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RogerRabbit said:
None.  You want to mix the dry materials together well, then add moisture.  You didn't say what compost material you're using so it's impossible to say how much lime.  Obviously you'd use more lime with coffee grinds than with manure.  Use gypsum at ten percent by volume.

You don't need lime in a plain verm casing layer, although verm is probably the poorest choice of material.  Peat/verm works much better.  Use cc at five percent, and gypsum at ten percent the amount of peat.
RR

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Hi!

I did this:

I took a sample of  dehydrated compost and mixed it with 5% of gypsum by volume ( I just added another 5% during composting) then I hydrated it. I wait for an hour and tested the pH with pH color strips. The strips gave a pH mesure betwen 6 and 7 (closer to 7 than to 6).

How much lime and Calcium carbonate should I add to the dry compost to keep the correct pH ( by volume)? Could this be done just with Calcium carbonate or do I need to adjust the pH first with lime?

Many thanks in advance!

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RogerRabbit said:
Calcium carbonate is lime. Use it at up to ten percent along with the gypsum. If you choose to use hydrated lime, a teaspoon per cup. However, bulk substrates rarely need pH asjustment unless you're using coffee. If using manure, skip the lime and just use gypsum. The ph will settle out in the high 6 range.

Save the lime for your casing layer.
RR

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RogerRabbit said:
No, you want to mix dry ingredients together first, then hydrate.  I hope the vegetable matter is well composted, especially the popcorn, or it will go green on you before it can colonize.  Cubes are dung and straw lovers.  Chicken manure needs to be 5% or less of the total.
RR

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sorry, not pop corn but hot popped corn
here you can take a look to my pile on day 33:http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/5832076#5832076  the most it take to look composted was the advocado pear...
do you think it could cause any problem?

chicken manure was about 3%...

so do I add calcium carbonate to keep the pH around 7-7.5 the whole process or should I let it in the high 6 range?

Many thanks Roger