54 replies to this topic

[altered_states]

Dirt is Trichoderma's home; Don't cover your work with it.
Yes, you can pasteurize dirt and case with it... But don't do it.
Indoors it would make a lousy casing, even without all the Trich.

Listen to Looper about coir casings. I don't use coir in casings anymore.

IMHO, 100% Vermiculite is the best choice for a first casing. Just don't overwater... Some people overwater verm. casings because they say it's hard to judge the casing's moisture by looking at it.

[Lazlo]

"IMHO, 100% vermiculite is the best choice for a first casing."


Agreed!

[altered_states]

Looper, what substrate is in the tote?
Also, do you have any provisions for drainage?
I assume that you fan for air exchange, correct?

[Lazlo]

Looper, what substrate is in the tote?
Also, do you have any provisions for drainage?
I assume that you fan for air exchange, correct?

Straw/poo/coir/coffee spawned with wbs. Cased with Sunshine Mix 50/50 with vermiculite. No drainage on these bins. I can pick them up and tell by the weight when to lay off the heavy misting. I fan once in the morning and leave the tops of them on crooked for proper air exchange.

[ill eagle]

I haven't grown in years but have found straight coir is the easiest for me. I think peat produces higher yields but needs to be buffered and contams on me easier than coir (although others have had the opposite response). Some say coir overlays too easily but it hasn't been an issue for me. Just keep an eye on it and initiate fruiting once you see even mycelial growth peaking through, before it hits the surface. Try to shoot for the mycelium coming to the surface evenly over the casing. You may have to do some patching. Once you learn to work with it casing is the only way to go.
Casing will definitely increase your yields. So will cloning. Put the two together and look-out!!
I've never fanned my cakes, I just turn my chamber upside down or an aquarium on it's side and the co2 just flows out.

[spindlewhorl]

Hi smegma

thanks for the reply - so you think it's an airflow problem and not humidity... cool, that helps a lot.

the answer to 'what kind of terrariums' is: 2 biggish rubbermaid-style, one standing custom-built out of double-paned windows. it's 2' x 2' x 6'. the larger one seems to be doing better, and that would make sense if it's an air problem - it probably gets better circulation, since it's verticle, and has a vent on the bottom - easier for the CO2 to escape.

i'll have to think more about your hepa-on-a-timer setup. looks real good, but we've already invested in a hepa that's cleaning the whole room, and it's not really the right shape to hook hoses to. for now i'll try more fanning.

muchas gracias!

spindle

[chill]

More air equals less contams. Adding fresh air won't raise your chance of contams.

Alos, CO2 is a red herring as I haven't found it to be a neccessary ingediant to growing shrooms. Best just to get rid of it so you won't need a CO2 meter.

[cheeseball]

Well, thanks guys. I will try and mix in some verm from now on, but these first 4 all have 100% coir casings, so I am going to fan well and watch them closely. Hopefully everything goes smoothly.

When do you expose them to light? Can the light just be for a couple of minutes a day? Like right after I case, can I put them in a box that receives light?

[Lazlo]

You see the rizomes peaking through right? This the point I start to fan around 5 times a day with a light mist on the sides of the tubs to keep the humidity ok. Don't let a coir casing go too much further, it'll overlay like a bitch. This is a Sunshine/vermiculite casing. It's been patched a couple of times so the rest of the rizome coverage could catch up. Hope this helps.

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[cheeseball]

I understand exactly. So how often do you mist before that, like on new casings? And do you leave yours completely exposed to the air or do you keep a top on them? All the help is appreciated looper, et al

[smegma]

I heard of a guy who used:

1 dry Litre Verm
1 dry litre Peat Moss
1/3 cup hydated lime

Hydrated in a bucket with boiling water covered wirh blankets for an hour.

Squeez out 'half' the water and apply evenly. Mist it if it is dry-ish.

HE waited until his casing looked like:

http://mycotopia.net...tachmentid=2698

They are uncovered once cased, but environ is controlled, 70-80RH. 72F.

Only watered once to capacity because of RH in room.

[Lazlo]

I pick my casings up after they are built to get a good feel of there weight. Then I keep misting the casing accordingly to maintain that weight. Your better off under doing the misting than over doing it early in a casings incubation period. Then when you get a good rizome set on the casing, I give them some water and up the fanning to 5 times a day. You really want to drive O2 into the casing, stimulating pinning. Just mist the sides of the tub or tetarrium lightly after your done to return the moisture lost from the fanning. It's neat. Do it everday and then all of a sudden pinning will start. I have lids on all of my casings, slightly cracked for air exchange. But beware of this technique, gnats and other insects can totally f your work up. Ask Rodger or Hippie about the wax paper tek for pin setting. I'm a bit curious too! I've gotta pal at Shroomery that has pin setting the fuck down pat!

[Hippie3]

i doubt air is why they are smallish
more likely the problem is in the casing layer itself,
proly got saturated as you alluded
and lost some of the microstructure needed for a good flush.
after this flush
use a clean fork to loosen/ruffle up the old casing layer
to make it fluffy again.

[smegma]

Hate to be a diagree-er, ut air-exchange and hydration are the two things I think most F up.

[Hippie3]

that's true enough,
but in this particular case
i'm just not as sure as you are that air's the culprit,
over-hydration is more likely, imo

[1sttimegrow]

I made my first casing tonight, just a small one. I realized after i was done that i forgot to dunk my cakes before casing them. They seemed pretty dry when breaking them apart. How will this affect the performance of my casing? Will it just take longer to colonize?

[Omega 11]

my foaf tells me that he never dunks his cakes before breaking up to case. he claims that he only makes sure that his casing is wet to 'field capacity'. Apparently this means that the casing mixture is holding just enough water that if you squeeze it water won't drop from it. From what I've heard, the purpose of the casing is to provide water for the substrate, and that dunking isn't necessary.

[1sttimegrow]

alright, thanks alot for your input.:)

[Omega 11]

no prob. some of the more experienced growers in the forum may be able to help you further. My foaf also told me that he'll mist his casing with spray bottle after applying it. I suppose this is for extra-measure to make sure it has plenty of water for the substrate. One thing to be sure, you don't want to over water, just to 'field capacity'. good luck to you, and stay patient, they will come.

[altered_states]

Everything will work out just fine...
The casing layer will more than make up for the moisture that could have been gained through a dunk.
If anything, I think the dunk would have put you at risk for having too much moisture.
Just don't overwater the casing; you don't have any "loss in moisture" to make up for.