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sBUD
enthusiast
Registered: 06/07/02
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maintaining a low rH for casings.
#1028983 - 11/06/02 04:47 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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I just cold shocked the casing and now it sits in the terrarium. The rH is at 97% which is good for pinning, but i have problems bringing the rH down to 83-88% for fruiting. How can i bring it down to that level so that the fruits mature properly and fully. I find that when i dont the fruits r thinner and their r less mature ones and many more aborts . and even the aborts r small and thin! im using perlite as humidification! And yes i crank open the lid a bit and still it dont help much ..it may go down 2 or 3 degrees I tried putting a fann some distance away (with and without the lid open a bit) but that brings it down too much... sometimes it goes down to 73 to my surprise. ! Doesnt cranking the lid open a lil invite contams into the terrarium and contam the cake????
sBUD
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Theta
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: sBUD]
#1028989 - 11/06/02 04:50 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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What are you using for humidification?
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cheifdog24
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: sBUD]
#1029006 - 11/06/02 04:55 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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You said you are using perlite for humidification, but how, is it in the bottom of your terrarium, do you have it in its own plastic container along side the casings?
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Theta
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: cheifdog24]
#1029026 - 11/06/02 05:03 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
You said you are using perlite for humidification, but how, is it in the bottom of your terrarium, do you have it in its own plastic container along side the casings?
I totally missed the fact that he said what he was using. Good save though. Yes, HOW are you using the perlite?
I'd assume you're just simply putting the perlite and water in the bottom of the chamber. Maybe consider an electronic fan on a timer to drive ambiant humidity down. A little testing might yield great results - and gas exchange would be taken care of as well.
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sBUD
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: cheifdog24]
#1029051 - 11/06/02 05:11 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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i dumped about a inch of perlite at the btm of the terrarium and poured water in it. mixed it around. Ive used the same perlite in the same terrarium for about a month and a half. I usually change the perlite inside every 2 months. but the way u described using it putting the perlite in its own seperate small container beside the casing sound better and will save the amount i use.
Yea i think im gonna buy one of those 24 hour timers. Maybe crank the lid open, have the timer set to turn on every few hours...that could prolly do it. Thanx But by opening the lid slightly, can my casing (or cakes for that matter) get contaminated. The room is not spick and span but how strong is the casing at this point. U think its strong enough to fight any contams that get in there. Dont want the fruits getting affected at this point. I'd rather have small thin fruits than nothing at all!
sBUD
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Theta
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: sBUD]
#1029093 - 11/06/02 05:19 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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It sound to me like your best bets are the fan or a small, seprated tub of perlite/water in the chamber. Let us know what you do and haw it works.
BTW, yes, it seems logical that an open lid increases the chance of contams.
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cheifdog24
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: sBUD]
#1029127 - 11/06/02 05:24 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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Well what you can do if you are scared of craking the lid, you could drill a couple of holes in the bottom of the sides of the terrarium and fill them with polyfill, which you can find in the crafts section in walmart.
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Theta
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: cheifdog24]
#1029212 - 11/06/02 05:40 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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In reply to:
if you are scared of craking the lid, you could drill a couple of holes in the bottom of the sides of the terrarium and fill them with polyfill
This doesn't sound like it would draw off very much humidity. I dunno, it could be worth a try. Try drilling a series of holes, let the chamber stabilize, and test for rh. If it's going in the right direction, alter the number and/or size of the holes untill you get the desired rh.
Still, the fan or small dish of perlite/water sounds like a better opiton to me.
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cheifdog24
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: Theta]
#1029236 - 11/06/02 05:43 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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Well if you set up a small fan, like a computer fan in one side of the terrarium and holes on the other, that would reduce humidity somewhat (I'm guessing it would, I've never done it, so it may be incorrect.)
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Theta
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: cheifdog24]
#1029251 - 11/06/02 05:47 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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In reply to:
Well if you set up a small fan, like a computer fan in one side of the terrarium and holes on the other, that would reduce humidity somewhat (I'm guessing it would, I've never done it, so it may be incorrect.)
This is what I was thinking. I may have not made myself clear when I suggested a fan - I meant a small PC type fan mounted in the side of the chamber with some exhaust holes.
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cheifdog24
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: Theta]
#1029266 - 11/06/02 05:50 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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Be sure if you do decide to to this, you have filters where ever air is entering and leaving the terrarium. I'd say polyfill for the exhaust and a small hepa, or maybe a couple of filter discs for the fan.
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sBUD
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: cheifdog24]
#1033157 - 11/07/02 03:47 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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i was thinking that...about drilling some holes on the side of the terrarium but was worried about contams gettin in, but i suppose u guys covered that part I think im gonna tape the filter disks on the outside of the terr holes. Then have the same number of sets of holes on the opposite ends and again taper that with filter disk. then have a fan ,say across the room, going on medium speed on a 3hour timer. OR I was thinking of maybe putting some dry perlite in a small seperate container and seeing if it sucks up the excessive moisture in the air...dunno if that would work though!
Thx guys for ur input
sBUD
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Skikid16
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: sBUD]
#1033183 - 11/07/02 03:55 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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Perlite gives off moisture, it wouldn't suck anything up, you would need a dessicant for that, but I think that may be over kill for what your trying to do, Besides, casings will do fine with higher humidity, it just may, may, lead to a higher chance for contamination. I'd say just try and see what happes, and if you still think the humidity is too high you can do what one of ^^^ those guys said.
-------------------- Re-Defeat Bush in '04
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vildechayea
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Registered: 10/03/02
Posts: 107
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: Skikid16]
#1033210 - 11/07/02 04:06 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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Interesting thread. I've got a couple cakes sitting in the same perlite filled terrarium as a casing. The rh seems a steady 97, and while good for the cakes, the casing thus far also doesn't seem unhappy. I wonder if the need for a lower rh for casings may be somewhat overstated by some?
Also I've kept the lid slightly ajar for periods with no contams...after all, if fanning daily doesn't do it, why should a little unprotected opening?
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rhizo
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: vildechayea]
#1034121 - 11/07/02 10:17 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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Yeah, nice thread. I know one of the functions of a casing is to provide moisture for the mushies, so the rh doesn't need to be so high. However, are thin fruits indicative of rh being too high? I thought the fruits would still get big but maybe have brown stripes on them. Also, I've seen a lot of pictures of people successfully fruiting cakes and casings in a perlite humidified setup. Maybe the problem with the skimpy size is something else entirely.
-------------------- An optimist is never pleasantly surprised.
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sBUD
enthusiast
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: vildechayea]
#1036771 - 11/08/02 03:11 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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This is the problem IMO with using perlite as humidification. Although it IS cheap, controlling it is difficult!
The casing is not unhappy with the 97 thus far but when u get pins, they will not like a 97%rH. Yea ive been wondering that for some time vildechayea...if lower humidity is indeed over rated for casings. But the only way to tell is to try it urself and see if it is a myth. As long as ur fanning and removing stale air from inside the terrarium, then a high rH shouldnt be that too large a problem....not to say u shouldnt worry about it at all.
There is too much crap flowing inside a household...of which cant be seen. And any1 of them could attack a perfectly healthy casing or cake...which could impede growth. U want a cake (or casing) to concentrate its effort on growing mature shrooms, not fighting off invaders. I dunno, maybe im putting too much into this about trying to have the perfect rH for casings.
Yes, too high a humidity can cause skimpy thin fruits. If the problem is other than that, i'd like to know what it is? I always thought that if ya have many many many pins on a cake AND a casing...having a high humidity would be good cus all of those pins r fighting for moisture in the air and maybe thats the reason why some develop big while others stay small. cant wait to get the cool mist......but better yet, i wont use as much perlite in the terr next time.
sBUD
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Seuss
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: sBUD]
#1037019 - 11/08/02 04:21 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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Drill several 1/2" holes near the top of the terrarium and wad some polyfill through them. To raise the rH, put tape over the holes... to lower it, remove the tape. Make more holes than you think you will need and just leave them taped up...its a pain to drill more holes while using the terrarium.
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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sBUD
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: Seuss]
#1038993 - 11/09/02 02:14 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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that is good advice there seuss, THX!
Initaially i was also thinking of putting a dry sponge in there. Doesnt sponge absorb moisture, and wouldnt it work????
sBUD
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sBUD
enthusiast
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: Skikid16]
#1049699 - 11/13/02 03:26 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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verm absorbs water , right>? So if we sterilize some verm in the oven then put a small try inside the terrarium wouldnt it then absorb the moisture in the air and thus reduce the rH?? There is about 30 pins on the casing surface (the size of about 1/2" high with the red colored cap) and theres ,i'd say, another 15 lil tiny dots (some with the cap and some without it but the ones with a cap is white and is not red and developed like those 30 ones) would u suggest lowering the rH NOW to 85-92% for those larger pins, or continue keeping it over 95% and wait til those lil ones get a lil bigger and see the cap become red???
sBUD
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abeam
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Re: maintaining a low rH for casings. [Re: sBUD]
#1049796 - 11/13/02 04:12 PM (21 years, 4 months ago) |
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>Drill several 1/2" holes near the top of the terrarium and wad some polyfill through them.
I would put the holes right above the perlite layer, this way it would allow the CO2 to escape better. Since it is heavier than air, it will build up on the bottom of the terrarium
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