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Mushrooms, Mycology and Psychedelics > Mushroom Cultivation
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Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best?
    #766263 -

Hey all
As most will know, a lot of casing teks reccomend adding about a 1:10 ratio of either chalk, lime or crushed oyster shell. Do all of these powders serve the same purpose? What is that purpose? And which of the three works best at serving this purpose?
I am about to attempt some casings for the first time so I'm curious.

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: Peace_Patrol]
    #766280 -

try the 50/50+.

go to grow find. mush cult. and then click on casing.

good luck.

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: Peace_Patrol]
    #766661 -

You need both the lime AND the crushed oyster shell(not really a powder, by the way). The lime helps to buffer the acidity of the casing which especially helps with kicking contamination. The oyster shell is also a buffer and seems to aid in slightly quicker colonization and greater ease of fruit removal. Horticultural Hydrated Lime is at Lowe's(or similar american "home improvement" joint) and the oyster shell is at pet stores and feed co-ops. It can be done without these two ingredients, but I find they are well worth it.


--------------------
peace
bluefoot

"There is more in us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps, for the rest of our lives, we will be unwilling to settle for less." - Kurt Hahn

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: bluefoot]
    #769330 -

thanks bluefoot.
so, do i make the 1:10 ratio of a mix of lime and oyster shell, or say 1:11 of each? i am planning on trying out the 50/50 tek but with these added ingredients, and i'll be using coco coir instead of peat.

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: Peace_Patrol]
    #769341 -

If you're using coir, you can case 'neat' as it's fairly pH neutral.

-psyco


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It may look like a button mushroom right now, but wait until you see how it grows!

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: Peace_Patrol]
    #769354 -

Just make sure its "Hydrated Lime"..dont use too much (Will get to acidic).....


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When it comes
I'll know, I know
Just take my clothes and leave
And I'll be gone



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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: psyconaut]
    #769358 -

>If you're using coir, you can case 'neat' as it's fairly pH neutral.

My coir has pH 5.5 .

The buffer of choce is chalk (= more or less pure Calcium carbonate(CaCO3) )


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Grow Mushrooms from Spores - PF-Tek for Simple Minds

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: Anno]
    #769373 -

5.5 pH? Really? Interesting. I'm gonna go check my ZooBed (or whatever it was called) coir because I was pretty sure it wasn't too far from neutral....it's meant for cute little reptiles, after all

-psyco


--------------------
It may look like a button mushroom right now, but wait until you see how it grows!

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: psyconaut]
    #769389 -

pH of 5.5 isn?t really that acidic compared to lemons(~2.5) or coca cola(~3.0).

The human skin has a pH from 4.5 to 6.0.


--------------------
Grow Mushrooms from Spores - PF-Tek for Simple Minds

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: psyconaut]
    #769392 -

>>it's meant for cute little reptiles, after all

Which is what we become after 5 grams. LOLOL

Peace,

Boppity

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: Northernsoul]
    #769412 -

Hey there,

Don't you mean basic as hydrated lime will raise the pH?

Best regards,

KingBolete

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: Boppity604]
    #769639 -

The object of adding calcuim carbonate is to adjust the casing material to the optimal PH. Crushed course Oyster shells consist primarily of calcuim carbonate. But, since they are not crushed into a very fine powder, they are not water soluble in the short term. In effect, they will adjust the PH over the span of weeks, months & years. Since the casing, pinning & cropping cycle is short in comparison to that time frame, before a substrate is fully depleted or contams set in .

The addition of course crushed shells is realy only a window dressing. Excepting, they do add some weight & course grit to the casing foundation that primordia form in. Which is benificial to the degree that it improves the micro/climate & the shrooms don't topple over for lack of foundation in a thin casing layer.

A chemical or food grade calcuim carbonate powder, such as is available at home brew supply stores is about the quickest acting buffering agent. Simply because it is pure, very fine powder & quickly water soluble. Meaning, it adjusts the PH right now. Which is what you want .

Any finely ground Agro type high calcuim carbonate limestone product (excepting Dolomite types) found at almost any garden supply type store will also work fine & is much less expensive . A 25 pound bag is enough to last a life time (unless your adjusting the PH of tons of casing material -- LOL) & only costs around $4 (usd).

In Europe, limestone chalk is much more readily available through companies like Fax Kalk, than in the USA. Consiquently, it is inexpensive there & the product of choice for those across the pond. Just go with what you can afford & find easy.

SixTango



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~whiskey river rafting, hot tubbing, dirty dancing & spending money on - wild women - having fun & just gonna waste the rest~

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: Peace_Patrol]
    #769799 -

I aggree with sixtango and everyone else. Right on. Everybody.


--------------------
peace
bluefoot

"There is more in us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps, for the rest of our lives, we will be unwilling to settle for less." - Kurt Hahn

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Re: Chalk, Lime or Oyster Shell: Which is best? [Re: SixTango]
    #770198 -

Hey there,

The hyrated lime sold in the USA for agricultural purposes is Calcium Hydroxide. It will temporarily increase the pH of water in a mixture. The 50/50+ mix calls for hyrdated lime which can raise the pH of the mixture. I believe it was added to that mix to counter the generally low pH of Peat...but it can raise the pH up to 13 quite readily if one is not careful in making the 50/50+ mix....

It is also used in sitting water to control algae...and manufacturing many other items.

Best regards,

KingBolete

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Mushrooms, Mycology and Psychedelics > Mushroom Cultivation
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