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Rahz
Alive Again


Registered: 11/10/05
Posts: 9,230
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Sclerotia: Nitrogen and other nutes, advice/opinions wanted
#5274395 - 02/07/06 06:02 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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I'm working on my next batch of Mex-A. I have some nice ones growing on rye grass seed, and another batch growing in brown rice with a little quinoa thrown in. I'm wanting to go a bit further in providing optimal nutes for this batch.
I have some water I used to pasturize straw. I used it twice, so it's really dark. I'll be cooking the brown rice in this water, and am assuming that adding a tablespoon of coffee would be redundant, as straw has high nitrogen content. Does this sound right, or would a little coffee be a good idea? Or, would I be approaching the point of having too much nitrogen? Is there such a thing?
I also have this stuff called Bob's 8 Grain Cerial which contains: oats, oat bran, brown rice, corn, soybeans, millet, barley, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. I know the sunflower seeds have high oil content, but a litle oil is a good thing AFAIK, plus, the sunflower content will be a very small percentage of the mix.
Anything else that my Mex-A might enjoy? How bout a vitamin or two?? 
Err, or a little honey added to the mix??
Perhaps some rye grass seed added for good measure??
Other than nitrogen, It's really a shot in the dark for me here, I would really appreciate some info on exactly what nutes they like, and in what quantities, and what substrates they can be found in. A link, or point in the right direction would be good too.
Rahz
-------------------- rahz comfort pleasure power love truth awareness peace "You’re not looking close enough if you can only see yourself in people who look like you." —Ayishat Akanbi
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mogur
regnartS

Registered: 11/15/05
Posts: 322
Loc: Puget Sound
Last seen: 11 years, 2 months
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Re: Sclerotia: Nitrogen and other nutes, advice/opinions wanted [Re: Rahz]
#5274407 - 02/07/06 06:04 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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Working on it. Report soon.
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Rahz
Alive Again


Registered: 11/10/05
Posts: 9,230
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Re: Sclerotia: Nitrogen and other nutes, advice/opinions wanted [Re: mogur]
#5274434 - 02/07/06 06:10 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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The vitamins I have contain 100mg of Magnesium, I'm tempted to throw one in, but I'm not sure if that amount of Magnesium would be a problem.
And I just nixed the honey idea, PCing honey might not turn out well.
Rahz
-------------------- rahz comfort pleasure power love truth awareness peace "You’re not looking close enough if you can only see yourself in people who look like you." —Ayishat Akanbi
Edited by Rahz (02/07/06 06:15 PM)
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gourmetgrower
I'ze the milkmanwhat knocked upyer maw

Registered: 01/29/06 
Posts: 170
Loc: The Old West
Last seen: 17 years, 10 months
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Re: Sclerotia: Nitrogen and other nutes, advice/opinions wanted [Re: Rahz]
#5274493 - 02/07/06 06:23 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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Being that this deals with nutritional needs of sclerotia-forming fungi, should this be in the advanced myc forum?
-------------------- Howdy, boys! Let's get down to business. I got my colt and my schofield, and they's jist itchin to be broken in.
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Rahz
Alive Again


Registered: 11/10/05
Posts: 9,230
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Re: Sclerotia: Nitrogen and other nutes, advice/opinions wanted [Re: gourmetgrower]
#5274567 - 02/07/06 06:36 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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I don't feel advanced but perhaps you're right.
Edit: Err, how do I move a post to a different forum?
Rahz
-------------------- rahz comfort pleasure power love truth awareness peace "You’re not looking close enough if you can only see yourself in people who look like you." —Ayishat Akanbi
Edited by Rahz (02/07/06 06:37 PM)
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Rahz
Alive Again


Registered: 11/10/05
Posts: 9,230
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Re: Sclerotia: Nitrogen and other nutes, advice/opinions wanted [Re: Rahz]
#5275043 - 02/07/06 08:24 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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Light bulb: Look in The Mushroom Cultivator. Duh. In the back, Stamets lists substrates with their nutritional content. The main nutes seem to be: Calcium, Phorsphorus, Nitrogen and Potassium. "Total minerals" are also listed. I looked up my ingredients, and together, I think they will provide plenty of what the mycelium needs. I'm in good shape so long as I didn't over do the nitrogen. Here's what I did if anyone is intrested:
I put about 4 quarts of straw water in a pot and added 1 cup of worm castings, 1 teaspoon of coffee, and 1/4 cup of calcium carbonate. I heated this to somewhere below boiling and let it steep for half an hour. I then strained the liquid and placed it back in the pot. Worm castings contain sand and I really don't want sand in my truffels (plus this removes the excess calcium carbonate). I added a 2lb bag of whole grain brown rice and brought the temp back up to just below boiling. I decided to not fully cook the rice, and got it to the point where there was still just a bit of dryness on the inside when I pulled a piece of rice apart. This sould insure that all the moisture is soaked up during PCing so I don't have wet jars. I then added the soaked quinoa, 2/3 cup of rye grass seed, and 2/3 cups Bob's 8 grain cereal. At this point there wasn't a lot of free standing water left, so I mixed the substrate several times over a 10 minute period and then drained.
Straw water from pasturization 1/2 cup worm castings 1/4 cup calcium carbonate 1 teaspoon coffee --------------------- 2lbs whole grain brown rice 2/3 cups rye grass seed 2/3 cups Bob's 8 Grain Cereal 1.5 cups (dry volume before soaking) whole quinoa
This yielded enough for 7 quart jars 2/3 full. We'll see how it goes...
Rahz
-------------------- rahz comfort pleasure power love truth awareness peace "You’re not looking close enough if you can only see yourself in people who look like you." —Ayishat Akanbi
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Rahz
Alive Again


Registered: 11/10/05
Posts: 9,230
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Re: Sclerotia: Nitrogen and other nutes, advice/opinions wanted [Re: Rahz]
#5313581 - 02/18/06 02:50 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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Wanted to update this Mex-A sclerotia grow. The jar below is at day 11, and is already around 50% colonized after incubating at 69 degrees. It has overtaken the rice/quinoa I did a week earlier.

So far, I think the additional nutes are going their job, but fast growth doesn't necessarily equal massive truffles. I have a bunch of rye grass/coffee water jars that are nearing completion. They are growing some nice truffles so I'll have something of a standard to compare to.
Side note: I've noticed that the sclerotia prefer to grow at the top, but especially in the corner of the jars that run down the side. Anyone have any idea why they do this?
Rahz
-------------------- rahz comfort pleasure power love truth awareness peace "You’re not looking close enough if you can only see yourself in people who look like you." —Ayishat Akanbi
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Snaggletooth
Stranger in a Strange Land


Registered: 10/24/05
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Re: Sclerotia: Nitrogen and other nutes, advice/opinions wanted [Re: Rahz]
#5313584 - 02/18/06 02:53 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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I think there is space that would provide a micro climate.
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Rahz
Alive Again


Registered: 11/10/05
Posts: 9,230
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Re: Sclerotia: Nitrogen and other nutes, advice/opinions wanted [Re: Snaggletooth]
#5314551 - 02/18/06 08:40 PM (17 years, 11 months ago) |
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It also might be the inoculation points. I inoculate on the sides, so when the mycelium grows, it meets in the corners. Perhaps the sclerotia tend to grow at the edge of growth?
Also, I've read that jars preform much better than bags. Anyone know why glass is better than plastic? What might happen if you placed glass slides in the jars... rice/glass/rice/glass etc.? Might be worth an experiment, if the sclerotia like glass, add glass.
Rahz
-------------------- rahz comfort pleasure power love truth awareness peace "You’re not looking close enough if you can only see yourself in people who look like you." —Ayishat Akanbi
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