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agar
old hand
Registered: 11/21/04
Posts: 9,056
Loc: Somewhere Else
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DIATOM spawn
#4399963 - 07/13/05 01:52 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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I have thought about using nutrient solution laden food grade Diatoms (diatomaceous earth = DE), which are microscopic, and contain 85% voids as spawn.
Diatom particles are characterized by their very irregular shapes, generally spiny structures and pitted surface area. They average only 5 to 20 microns in diameter, yet have a surface area several times greater than any other mineral with the same particle size.
DE can generally absorb up to 1 times, its own weight in liquid and still exhibit the properties of dry powder.
I am thinking, soak some DE in a nutrient solution, sterilize it, then bag or jar it up, inject LC, allow it to colonize, then pulverize the content in a stainless steel blender, then add the product to a substrate, just as you would grain spawn.
Any ideas, comments -or- suggestions.
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scatmanrav
Brainy Smurf
Registered: 05/08/04
Posts: 11,483
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Re: DIATOM spawn [Re: agar]
#4399976 - 07/13/05 01:55 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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>comments
Those things look freaking cool and I wish I had the first pic as a poster to hang on my wall
Of course I have no idea...but it sounds good to me lol.
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ohmatic
searcher
Registered: 02/28/04
Posts: 6,742
Loc: europe
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il ike the idea of the "spawn powder", i wonder if it will work out as you want it to. keep us updated. peace ohm
-------------------- MONOTUB tek HEATBOMB tek RIP #cultivation! ....can't associate? well FUCK U !
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agar
old hand
Registered: 11/21/04
Posts: 9,056
Loc: Somewhere Else
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Quote:
scatmanrav said: >comments
Those things look freaking cool and I wish I had the first pic as a poster to hang on my wall
Of course I have no idea...but it sounds good to me lol.
This I do know. Soak a pound of this stuff in compost or h/poo tea. Then add it to a 10 lb substrate mix, and it will get you big fruits & an extra heavy flushes (assuming all else is optimal).
I believe it releases moisture & nutrients - in a way that myc can draw on that reserve - as needed.
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FooMan
Registered: 02/02/05
Posts: 8,957
Loc: Earth
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Re: DIATOM spawn [Re: agar]
#4400065 - 07/13/05 02:25 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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If you soaked it in the poo and then dried it, could you use it later if stored properly? I like this idea You could call it "Agar's Agar Powder" LOL.
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scatmanrav
Brainy Smurf
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Re: DIATOM spawn [Re: FooMan]
#4400076 - 07/13/05 02:29 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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>If you soaked it in the poo and then dried it, could you use it later if stored properly?
Excellent question..would it retain nutes when dried then rehydrated later with regular water..I wonder as well..
This stuff can be found just about anywhere right? Home Depot or Walmart, or should I try a garden center instead (little further drive)
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FooMan
Registered: 02/02/05
Posts: 8,957
Loc: Earth
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Kind of straying away from the original post, but just out of curiosity, could you use poo water for an LC if it were sterilized? You always get me thinking Agar
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agar
old hand
Registered: 11/21/04
Posts: 9,056
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Re: DIATOM spawn [Re: FooMan]
#4400095 - 07/13/05 02:37 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Poo water is coffee colored, which is not a good thing for LC's.
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FooMan
Registered: 02/02/05
Posts: 8,957
Loc: Earth
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Re: DIATOM spawn [Re: agar]
#4400106 - 07/13/05 02:40 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
agar said: Poo water is coffee colored, which is not a good thing for LC's.
Oh yeah, couldn't see contams too good like that huh?
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xburn
V card
Registered: 03/10/05
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Re: DIATOM spawn [Re: FooMan]
#4400419 - 07/13/05 03:52 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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but the answer is yes. ANd it works pretty well(dilute to the color of light beer and add a little dextrose). The only problem is the contamination factor. Although many contams in LC have the same properties as myc and you dont know what you got till its to late. Honey and water or karo works fine. Why fix it if it aint broked.
back on topic though.
I know you said you used to take the nutrient rich spawn and pressure pack it into pellets... What would the ocnsistency of the powder be. I Wonder because if its like when you use BRF with no verm you get a really solid cake. What i am tryin to askis there enough space for the myc to colonize it quickly?
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agar
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Re: DIATOM spawn [Re: xburn]
#4400550 - 07/13/05 04:23 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Just looking for cheaper - easy ways to do things.
Myc will colonize nutrient soaked Vern. DE -if- nute soaked will colonize - that I know. I tried it inside a petri dish.
DE is 85% voids. So, it can carry nutes & moisture inside, besides whatever clings to the outside.
With large amounts, compaction may be a problem.
I guess - we will see.
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debianlinux
Myconerd - DBK
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Quote:
scatmanrav said: This stuff can be found just about anywhere right? Home Depot or Walmart, or should I try a garden center instead (little further drive)
The hard part is finding it sans slug baits or, as agar is shooting for, food-grade.
Concerning the parent post, I would think that the diatoms might collapse during sterilisation and would then likely lose all of those nifty attributes you're trying to leverage.
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scatmanrav
Brainy Smurf
Registered: 05/08/04
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sans slug baits or, as agar is shooting for, food-grade.
"Sans slug baits"? Food grade DE? I thought this stuff was used for slug repellant? Maybe "sans" means without? Without slug baits...Im pretty sure thats what you mean now that I think about it...
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red914
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DE will kill almost all insects. I used it as a "casing" layer to keep flys off my namekos. It is non-poisonous, usually comes as a super fine powder, DONT INHALE IT! You will wish you hadn't. It is also used as a swimming pool filter material and sometimes as kitty litter but that is a pellet like stuff. It dosn't appear to change much if pc'ed or wet, once it drys out. It gets kind of muddy wet. It is also great for getting oil off your driveway, in the pellet form. It will pack tighter then concrete. I would think the gel balls would be a better spawn. DE is kind of like calk dust, the pores are so small a spore would look like a beach ball next to one.
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debianlinux
Myconerd - DBK
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Pure DE doesn't attract or repel slugs it just kills them when they crawl over it.
All of the DE i have been able to find off the shelf in my area contain slug attractants; things I don't think I would want to ingest myself.
I had initially sought it out for use as outdoor bed perimeter defense. I couldn't convince myself that placing slug attractant around the bed I intended to protect was a good idea.
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red914
Minion
Registered: 11/05/04
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Loc: Utah
Last seen: 18 years, 6 months
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Try Boric acid powder for slugs. Boy, do they hate that, and again, it is non poisonous but is useless wet. I get DE in a bag at a big greenhouse nursery for $3. It is straight DE with no additives, sold as a environmental bug fix. For slugs, the beer pool works great too. They also hate copper.
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shirley knott
not my real name
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Re: DIATOM spawn [Re: agar]
#4404093 - 07/14/05 02:29 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
agar said:
I have thought about using nutrient solution laden food grade Diatoms (diatomaceous earth = DE), which are microscopic, and contain 85% voids as spawn.
Diatom particles are characterized by their very irregular shapes, generally spiny structures and pitted surface area. They average only 5 to 20 microns in diameter, yet have a surface area several times greater than any other mineral with the same particle size.
DE can generally absorb up to 1 times, its own weight in liquid and still exhibit the properties of dry powder.
I am thinking, soak some DE in a nutrient solution, sterilize it, then bag or jar it up, inject LC, allow it to colonize, then pulverize the content in a stainless steel blender, then add the product to a substrate, just as you would grain spawn.
Any ideas, comments -or- suggestions.
you crazy mofo
-------------------- buh
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agar
old hand
Registered: 11/21/04
Posts: 9,056
Loc: Somewhere Else
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Quote:
debianlinux said: The hard part is finding it sans slug baits or, as agar is shooting for, food-grade.
I would think that the diatoms might collapse during sterilisation and would then likely lose all of those nifty attributes you're trying to leverage.
http://www.groworganic.com/item_PMB105_.html
DIAFIL? Codex Food Grade. Amorphous diatomaceous earth Diatomite, uncalcined Diatomaceous earth, natural
Melting point: 1710?C Solubility in water: none Amorphous Silica: 100% (by definition) Crystalline Silica: <0.5% Median Particle Size: 10 microns Surface Area: 30 m2/gm
http://www.osha.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/data/CH_266690.html
The object is that mycelia so small that a few miles of them weighting less than a gram infiltrate the DE, then the DE would function as a spawn carrier.
Just as a side note. Everybody that eats grains & cereal products has ingested natural amorphous diatomaceous earth for 50 years. It is placed into stored grains & cereals at least that long - to inhibit infestations of certain insects. It cannot be removed, thus it gets processed right along with the grains/cereals into finished food products.
The dangerous DE is the CALCINED TYPE.
For those who doubt DE will colonize:
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agar
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Registered: 11/21/04
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Loc: Somewhere Else
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Quote:
shirley knott said:
Quote:
agar said:
you crazy mofo
Would it not be nice to have a few jars of "spawn powder" tucked away in the fridge, for use - whenever. "crazy mofo" might make that happen..............LOL
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agar
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Posts: 9,056
Loc: Somewhere Else
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Re: DIATOM spawn [Re: agar]
#4404653 - 07/14/05 04:28 PM (18 years, 8 months ago) |
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Suppose someone came up with a really tough lab grade 36 ounce microwaveable container, rigged the lid with a filter patch, and injection port (microwaveable). Along with that container (or multiples of them) came nutrient laden (dry) DE in one pouch per container size.
Suppose you place a predetermined amount of DE in the container, then add a predetermined amount of spring water & stir the mix into a moist slurry. Then, place the container in the microwave, with the lid on, but not snapped tight. Then, microwaved it a predetermined amount of time. Then, snapped the lid on tight.
Also suppose the DE comes pre-sterilized & characteristics of the DE (glass like) allow to heat up very hot, without damage to the container.
After the container cooled to room temperature, it is injected with viable spore solution, or liquid culture, then incubated, and the content colonizes 100%. Then, the container is grasped firmly with both hands, is shaken, to break the content into small particles.
Then suppose the content is used as spawn into a pasteurized (or one that did not require pasteurization) bulk substrate.
I surmise that would be a step forward in home cultivation.
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