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zzantium2999
Shroom Groomer



Registered: 03/22/11
Posts: 177
Loc: Toronto Canada
Last seen: 12 years, 3 months
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limestone flour, horticultural lime, p.h. balance question
#14507512 - 05/24/11 11:16 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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I saw THIS tek which includes 'limestone flour.' Is that the same as horticultural lime? If so, don't we want a higher P.H. cause it fights bacteria but the, shrooms can still colonize? Also, doesn't horticultural lime lower the P.H. balance which we don't want?
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A good friend would bail you out of jail, but your best friend would be the one sitting next to you saying, "damn that was awesome".
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Doc_T
Random Dude




Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 42,395
Loc: Colorado
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Re: limestone flour, horticultural lime, p.h. balance question [Re: zzantium2999]
#14507544 - 05/24/11 11:21 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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So... first, don't case cakes.
Second, there's several kinds of lime. Horticultural lime = hydrated lime, which is not limestone and will burn your mushrooms. And you. But if you don't case cakes, it doesn't matter.
All those old casing teks were invented by people who weren't fruiting properly. If they had known about the shotgun fc, they could have had better yields in less time with less risk vs casing cakes.
-------------------- You make it all possible. Doesn't it feel good?
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zzantium2999
Shroom Groomer



Registered: 03/22/11
Posts: 177
Loc: Toronto Canada
Last seen: 12 years, 3 months
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Re: limestone flour, horticultural lime, p.h. balance question [Re: Doc_T]
#14507567 - 05/24/11 11:24 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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ok thanks. I wouldn't case cakes. that was there own stupid idea. I was just wondering about this horticultural lime I've got laying around here. Someone gave it to me for my tomato plant fertilizer.
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A good friend would bail you out of jail, but your best friend would be the one sitting next to you saying, "damn that was awesome".
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Doc_T
Random Dude




Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 42,395
Loc: Colorado
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Re: limestone flour, horticultural lime, p.h. balance question [Re: zzantium2999]
#14507571 - 05/24/11 11:25 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Well, it's hydrated lime (most likely). What's the magnesium percentage?
-------------------- You make it all possible. Doesn't it feel good?
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Javadog
Continuing along



Registered: 05/03/10
Posts: 7,385
Loc: USA
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Re: limestone flour, horticultural lime, p.h. balance question [Re: Doc_T]
#14507611 - 05/24/11 11:34 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Shouldn't we consider the roll in verm to be the application of a casing layer? Just a thought.
OP, we use lime to raise pH and gypsum to stabilize pH.
Be careful with the lime though. Do you have a pH meter?
Good luck,
JD
-------------------- Boyd Rice told my brother that life is a corny pack of freesakes Myco-tek.org
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zzantium2999
Shroom Groomer



Registered: 03/22/11
Posts: 177
Loc: Toronto Canada
Last seen: 12 years, 3 months
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Re: limestone flour, horticultural lime, p.h. balance question [Re: Javadog]
#14507664 - 05/24/11 11:42 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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no P.H. meter thats why I use distilled water for everything. Except one batch of WBS which didn't go so well.
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A good friend would bail you out of jail, but your best friend would be the one sitting next to you saying, "damn that was awesome".
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Javadog
Continuing along



Registered: 05/03/10
Posts: 7,385
Loc: USA
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Re: limestone flour, horticultural lime, p.h. balance question [Re: zzantium2999]
#14507727 - 05/24/11 11:53 PM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Well, I am still looking for hydrated lime (I refuse to pay to ship it) and so I will hope that others will chime in, but I can say that it is an intense base and very little should be necessary.
I would use none rather than risk over doing it.
Take care,
JD
-------------------- Boyd Rice told my brother that life is a corny pack of freesakes Myco-tek.org
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Doc_T
Random Dude




Registered: 03/06/09
Posts: 42,395
Loc: Colorado
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Re: limestone flour, horticultural lime, p.h. balance question [Re: Javadog]
#14508587 - 05/25/11 06:34 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Javadog said: Shouldn't we consider the roll in verm to be the application of a casing layer? Just a thought.
Technically yes, but you would not case them with casing material containing lime. And most people here would tell you straight verm isn't good for casing, though it is.
JD, where are you that there's no lime?
-------------------- You make it all possible. Doesn't it feel good?
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RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure



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Re: limestone flour, horticultural lime, p.h. balance question [Re: Doc_T]
#14508721 - 05/25/11 07:46 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
Doc_T said:
Second, there's several kinds of lime. Horticultural lime = hydrated lime, which is not limestone and will burn your mushrooms. And you.
Horticultural lime can be anything from limestone flour to dolomite limestone, hydrated, etc.
Hydrated lime is preferred. It doesn't burn mushrooms. It raises pH when needed, which is rare considering that mushrooms prefer an acidic substrate.
If one is going to build a casing layer, hydrated lime is superior to the others which don't break down fast enough to alter pH during the short lifespan of a cased substrate tray. Hydrated lime will dry your hands if you rub it all over you and don't wash it off. Anyone who has mixed concrete or mortar mix and got some on their hands have experienced this, since it's very high in hydrated lime. RR
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
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Javadog
Continuing along



Registered: 05/03/10
Posts: 7,385
Loc: USA
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Re: limestone flour, horticultural lime, p.h. balance question [Re: RogerRabbit]
#14508876 - 05/25/11 08:48 AM (12 years, 9 months ago) |
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Thanks for the clarification RR.
Hey Doc, I am in So. Cal, but checking the Home Depot, and then the local nurseries just has not turned up any lime.
I got a box of pelleted garden lime, but it is definitely not the strong stuff I want. I did get a Kellway pH meter and so I will get my casing layers right.
IIRC, we do not want our casings to be very basic, but maybe a point above neutral. Wasn't 8.0 the goal?
I know that this is higher than mushrooms prefer, but it is something that they can deal with, and it helps prevent or slow contams.
Take care,
JD
-------------------- Boyd Rice told my brother that life is a corny pack of freesakes Myco-tek.org
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