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Sillicybin
Registered: 02/14/05
Posts: 2,134
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Careful when selecting coir....
#7861268 - 01/10/08 07:44 PM (16 years, 22 days ago) |
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If you plan on using coir for mushroom cultivation, be very careful about the type you get if you don't plan on sterilizing or pasteurizing the mix. I've seen many people post that "coir comes sterile"... that is just simply untrue.
Many types of coir have trichoderma put in the coir intentionally because it helps the root growth of plants. This is VERY BAD for mushroom cultivation - you want to pasteurize your coir if so. If you're not sure if trich has been added, find out from the manufacturer, or just pasteurize it to be safe - especially if the coir was advertised as a hydroponic growing medium for plants.
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doc34
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Re: Careful when selecting coir.... [Re: Sillicybin]
#7861299 - 01/10/08 07:50 PM (16 years, 22 days ago) |
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I agree,
I sterilize mine to kill everything, good and bad. I wouldn't recomend to use coir untreated, that's asking for failure.
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doc34
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Re: Careful when selecting coir.... [Re: doc34]
#7861321 - 01/10/08 07:54 PM (16 years, 22 days ago) |
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Oh, one thing I have noticed though-if you get the "Bed-a-Beast" kind that is used for terrariums and lizard/snake beds it doesn't have that added that I know of, but I would still treat it one way or the other, just to be safe.
Sorry, I double posted, don't kill me, I'm innocent,lol.
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Sillicybin
Registered: 02/14/05
Posts: 2,134
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Re: Careful when selecting coir.... [Re: doc34]
#7861358 - 01/10/08 08:03 PM (16 years, 22 days ago) |
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Post whore. 
I agree that reptilian bedding has been decent as far as non-pasteurized/sterilized use. One thing I've always wanted to check is EC/PPM, because I've always wondered how good the bedding is as far as salt content.
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Seventy
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Registered: 05/24/07
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Re: Careful when selecting coir.... [Re: Sillicybin]
#7861371 - 01/10/08 08:06 PM (16 years, 22 days ago) |
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do you often not pasteurize/sterilize when using coir?
I didn't really think that was an option
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Sillicybin
Registered: 02/14/05
Posts: 2,134
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Re: Careful when selecting coir.... [Re: Seventy]
#7861393 - 01/10/08 08:12 PM (16 years, 22 days ago) |
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Quote:
Seventy said: do you often not pasteurize/sterilize when using coir?
I didn't really think that was an option
When I first starting using coir, everyone kept on saying how great it was, and how you don't have to pasteurize it, you can use it right out of the package. So, I did that for a while, and it was hit and miss. One time I even got some stray seeds that germinated and grew inside my coir substrate, right before the whole thing contaminated with trich.
Since then, I have always sterilized it. First, because of the possibility of trich, second because if the salt content is too high, leeching it with water in a bag removes any extra salt that might be present.
When hydrated properly, I have not once had an issue with sterilizing the sub.
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Seventy
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Re: Careful when selecting coir.... [Re: Sillicybin]
#7861417 - 01/10/08 08:17 PM (16 years, 22 days ago) |
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sterilizing, that's interesting. when I used coir I tried to pasteurize (to the best of my abilities )
care to comment on your sterilizing procedure? I like to get as much advice from those who have obvious successes compared to me haha
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rodfarva
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Registered: 07/31/07
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Re: Careful when selecting coir.... [Re: Sillicybin]
#7861437 - 01/10/08 08:20 PM (16 years, 22 days ago) |
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how do you all feel about throwing the dry brick of coir in the oven at 350 for a half hour along with your verm before spawning?
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Sillicybin
Registered: 02/14/05
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Re: Careful when selecting coir.... [Re: Seventy]
#7861503 - 01/10/08 08:33 PM (16 years, 22 days ago) |
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My procedure was to simply toss the brick in a PC safe fine mesh cloth bag, and PC. Once cooled, I took the bag out and squeezed the crap out of it until the water content was correct, loaded it in my tray and spawned.
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Seventy
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Re: Careful when selecting coir.... [Re: Sillicybin]
#7861547 - 01/10/08 08:40 PM (16 years, 22 days ago) |
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sweet, I guess I'll try sterilizing next time
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doc34
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Re: Careful when selecting coir.... [Re: Seventy]
#7861660 - 01/10/08 08:55 PM (16 years, 22 days ago) |
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I just put mine in a big pot and added water until it was completely expanded and then I just squeezed the water out as I added the coir to my clean jar and did it just like I do my grains=tyvek, disc/polyfill and I would PC it at 15psi for 20-30 minutes get it out and let it cool, then just open it up and use it=it is clean, sterile and hydrated. I would also make up a bunch when I did this(no sense in wasting space in the PC) and they will keep forever(meaning months not literally) and be ready when needed. That's just how I do it.
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Fraggin
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Re: Careful when selecting coir.... [Re: doc34]
#7864256 - 01/11/08 10:15 AM (16 years, 21 days ago) |
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Bed a Beast is designed to be hydrated, expanded, and put into a glass terrarium with high humidity. I would like to think that the manufacturers of bed-a-beast would not intentially add trich for bedding for people's beloved pets..... Still, I would sterilize. I have done the same as doc in the past. I pressured cooked my verm in quart jars with a sealed lid and stocked my pantry and used them as needed. They come out of the jar at field capacity and smell of earthy goodness even after 6 months in storage IME.
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