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soulfrreal
Stranger

Registered: 09/12/07
Posts: 9
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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Best Substrate?
#7400223 - 09/12/07 10:43 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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does anyone know which substrate mushies will benefit most from? i know some strains vary. I've been using the PF rice cakes and would like to try something new.
the first time i tried to cultivate golden teachers, i had the cakes sitting on a wire mesh, which i bought from home depot and forgot to sterilize, so they got contam pretty fast. the second time, the lids for my jars were rusted and i had to throw those out. im trying a third time w/ an argentinian strain using PF cakes. i get the feeling that the cakes are just enough for them to get by on, but i want something that will give me the best results. any ideas?
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Dr_T
Random Dude




Registered: 06/03/07
Posts: 1,839
Loc: Colorado
Last seen: 16 years, 4 months
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: soulfrreal]
#7400229 - 09/12/07 10:49 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Coir+coffee has done well for me.
Horse poo is probably the all-time favorite of Shroomerians, though
-------------------- Roger Rabbit said: Growing mushrooms is part art, and part science, but it's not magic.
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xaxphaanes
Mycologist



Registered: 08/08/05
Posts: 2,988
Last seen: 1 year, 5 months
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: Dr_T]
#7400237 - 09/12/07 10:51 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Best is compost made for mushies.
-------------------- "Anything i say is fictional" what you should look for in manure
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mycocurious
Mike O. Kuerias



Registered: 02/09/07
Posts: 1,265
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: soulfrreal]
#7400251 - 09/12/07 10:56 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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My choice pick is half-composted, homemade compost because you can tailor it's contents towards the species' preferences. Wood chips for cellulose loving species and various types of scrap fruits and veggies for starch and sugar loving species. It's also, technically, free...and you'll always make far more than you'll ever be able to use.
(and if when you need to get rid of spent trays, they can be added to a seperate "garden" compost where the composting process will kill anything in the substrate - fly larvae, contaminates, live mycelium you don't want localizing your backyard... )
Second choice would be equine or bovine manures, aged, leached and properly shredded before being rehydrated... but mostly this is because, in my humble opinion, we're using the animal's digestive tract as a composting unit.
--------------------
Don't mistake my tone for a "matter-of-fact" attitude. I'm just presenting what I believe to be correct, until I'm corrected... - How Myco-Curious Prepares Coir & Compost Substrates - How Myco-Curious Builds A Bulk Humidifier - How Myco-Curious Builds An Automated Greenhouse ------------------------------------ figgusfiddus said: Keep in mind that inoculating or whatever in front of a flow hood won't help your bad substrate, your bad inoculant, your bad sterile procedure, etc. etc. etc. It's not a +3 flowhood of magic, it's just a tool.
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El_Flying_Mohawk
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Registered: 11/17/05
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: soulfrreal]
#7400259 - 09/12/07 10:57 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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WThe cakes you put on mesh, were they fully colonised? Even on an unsterilised mesh, they should not "contam pretty fast".
And rusted caps have never been an issue for me....
Maybe you want to stick with the PF but make sure you do it right. Most other substrates require a little more care with higher chances of failure.
Anyway, my fav substrate is coffee+coir+Cowcompost+Wormdung.
-------------------- Forever noob
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toadstooly
searcher oftruth



Registered: 07/13/07
Posts: 252
Loc: where the wild things are...
Last seen: 15 years, 11 months
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Quote:
El_Flying_Mohawk said: Anyway, my fav substrate is coffee+coir+Cowcompost+Wormdung.
care to elaborate on ratios? this is something close to what i am planning to do.
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xaxphaanes
Mycologist



Registered: 08/08/05
Posts: 2,988
Last seen: 1 year, 5 months
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: toadstooly]
#7400495 - 09/12/07 11:57 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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I would leave worm dung out of it since it isnt needed coir and coffee in whatever ratios you want really thats simple and quick.
-------------------- "Anything i say is fictional" what you should look for in manure
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soulfrreal
Stranger

Registered: 09/12/07
Posts: 9
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: xaxphaanes]
#7401741 - 09/12/07 06:21 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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thanks for all the input guys. as for Flying mohawk, they were fully colonized, however the bottoms that were sitting on the mesh turned a funky green (the mesh wasn't packaged or anything at home depot, just rolled up and sitting out in a dirty environment), and the rusted caps turn my cakes rusty colored.
for now i am sticking with the PF cakes, which is what im using for my current project. i was planning on changing up the substrates if all goes well with this batch. i bought some coir awhile back for casing purposes, but i think i will include it in a substrate mix for future projects. if i use a coffee/coir substrate, is the coffee going to balance the pH of the coir, cuz from what i've heard, coir's a little acidic?
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RadelBaluvar
PharaohApprentice


Registered: 08/15/04
Posts: 315
Loc: Switzerland
Last seen: 16 years, 4 months
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: soulfrreal]
#7401832 - 09/12/07 06:40 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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 Gif by me
As far as I know, the coco coir/vermi-mix is not called "the substrate". I think, if one does not name things correct, a lot of people get confused.
The substrate is the food for the shrooms, and the cover - cover layer - top coat - top layer - top stratum - topping, is the stuff which is made out of coco coir/vermi, compost, manure... etc.
So one should always refer to the top LAYER. OK?
Merry greetings from Babylon
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wutang
fungi



Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 1,903
Last seen: 16 years, 2 months
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use jiffy mix for the casing layer does anyone know if coir/coffee/poo/straw will that mixture work? or is there too much ingredients? im starting my first grow poo so i need to know
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somebody041
bud tester


Registered: 06/04/07
Posts: 476
Loc: California
Last seen: 9 years, 9 months
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Quote:
RadelBaluvar said:
 Gif by me
As far as I know, the coco coir/vermi-mix is not called "the substrate". I think, if one does not name things correct, a lot of people get confused.
The substrate is the food for the shrooms, and the cover - cover layer - top coat - top layer - top stratum - topping, is the stuff which is made out of coco coir/vermi, compost, manure... etc.
So one should always refer to the top LAYER. OK?
Merry greetings from Babylon
umm, i've never heard of anybody making a casing using compost... at least not with much success. i think you must be confused.
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spock1
Stranger

Registered: 04/14/07
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Re: Best Substrate? *DELETED* [Re: soulfrreal]
#7402169 - 09/12/07 07:46 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Post deleted by spock1Reason for deletion: .
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wutang
fungi



Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 1,903
Last seen: 16 years, 2 months
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: spock1]
#7402224 - 09/12/07 07:57 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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neither have i only peatmoss
Edited by wutang (09/12/07 07:58 PM)
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soulfrreal
Stranger

Registered: 09/12/07
Posts: 9
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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Quote:
RadelBaluvar said:
 Gif by me
As far as I know, the coco coir/vermi-mix is not called "the substrate". I think, if one does not name things correct, a lot of people get confused.
The substrate is the food for the shrooms, and the cover - cover layer - top coat - top layer - top stratum - topping, is the stuff which is made out of coco coir/vermi, compost, manure... etc.
So one should always refer to the top LAYER. OK?
Merry greetings from Babylon
i dont think anyone mentioned coco/vermi mix as substrate, i was saying i would use it as CASING, so therefore, i don't think anyone was confused other than you. no offense.
as for the rusty caps, yea i threw em out, i probably didnt have to, but i already did awhile back, so oh well, too late now. i've already started on another project w/ new cans (i found out later u can jus buy new lids seperately from the jars), so hopefully all goes well with this and i can maybe move on to a new substrate to experiment with. thanks for all the info/feedback. much appreciated.
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jeetered
Stranger



Registered: 07/07/06
Posts: 3,055
Loc: no clue
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: soulfrreal]
#7421978 - 09/17/07 11:27 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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lolz, i used coir/verm as a substrate, proves to be a better substrate then it is a casing layer, as a casying layer should not be nutritious, not at all.. which is why i prefer nothing but vermiculite. You can go through the "rigamaroo" of 60/40 or 50/50+, or coir/verm, or pete/verm/calc carb, lyme, wtf.. why, im lazy... straight verm, no problems, just keep moist.
anyhow
so best substrate? the substrate that works for you... and provides you with what you need.
of course, horse manure, or cow manure, textured up with additives like straw, or straw, and verm, and coir, etc..
that's the best substrates in my opinion,
some people prefer casing straight grains, and find ease in it, and it works for them..
some people just prefer pftek brf cakes, as it provided for their needs.
and oh yeah, the plastic kerr storage lids, for canning jars, if you puncture holes through them, they wont attempt to hold pressure, and do not melt, and stay great and non rusty for their lifespan, which is a good long time, over a year now. Then you don't have to go buy lids/bands every week.
Edited by jeetered (09/17/07 11:28 PM)
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_OttO_
Over Stimulated



Registered: 06/01/05
Posts: 2,588
Loc: Up Over
Last seen: 1 month, 12 days
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: wutang]
#7422566 - 09/18/07 06:59 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
wutang said: use jiffy mix for the casing layer does anyone know if coir/coffee/poo/straw will that mixture work? or is there too much ingredients? im starting my first grow poo so i need to know
Thats my favourite mix by far - about 35/35/25/5 ratio of straw/coir/poo/coffee, hydrated with a water that's had a dash of liquid seaweed extract added for extra nutes.
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wutang
fungi



Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 1,903
Last seen: 16 years, 2 months
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: jeetered]
#7422698 - 09/18/07 08:23 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
jeetered said: lolz, i used coir/verm as a substrate, proves to be a better substrate then it is a casing layer, as a casying layer should not be nutritious
straight verm works great, sometimes verm and peat moss
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soulfrreal
Stranger

Registered: 09/12/07
Posts: 9
Last seen: 16 years, 1 month
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Re: Best Substrate? [Re: wutang]
#7449859 - 09/24/07 11:06 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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nice, so my cakes are a littl retarded at this point. for some reason the mycelium has stopped growing or has slowed down tremendously. it's been like this for almost a week now. so i've decided to see how much i can push it. I've taken them out of the jars and mushed them up in ziploc baggies today. hopefully it works? if not i guess i'll start over with the brf cakes.
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fatpeter
Stranger
Registered: 05/01/08
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USE SHREDDED WHEAT CEREAL SUBSTRATE. [Re: soulfrreal]
#8350559 - 05/01/08 05:22 PM (15 years, 8 months ago) |
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I hav been using brf cakes, however I have also experimented with sum mycellium. Ive heard that wheat straw was a very good substrate along wid poo. I have now used a mycelium syringe from my original Ecuadorian shroom cake to make a mycelium syringe. I noticed that shredded wheat cereal held moisture very well and that it contains 100% wheat so i decided to inoculate it and see what hapened. At the same time I inoculated brf cakes and the shredded wheat cereal after 2 days the cereal substrate had colinised significantly while no mycelium was present on the brf cake. I have 2day used 8 shredded wheat as a substrate inorder to increase my bulk stock. Not sure if shredded wheat is available in america etc but it is in England. No pressure cooker has been needed to sterilize the cereal.
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