
Garlic Straw Substrate
#1
Posted 25 March 2008 - 12:37 PM
The garlic came from an organic farm nearby. It was very tall, some near 6 feet or more. The stalk of garlic is woody and clean. When the garlic is harvested it is dried traditionally in stooks of dried stalks tied together. After drying the garlic cloves are removed from the stalk.
These stalks were perfect for running through my yard chipper. The chip size is excellent. A small amount of what was the tough leaf gets through. After chipping all the stalks I run the material through my modified leaf vac/blower. This really breaks up the long leaf parts.
Now the garlic straw is kept in a cardboard box in a greenhouse until I need it. I plan on pasturizing some and sterlizing others. The garlic chips absorb a good amount of water so I hope to use them in logs and in tubs.
Just last night I tried some mixtures of horse poo / fine straw & garlic straw chips. It looks really nice and I hope to be making a bulk substrate mix with that tonight.
The main reason for using garlic straw is because its free and available , plus it is proported to be anti-septic in nature and possibley anti-bacterial. I never got trich the last time I used garlic and i'd like to see how it does in larger settings of tubs and logs.
I'll report back with some more pics. Here's a few of the process of shredding the garlic stalks into chips.
cheers
#2
Posted 25 March 2008 - 01:24 PM

#3
Posted 25 March 2008 - 03:09 PM
#4
Posted 25 March 2008 - 03:16 PM
I would think they have similar nutrition to straw..
Often wondered if the sulphur compounds in garlic would have a beneficial effect on supressing bacteria/molds in cultivation..
Keep us posted Hyph..
#5
Posted 25 March 2008 - 03:31 PM
More to come.

#6
Posted 25 March 2008 - 04:13 PM
#7
Posted 25 March 2008 - 04:22 PM
#8
Posted 25 March 2008 - 04:30 PM
I wonder how acidic that stuff is? I'm curious if it can be pasteurized without adding calcium carbonate . Garlic is rather acidic, but I don't know about the straw.
I'm going to start using lime in all my pasturizing soaks. Its alkaline effect is a good hedge against trich.
#9
Posted 25 March 2008 - 04:34 PM
I'm going to start using lime in all my pasturizing soaks. Its a good hedge against trich.
How much lime? Also did you read this http://mycotopia.net...am-control.html I would be interested to know what you think.
#10
Posted 25 March 2008 - 04:37 PM
#11
Posted 25 March 2008 - 05:32 PM
Need my help, support or anything, just drop me a line and I'll be there for you, because without such maniacs like you, we wouldn't have done so much :]. Cheers, bro!
#12
Posted 25 March 2008 - 06:06 PM
#13
Posted 25 March 2008 - 07:09 PM
Here's what the jar of cubensis colonizing garlic chips looked like. I'll keep a photo journal of the new garlic sub projects.
More to come.
That is so nice and ropey looking! This looks to be a promising substrate! I will enjoy watching the progress of this!
P.S. I too like Lazlo's ratio of lime/bleach/water listed above.