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That_Idiot


Registered: 04/12/15
Posts: 35
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Plastic bags for straw vs sawdust cultivation.
#21841863 - 06/22/15 02:33 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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So following the lead of a local commercial grower, I have been using 4.0 mil bags for straw cultivation of oyster mushrooms. These are punctured immediately (or shortly) after filling and inoculating. The holes provide for gas exchange and fruiting locations.
I've recently started using enriched sawdust, and have been told that I should use 0.4-0.5 mil (1/10th the thickness) plastic bags and not to puncture until fully colonized. The plastic is apparently thin enough for gas exchange, and the bags are only punctured when ready to fruit.
Are these common usages? Why the different bags?
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nasyn
Stranger


Registered: 03/27/14
Posts: 86
Last seen: 2 years, 3 months
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Re: Plastic bags for straw vs sawdust cultivation. [Re: That_Idiot]
#21843665 - 06/22/15 09:49 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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How are you treating the sawdust? Depending on how big your sawdust blocks are, even if cold pasteurizing, I might not trust the seams on plastic that thin.
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That_Idiot


Registered: 04/12/15
Posts: 35
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Re: Plastic bags for straw vs sawdust cultivation. [Re: nasyn]
#21844925 - 06/23/15 06:50 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Sawdust supplemented with alfalfa pellets treated with hydrogen peroxide at around 0.1%
The bags are contained in 1-peck wooden fruit basket, so they are 10" tall and 11" wide at the top. Volume is approx 2.3 gallons or 0.3 cu. ft. The baskets in the photo are twice as large at 1/2 bushel.

I'd love to continue to use thicker plastic, but don't want to have to puncture until colonization is well under way. I've had problems with contamination at puncture sites (that I never had using straw). But I will use thin/gas-permeable bags if necessary.
What thickness is commonly used around here? And how is gas exchange accomplished - holes, permeability, filter patch?
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drake89
Mushroom Magnate



Registered: 06/26/11
Posts: 4,168
Loc: TN
Last seen: 4 years, 10 months
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Re: Plastic bags for straw vs sawdust cultivation. [Re: That_Idiot]
#21845011 - 06/23/15 07:33 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Never seen that method anywhere except a book. Seems like a big bag. How many lbs does that weigh? I reckon that plastic may fail as said above. Most people use filter patch bags around here.
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That_Idiot


Registered: 04/12/15
Posts: 35
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Re: Plastic bags for straw vs sawdust cultivation. [Re: drake89]
#21845751 - 06/23/15 11:59 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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I am growing this way for "display" purposes. I don't think it would be viable for commercial mushroom production as the baskets cost about $6-7 each. But it is a nice presentation and addition to a vegetable garden - our clients really like them. And we only have to grow them out till they pin, then place them in a shady spot in the garden. No harvesting or marketing of the mushrooms.
Last year we did full bushel baskets filled with straw - too big and cumbersome. This year we switched to half-bushel baskets with sawdust. In current runs we use about 8 lbs. sawdust and 1 lb. of alfalfa pellet supplement for a total of 9 lbs. dry. Shooting for about 63% moisture I add a little over 6 quarts of water for a finished weight of around 22.5 lbs.
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drake89
Mushroom Magnate



Registered: 06/26/11
Posts: 4,168
Loc: TN
Last seen: 4 years, 10 months
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Re: Plastic bags for straw vs sawdust cultivation. [Re: That_Idiot]
#21845955 - 06/23/15 01:01 PM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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ok, i didn't see the pic on my phone. that looks like a nice product.
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