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 rrotto
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Registered: 06/11/07
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Last seen: 5 years, 3 months
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 growing shiitake + pictures + questions 
#7032813 - 06/11/07 11:15 AM (5 years, 11 months ago) |
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Hello everybody, I'm totally new on this forum, so this is my first post.
I live in Belgium and 6 months ago I started growing shiitake on supplemented sawdust blocks.
For each block I mixed 500g sawdust, 300g woodchips, 200g oat bran and 30g gypsum with 1000g water and sterilised it in a filter bag for 90 minutes. I inoculated each bag with 200g grain spawn. After 1 month the blocks started popcorning and after another month they were 3/4 brown and ready to fruit.
The first times I had difficulties finding the right conditions for a good flush and I had a lot of questions like: "How long does a block need a coldchock?", "Is it too warm or too cold?", "Is there enough aircirculation?", "is it too moist or too dry?"...
Usually the first 3 flushes give huge mushrooms (200g and more). The 4th, 5th and 6th flushes give more mushrooms, but smaller ones.
At this moment I have 22 blocks fruiting/dormant. I still have some questions, maybe someone could give me an answer for these?
* I have some blocks that gave a beautiful first crop (more than 4kg on 12 blocks, or 9 pounds).
After letting dry for 11 days, I dunked them in water (16°C/61°F) for 24h and put them in the fruiting chamber. After a week still nothing happened on most of these blocks and I don't know why...
Maybe the temperature was too high in the growing room (25°C/77°F), maybe there wasn't enough air exchange, maybe I should have waited longer before I dunked them or maybe it's because I used tap water instead of rainwater. Maybe the dunkingwater wasn't cold enough? I don't know. Now I let them rest again for 14 days and try again...
* Another problem I still have: sometimes there are many pins, but a lot of them are malformed, burst open, become just a big stem without cap or they abort and become brown. RH too high? More aircirculation? Or just a normal thing for shiitake?
* I spray the sides of the humidity tent and the blocks themselves too with water 3 times a day, is that ok, or not necessary?
* 1 on 4 blocks popcorns so heavy that there are hollow spaces (or how can I say it) on top of the blocks (where the block didn't tough the bag).
Is that normal? The top layer on these cavities is so thin and soft (if not totally browned) that I have to remove this "second layer" because otherwise I would become smelly.
Any answers are welcome!
otto
Here are some pictures of previous crops:
Edited by rrotto (06/11/07 03:46 PM)
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rrotto
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Registered: 06/11/07
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Re: growing shiitake + pictures + questions [Re: rrotto]
#7033620 - 06/11/07 03:41 PM (5 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
rrotto said:* I have some blocks that gave a beautiful first crop (more than 4kg on 12 blocks).
After letting dry for 11 days, I dunked them in water (16°C/61°F) for 24h and put them in the fruiting chamber. After a week still nothing happened on most of these blocks and I don't know why...
Maybe the temperature was too high in the growing room (25°C/77°F), maybe there wasn't enough air exchange, maybe I should have waited longer before I dunked them or maybe it's because I used tap water instead of rainwater. Maybe the dunkingwater wasn't cold enough? I don't know. Now I let them rest again for 14 days and try again...
I was thinking about the blocks that didn't produce pins...should I let them dry first and dunk again in 14 days, or should I put them in the refrigerator for some time (and maybe also dunk again afterwards). What will give the best results? I don't want to keep the blocks wet too long, because maybe molds will come.
* Another question: the maximum temperature in my refrigerator is 2-3°C (=36°F) , isn't that a little too cold? Or will it not be a problem as long as it doesn't freeze?
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makaveli8x8
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Re: growing shiitake + pictures + questions [Re: rrotto]
#7033729 - 06/11/07 04:13 PM (5 years, 11 months ago) |
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how long do you let them dry?
ive never once., heard anyone mention drying their blocks and then dunking them
also when you fruit your block is using alot of the water it had stored up, and then when you dry it...i think its really shocking it.
for temp, long as you don't freeze you should be fine, clearly there is a magic number in there for perfection but 36 is above freezing so.
but wait for some more experienced to chime in as im not 100% on all this.
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makaveli8x8
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Re: growing shiitake + pictures + questions [Re: makaveli8x8]
#7033739 - 06/11/07 04:15 PM (5 years, 11 months ago) |
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also them are some nice pictures you have...dang i wish i could fit a chair lol
but it seems like every shitake i see in the store has weird caps so i dunno
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We were sent to hell for eternity Øh®
We play on earth to pass the time
Over-population the root of all Evil-brings the Elites Closer to the gates.
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rrotto
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Registered: 06/11/07
Posts: 11
Last seen: 5 years, 3 months
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Re: growing shiitake + pictures + questions [Re: makaveli8x8]
#7034370 - 06/11/07 07:13 PM (5 years, 11 months ago) |
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Quote:
makaveli8x8 said:
how long do you let them dry?
ive never once., heard anyone mention drying their blocks and then dunking them
also when you fruit your block is using alot of the water it had stored up, and then when you dry it...i think its really shocking it.
for temp, long as you don't freeze you should be fine, clearly there is a magic number in there for perfection but 36 is above freezing so.
but wait for some more experienced to chime in as im not 100% on all this.
Thanks
With drying I mean, I let the blocks rest for 14 days or so and while they are dormant they dry out. After this I dunk them in water. Usually 2-3 days after dunking them, pins form. But this time I had to wait 7 days and still there are not as many pins as before. Probably because I let the blocks dormant for only 11 days and that may be not long enough.
I've read you can dunk the blocks already after 7-10 days, but now I was told 14 days minimum is better.
The warm weather may also be a reason.
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RogerRabbit
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Registered: 03/26/03
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Re: growing shiitake + pictures + questions [Re: rrotto]
#7035815 - 06/12/07 12:38 AM (5 years, 11 months ago) |
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The warm weather is probably the cause. Shiitake prefer a temperature in the 15C to 18C range. They do ok up to about 20C and then performance falls off. The 'rest' period you're using is about the right amount of time. Letting them dry out during that time helps to avoid contamination, which is a real problem with wood based substrates, especially with trichoderma.
I'd cut back a bit on the oat bran. You really don't want to use more than 20% bran. Performance can suffer. You also want to consider the grain spawn you use to inoculate with in that 20% as well. Too much grains/bran will actually impair shiitake fruitings.
You don't need to wait until they turn brown to introduce to fruiting. I've had really good first flushes by giving them a two week cold shock while still in the bag, a week after blistering. After the cold shock, strip the bags away and introduce to fruiting conditions. This should speed up your first flush.
Since it's summer, you might want to give a second cold shock after the resting period, but before the dunk. That should send the next flush right out. The aborts are normal with shiitake. I get those too. Pick them off as soon as you notice them, so they don't rob energy from the block.
RR
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rrotto
Stranger
Registered: 06/11/07
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Last seen: 5 years, 3 months
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Re: growing shiitake + pictures + questions [Re: RogerRabbit]
#7036638 - 06/12/07 05:38 AM (5 years, 11 months ago) |
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Thank you for your advice RR. I'll give them a cold chock next time before dunking (if it stays warm). How long should I let them in the fridge? Usually I only let them in there for 2-3 days or so, but that doesn't always work well, maybe a little longer?
I will also try that 2 week cold chock with new blocks. But aren't white blocks more attractive for contamination?
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