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AlCapwn
ID Reset, take that subpoena


Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 2,957
Loc: Canada
Last seen: 2 years, 7 months
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I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives?
#7483106 - 10/03/07 10:43 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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This is my first grow, and I'm hoping to case half my jars (for the sake of learning). However, I looked all over and cannot find coco coir. What are some good alternatives for casing that I could find easily. Suggestions/Where to find it would be appreciated. Thanks.
-------------------- Huuuuurrrrrr!
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DigitalNomad
Neophyte


Registered: 08/03/07
Posts: 158
Last seen: 12 years, 9 months
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: AlCapwn]
#7483144 - 10/03/07 10:50 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Verm, peat moss, there's a lot of teks for DiY casing mixes. Or you could go to walmart and look for jiffy mix, or since you're in Canada, "tropical care" or something. They generally have it right next to the vermiculite and perilite in the gardening section. It has verm, peat moss, lime, all the good things you need for a casing.
-------------------- Here's to the first step...
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impeachme2
AmateurMycologist



Registered: 05/10/07
Posts: 646
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: DigitalNomad]
#7483232 - 10/03/07 11:14 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Or straight up verm, Or buy MGMC (Miracle Grow Moisture Control). Coir isn't good in your casing layer, anyways.
-------------------- tradelist
Edited by impeachme2 (10/04/07 01:27 AM)
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CaptainLinger
A Fungus Amongus


Registered: 05/25/07
Posts: 1,756
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: impeachme2]
#7483334 - 10/03/07 11:58 PM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Coir doesn't make a great casing anyhow. I recommend pure vermiculite or MGMC for the lazy approach.
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Blutjager
Inhuman


Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 9,220
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: CaptainLinger]
#7483339 - 10/04/07 12:00 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
CaptainLinger said: Coir doesn't make a great casing anyhow. I recommend pure vermiculite or MGMC for the lazy approach.
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AlCapwn
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Registered: 02/03/07
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: Blutjager]
#7483489 - 10/04/07 01:08 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Well straight verm doesn't give me extra nutrients does it? Because I'm pretty sure if you Dunk+Rolled a few cakes and did it right you'd get it pretty close.
-------------------- Huuuuurrrrrr!
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CaptainLinger
A Fungus Amongus


Registered: 05/25/07
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: AlCapwn]
#7483502 - 10/04/07 01:16 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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I'm not sure what you're trying to say with "extra nutrients". The entire point of a casing layer is to be non-nutritive.
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AlCapwn
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Registered: 02/03/07
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: CaptainLinger]
#7483513 - 10/04/07 01:20 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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I wasn't aware of that, heh. I always assumed that people used horse poo because it had extra nutrients.
-------------------- Huuuuurrrrrr!
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CaptainLinger
A Fungus Amongus


Registered: 05/25/07
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: AlCapwn]
#7483523 - 10/04/07 01:23 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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If I understand correctly, you're mixing terms. People use "casing" to refer to bulk growing in general. Casing, however, is the process of adding a non-nutritive, moisture-retaining solid to the top of the substrate to maintain proper humidity and moisture controls.
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cpw1971
Mr

Registered: 10/07/06
Posts: 5,611
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: AlCapwn]
#7483528 - 10/04/07 01:24 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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substrate is different than the casing layer.
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AlCapwn
ID Reset, take that subpoena


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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: CaptainLinger]
#7483534 - 10/04/07 01:26 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Ah, thanks for the clarification. I'd probably be better off with straight cakes then, because humidity shouldn't be an issue.
-------------------- Huuuuurrrrrr!
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CaptainLinger
A Fungus Amongus


Registered: 05/25/07
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: AlCapwn]
#7483557 - 10/04/07 01:36 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Straight cakes need humidity too, in fact more so, since there's no casing layer to give it to them...shrooms need high humidity in general...
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AlCapwn
ID Reset, take that subpoena


Registered: 02/03/07
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: CaptainLinger]
#7483565 - 10/04/07 01:37 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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I'm aware of that. I have shittons of perlite.
-------------------- Huuuuurrrrrr!
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Cyber
Ash



Registered: 06/14/04
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Loc: Dearborn Michigan
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: CaptainLinger]
#7483769 - 10/04/07 05:06 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
CaptainLinger said: Coir doesn't make a great casing anyhow. I recommend pure vermiculite or MGMC for the lazy approach.
Ok, ill call you on this one!
First off, from my experience, Vermiculite makes a crappy casing layer. I have always had a hard time getting a good pin set from it.
You say coir does not make a good casing layer then suggest MGMC which is 80%+ coir. You did know that it is mostly coir, right?
Pure coir is not great as a casing layer, and pure vermiculite is not great as a casing layer, BUT mix the two at 50/50 and you get the best casing layer I have found.
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mushbaby
woodswalker




Registered: 09/30/06
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Loc: in my own lil world
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: Cyber]
#7483885 - 10/04/07 06:53 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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I like jiffy-mix.
But will be spawning to manure and then casing.
Cyber you don't have problems with overlay? I think that's why alot of people don't recommend coir for casing. But since Al can't find it anyway I guess it's a moot point.
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CaptainLinger
A Fungus Amongus


Registered: 05/25/07
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: mushbaby]
#7483914 - 10/04/07 07:18 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Quote:
You say coir does not make a good casing layer then suggest MGMC which is 80%+ coir. You did know that it is mostly coir, right?
Coir just...is nutritive, so it tends to get colonized, leading to overlay. I don't doubt your poor experience with pure verm (I don't use it, either), but it's probably the easiest solution to someone who's just looking to produce fruit bodies.
As for MGMC, no...I've never used the stuff myself but I've always heard it was a mixture of vermiculite and peat.
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mycocurious
Mike O. Kuerias



Registered: 02/09/07
Posts: 1,265
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Re: I can't find coir for a casing, any easy alternatives? [Re: CaptainLinger]
#7484175 - 10/04/07 09:25 AM (16 years, 3 months ago) |
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Substrate = A nutritious food source Casing Mix = Non-nutritious, humidity blanket and contaminate barrier.
For a while (and still today) a lot of people believed that coir wasn't nutritious enough to be used as a substrate and was relegated to being used as a casing mixture. The problem with having any type of nutritious food-source in your casing mixture is that it's exposed to possible contaminates and those contaminates need a food source to colonize.
For my casing mixture I use a named brand (Jiffy Mix) non-nutritious seed-starting medium. Technically, this brand just happens to be the dead-on mixture of peat moss, vermiculite with a tad of hydrated lime to balance the pH out. Convienence wise, all I have to do is pasteurize and using it. Miracle-Gro Moisture Content (MGMC) is another very similar product with pretty much the same ingredients...
--- As for locating coco-coir, if you cannot find it at your local mega-mart pet store in the reptile section, try finding a local pet-store specializing in reptiles ...or... any local hydroponics grow-supply store and they'll have it. The pet stores will have it named "bed-a-beast" or such and the hydroponic's stores will carry brands like "cocotek" or such.
Hope that helps...
--------------------
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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