2006 - 03:37 AM
g2g in a glove box will get you 10+ colonized jars per jar in a few weeks.
i noc'ed up 12 jars w/ multispore syringe. by eye, i'd say i mixed about 1 part colonized grain to 1.5 parts worm castings. fairly conservative id say. they are in incubator now. soon, it should either colonize or its a bust. i hope to share impressive pics!
thanks everyone for the encouragement BTW.
#18
Posted 07 February 2008 - 08:39 AM
you can mix in vermicullite and/or coir to lighten the texture of your castings if needed