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The_Mad_Russian
Stranger
Registered: 02/05/02
Posts: 4
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What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate?
#548157 - 02/11/02 04:40 PM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? I have seen the finer powdery almost flour-like vermiculite that is a little more expensive... I have also seen the rougher course chunky vermiculite that is cheaper... what's best? Does it matter? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.
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Anonymous
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: The_Mad_Russian]
#548181 - 02/11/02 05:02 PM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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The fine is best although I've never seen it so fine that it is almost like flour.
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Zen Peddler


Registered: 06/18/01
Posts: 6,379
Loc: orbit
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: ]
#548201 - 02/11/02 05:19 PM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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Max is right - the finer stuff holds more moisture so from that point it is better
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pleezr
fuct

Registered: 12/22/01
Posts: 1,708
Loc: NW
Last seen: 20 years, 2 months
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: Zen Peddler]
#548249 - 02/11/02 06:33 PM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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i disagree. though its a matter of preference. i wondered this same thing and i tryed it with both types of vermiculite. i think the coarse type is best. it makes for better colonization because its a little more airy.
-------------------- pleezr
"Tell me about the fucking golf shoes!!"
Edited by pleezr (02/11/02 06:36 PM)
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Under_net
enthusiast
Registered: 12/08/01
Posts: 228
Loc: kentucky
Last seen: 22 years, 2 months
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: pleezr]
#548315 - 02/11/02 08:17 PM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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Is it true that vermiculite is no longer going to be produced due to asbestos?
If so I think I will stock up on some bags.
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CuckoosNest
addict
Registered: 01/31/02
Posts: 666
Loc: Northwest (shaped like a ...
Last seen: 22 years, 11 months
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: pleezr]
#548337 - 02/11/02 08:40 PM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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I tried both the course and the fine grain vermiculite on my last batch of my equadors. I inoculated 12 jars of BRF/course verm substrate around the begining of December and 4 of them are still not done. Cononization chamber is around 83 constantly. I did another batch of 12 jars 2 1/2 weeks ago (PF strain) using the same substrate recipe, only switching to fine verm and all but one of the jars is done. The only varying factor in the experiment was the strain of mushroom, but even so, the colonizatoin time was so obviously different that I would highly reccomend fine grade verm over the course, chunky type
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"...Three geese in a flock. One flew east, And one flew west, And one flew over the cuckoo's nest."
Ken Kesey
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pleezr
fuct

Registered: 12/22/01
Posts: 1,708
Loc: NW
Last seen: 20 years, 2 months
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: CuckoosNest]
#548427 - 02/11/02 10:00 PM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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try it with the same strain, you will have different results. you used 2 different strains to make that judgment. i always use a coarse type and my jars colonize in 10-14 days!
-------------------- pleezr
"Tell me about the fucking golf shoes!!"
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Azure
old hand
Registered: 12/31/98
Posts: 469
Loc: California, USA
Last seen: 22 years, 11 months
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: CuckoosNest]
#548439 - 02/11/02 10:24 PM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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Moisture content and the particular strain affect growth rate just as much as the particle size of vermiculite.
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Anno
Experimenter



Registered: 06/17/99
Posts: 24,168
Loc: my room
Last seen: 1 month, 10 days
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: Under_net]
#548560 - 02/12/02 01:56 AM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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>Is it true that vermiculite is no longer going to be produced due to asbestos?
Read http://shroomery.org/faq/faq.php?display=faq&nr=100&catnr=1&prog=1&lang=en
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Zen Peddler


Registered: 06/18/01
Posts: 6,379
Loc: orbit
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: pleezr]
#548608 - 02/12/02 05:15 AM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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a lot of people in the know prefer the courser stuff and it works fine - i just prefer to use fine grade to keep the moisture content up.
I
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Anonymous
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: Azure]
#548690 - 02/12/02 08:14 AM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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Some people prefer to use the coarser grade when casing.
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pleezr
fuct

Registered: 12/22/01
Posts: 1,708
Loc: NW
Last seen: 20 years, 2 months
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: Under_net]
#548777 - 02/12/02 10:15 AM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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im pretty sure its not going to be takin off all the shelves, but i know some stores refuse to carry it anymore ever. Ace hardware for example used to carry it but now they have stoped stocking it.
-------------------- pleezr
"Tell me about the fucking golf shoes!!"
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AzulAgave
member
Registered: 10/18/01
Posts: 170
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: The_Mad_Russian]
#548852 - 02/12/02 11:07 AM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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You don't want the fine powdery Vermiculite. Most people in here don't know what it is and trust me you don't want it. It compacts too much and doesn't provide for good air exchange. The powdery verm is exclusively used to make roofing materials and insulation so stay away from it. The finest grade of verm you want to use is about 2mm.
Trust me on this one. I've seen the real fine powdery grade of verm. And you probably have this stuff free and available at your disposal. If your buying it don't waste your money buy the grittier stuff that doesn't compact.
And for those who think verm has asbestos in it are far from the truth. Asbestos is illegal in the United States and useing asbestos to produce anything is illegal, therefore verm has none in it. I believe verm is made from super heating mica. Mica is a mineral/rock.
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Zen Peddler


Registered: 06/18/01
Posts: 6,379
Loc: orbit
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Re: What kind of vermiculite is best for substrate? [Re: AzulAgave]
#549242 - 02/12/02 05:24 PM (23 years, 2 months ago) |
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i didnt know u could get floury fine verm - not good for us!!
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