55 replies to this topic

[BradJ]

Hi, I recently birthed my cakes into my perlite terrarium, but a couple of them had already started growing little invitro shroomies, most no more than half an inch tall. I left them on the cake, and now the next day they've got fuzzy mycelium (sp?) growing up their stalks. Does the changeover kill them? I notice a few new pins forming, so I think everything okay... Also, the humidity in my terrarium I can never get above 90, no matter what. I've been trying all manner of things. My setup is a rubbermaid just big enough for the 6 of them, they're double end cased with verm sitting on jar lids, an inch perlite, plus a little 1/4 pint jar with ice in it all the time to drop the temp a bit. I took the Rubbermaid top off and put clingwrap over it, thinking I'd be able to retain some humidity that way, but its only about 5% better now. Usually just shy of 90. I mist all the sides every day about 4 times, and I blast the top verm casings with water once a day.
Is it the low humidity thats killing my babies, or did I just not pick aborts in time, and is it common for invitros to abort after going open air?

Thanks for any advice!

[Ali]

Hi, I recently birthed my cakes into my perlite terrarium, but a couple of them had already started growing little invitro shroomies, most no more than half an inch tall. I left them on the cake, and now the next day they've got fuzzy mycelium (sp?) growing up their stalks. Does the changeover kill them? I notice a few new pins forming, so I think everything okay... Also, the humidity in my terrarium I can never get above 90, no matter what. I've been trying all manner of things. My setup is a rubbermaid just big enough for the 6 of them, they're double end cased with verm sitting on jar lids, an inch perlite, plus a little 1/4 pint jar with ice in it all the time to drop the temp a bit. I took the Rubbermaid top off and put clingwrap over it, thinking I'd be able to retain some humidity that way, but its only about 5% better now. Usually just shy of 90. I mist all the sides every day about 4 times, and I blast the top verm casings with water once a day.
Is it the low humidity thats killing my babies, or did I just not pick aborts in time, and is it common for invitros to abort after going open air?

Thanks for any advice!

Stems get fuzzy. It is normal usually. It is fine.

How do you KNOW it is not over 90%? If there a droplets on the side of the terrarium, you are good I think.

Ar your aborts caps blackening? If not they may just be slow and not aborts.

If they are hydrated enough more will come anyway.

If they are dry a dunkning may be in order. Billy has never done a cake, but he would add 1 Tablespoon bleach:1 Gallon water used to dunk, just to keep them clean. You can skip i though. Wait for more advice from PF growers on the dunk.

[Lazlo]

I wouldn't blast the casing with any moisture at all. Just allow the tops of the cakes to fruit without the misting. Just mist the sides of the tetarrium after you fan. A saturated cake doesn't perfrom as well as a field capacity cake. Just my .02 :D

[Hippie3]

fuzzy growth means they're healthy and happy,
not aborting

[nomoreusmc]

what hippie said

[highflyer]

Throw an inch and a half of perlite on the bottom of a terrarium that size and you should never have to worry about humidity. It will keep it at the proper levels. Especially if you have double end cased and you mist whenever you fan.

[negativezer0]

This is a question someone popped me that I couldn’t answer. My friend’s friend is wondering whether or not it would be helpful.

I guess the walls of his Rubbermaid terrarium are very slick plastic and when he mists, most of the water just slides down and drains into the perlite. A while ago he was having trouble with having too much water under and In the perlite and was having to suck it out with a turkey baster because it was over the recommended 1/4-1/2 inch.

I figured he could rough up the walls with sandpaper and it would help the droplets cling a little better. Suggestions?

[Hippie3]

just add more perlite and get rid of standing water
far more effective
really misting is for the air in the chamber,
it just happens to end up on walls,
condensation on walls is not the goal,
proper humidity is.

[negativezer0]

I guess he read on here to put 2-3 inches of perlite in the terrarium. I think he put 2 inches in.

I don’t think he has problems with humidity but I’m not sure; I don’t grow mushies!
Ill send him over to http://www.torka.com for a polytherm hygrometer if he gets too worried.

misting is for the air in the chamber,
it just happens to end up on walls

Interesting. He and I have both read not to directly spray the cakes in the archives; that there should not be water droplets on the uncased section of the cakes. I think some of the archive's old timers advise to mist the sides only...

Thanks hip!

[Hippie3]

more = better
when it comes to perlite,
3-4 inches is what i've used

[arezap]

Scratching the plastic can be bad imo. The scratches can harbor contams that can be near impossible to remove.

[negativezer0]

Alright, I guess cakes like 100% humidity so i'm sure it can't hurt! ;)

Scratching the plastic can be bad imo. The scratches can harbor contams that can be near impossible to remove.

I was thinking that, but the old variable of there being tons of contaminates in the air made it more confusing. But, I didn’t think of the long term effects when you would need to bleach/disinfect the terrarium when I made my recommendation. Interesting.

[negativezer0]

Scratching the plastic can be bad imo. The scratches can harbor contams that can be near impossible to remove.

I was thinking that, but the old variable of there being tons of contaminates in the air made it more confusing. But, I didn’t think of the long term effects when you would need to bleach/disinfect the terrarium when I made my recommendation. Interesting.