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cheesyincident
Cheese Head


Registered: 12/15/01
Posts: 416
Loc: Ohio
Last seen: 2 years, 11 months
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Purchasing 50/50+ Mix vs Making
#502638 - 12/27/01 05:59 PM (21 years, 8 months ago) |
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Being relatively new to growing, and having experienced the green mold several times when casing......would you recommend purchasing a casing mix already sterilized and ready to go from a vendor or trying to make it and sterilize it yourself.
-------------------- Incidents Happen
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TCatz
Manic
Registered: 11/09/01
Posts: 215
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Re: Purchasing 50/50+ Mix vs Making [Re: cheesyincident]
#502815 - 12/27/01 10:01 PM (21 years, 8 months ago) |
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cheesey, i think the green stuff gets all of us every now and then. but done right casing won't/shouldn't mold. it's basically dirt, and how often do you see dirt mold? contamination in casings are usually from 3 factors 1) lack of proper ph balancing. molds grow more at more acidic pHs than do mushrooms. Peat is acidic, not adding enough lime, oyster shell what have, opens up peat based casings to molds 2) too much moisture not only dos this promote contamination it also slows colonization time. Only mist if the top of the casing is getting dry, otherwise leave it alone.... 3) lack of air exchange molds like trich/cobweb only grow in overly humid enviroments with insufficient air exchange. Add a bubbbler, if you dont have one already, and say good bye to trich/cobweb molds i would definitly either buy or make my own 50/50, just make sure you get your pH nailed down...nurseries usually check for free or get a pH meter at lowes for about 15 bucks making your own is easy make a mix 2:2:1/2 peat/verm/oyster shell hydrated lime added at a ratio of 25 parts by wieght to 100 parts peat and 1-3 parts by wieght of gypsum gives you a nicely buffered casing with a pH just above 7.0 you can either pasturize or sterilizer your casing i sterilize mine and get good results good luck Mr. Cheese
-------------------- Flying in a Blue Dream
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Snobrdr311
outdoorenthusiast


Registered: 09/03/01
Posts: 1,468
Loc: Midwest
Last seen: 9 years, 11 months
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Re: Purchasing 50/50+ Mix vs Making [Re: TCatz]
#503005 - 12/28/01 02:13 AM (21 years, 8 months ago) |
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excellent advice Tcatz.. I microwave my casing mix on high for 10 minutes in the microwave, works great! :) just put it in a bowl with plastic wrap over the top already with the right amount of moisture, if the water evaporates then just add some more.
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TCatz
Manic
Registered: 11/09/01
Posts: 215
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Re: Purchasing 50/50+ Mix vs Making [Re: Snobrdr311]
#503217 - 12/28/01 11:09 AM (21 years, 8 months ago) |
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thanks snobrdr, i usually sterilize casings in the pressure cooker in quart jars, and that way i can save a few for patching the sides that eventually pull away and what not. another plus with sterilizing is that it gets the water completly absorbed through the casing material one thing i forgot to mention in my post to cheese is if you buy your 50/50 already made like "jiffy mix" they will tell you the pH is adjusted to neutral/7.0 already, but ive foud out by actually testing with a meter the the pH is really closer to 6.0..... and when i tested my water supply I found out it was actually 5.8 **holy acid water batman!!!** :) so i have been using only distilled water for all my casings
-------------------- Flying in a Blue Dream
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