By far, the most frequently asked questions on the Shroomery's Cultivation Board are
about problems with casing. Casing is the easiest way to
improve your technique and increase your yields, but it's
also a source of a lot of headaches and questions until
you get the hang of it. For months I was cursed with
casings that weren't doing what they were supposed to be
doing. Finally, a great and powerful
Shroom Mage
was able to tell me what I was doing wrong. With this
document I am passing his wisdom on to you. Shroom on.
- Shroom Apprentice
The biggest source of casing problems seem to
come from over- or total colonization of the casing surface.
Discussed at length in The
Mushroom Cultivator, the
casing layer serves three main purposes:
- To protect the colonized substrate from
drying out.
- To provide a humid micro climate for
primordia formation and development.
- To provide a water reservoir for the
maturing mushrooms.
Overlay is the condition which
results when mycelium has been allowed to completely cover the
casing surface. It is caused by prolonged vegetative growth
temperatures, high CO2 levels, and excessive humidity. If
over watered, the overlay will become matted,
or, will form a dense, dead layer of cells on the casing surface.
A casing showing signs of overlay will
begin to shrink and pull away from the sides of the container. It
will also become unreceptive to water, and puddles may form on
the surface after misting. If any pinheads form, they will likely
do so at the edges of the casing. Most of the pinheads will
abort, and only a few mushrooms will fully mature. Once
this has happened, the casing layer really isn't a casing layer
anymore. It is no longer serving it's three main functions, and
has in essence become a second layer of non-nutritious substrate.
As previously mentioned, overlay is caused by
prolonged vegetative growth temperatures, high CO2 levels, and
excessive humidity. It results when the grower does not take the
proper steps to initiate pinning, or, when the grower initiates
the pinning strategy too late. As a general rule of thumb, the
initiation process should begin as soon as mycelium is first
visible in the valleys of the casing layer (or, when you can just
barley make it out underneath the surface of the casing).
However, Psilocybe cubensis is a species which enjoys high
mycelial momentum. Even after initiation of the pinning process,
the mycelium will continue to grow for a period of time and
consume more of the casing. This is why timing is critical.
1. Temperature & Cold Shocking
According to Stamets: The
Mushroom Cultivator, the ideal temperature for
Psilocybe cubensis during colonization of the substrate and
initial colonization of the casing layer is 84-86 degrees
Fahrenheit. A 10 degree drop in temperature to 74-78 degrees
Fahrenheit is generally enough to initiate the pinning process.
A technique once taught to me by the wise and mysterious
"Mr. G" (formerly of Foggy Mountain
Farms), is a little more extreme however. It involves cold
shocking the casing by covering the tray with tin foil and
placing it in the refrigerator for 24 hours prior to birthing
into the fruiting terrarium. This cold shock really let's the
mycelium knows it's time to fruit, and may serve to not only
increase the size of the first flush, but also slow the
previously mentioned mycelial momentum. The jury is still out on
this one however... Some growers have expressed concerns
regarding the bacterial count in their household fridge, while
others persist that it's not necessary.
My advice is to try the 10 degree drop first. If that works
for you, then stick with it. If however you are still having
problems (Perhaps you live in a region where the temperature is
too high to provide a 10 degree drop in temperature?), give the
cold shock a try; it might just do the trick.
2. High CO2 Levels
The second trigger that lets the mycelium know
it's time to fruit is a reduction in CO2 levels in the
atmosphere. This can simply be achieved by ensuring that you are
fanning your terrarium at least once a day (2-3 times per day may
be necessary depending on the size of the terrarium and how many
casing trays are inside). Another idea is to incorporate some
natural flora into your terrarium, such as a dedicated tray of
rye grass that is just there to grow and regulate your atmosphere
for you.
3. Excessive Humidity
Generally, casings do not require as much humidity as cakes
because it's the casing layer itself that creates the
micro climate favorable to pinhead formation and development. As
the mushrooms grow, they draw moisture from the casing layer as
well as the atmosphere. That being said, the use of cool mist or
ultrasonic humidifiers, or perlite humidification, may be too
much for your casings.
For the most part, what you use to humidify is going to depend
on where you live. If you live in an area where the ambient
humidity is generally high, you will probably be able to get away
with just a couple of mistings per day. If however, you live in
an area where the overall humidity is quite low (Where I live, it
gets down to about 30% during the winter) you may need to use
perlite or a humidifier setup. The key to remember is that if
your casing continues vegetative growth and develops overlay
after you've initiated the pinning strategy, your humidity may be
too high.
4. Light
Psilocybe cubensis is a photosensitive
mushroom, meaning certain spectra of light are necessary for
pinhead formation and development. Ps. cubensis responds best to
light heavy in the blue- and ultra-violet spectrum, specifically
which peak at 370, 440, and 460 nanometers. Red, infra-red, and
green light on the other hand are ineffective at initiating
pinheads. A few hours of light per day is really all that is
needed. If you can see the casings then you are doing fine. Just
remember that mushrooms are not like the pot plant that's in your
closet; they won't grow bigger or faster with more light :-)
- Shroom Apprentice
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