Now lets get to the tek! First of all its gonna cost you about $115 to do this. PLEASE NOTE: Recurring cost after initial batch is like $6-$7 for a 100 lbs of shredded hay. The secret is in using a "Blower/Mulcher" I picked one up at a local home depot for $99..It was a Ryobi gas model. I urge you not to buy an electric model. The gas model gets a nice load as it is and as with all lawn equiptment, electric just plain sucks. Now pick yourself up a bail of Hay. You can use whatever type you'd like. Stamets recommends using wheat straw...This costs ~$5 a 100 lb bail here. The Blower/Mulcher has a catcher bag which keeps the dust WAY down. Now all you do is cut the straps from the bail, and begin spreading it out, use your hands or use a pitch fork(who has one of these things anyways). Now you just walk around and suck up the hay into the bag, once the bag is full(it will be quiet swollen), you empty it into waiting garbage bags. I've found that one 100 lb bail fills 6-35 Gallon trash bags.

Any Questions? =P

thanks

What interest me the most is that the only contamination I get in the beds is on the top layer. Upon inspection of the contaminated beds I find NO MOLDS anywhere but the top layer...... strange.

OK:

1) The bottom layer and every other layer except the top colonize fine - no contamination

2) My hands touch all of the layers

That must mean that the air space I originally provided somehow leads to a greater chance of green mold germination. Perhaps the lack of gas exchange? Maybe even way down at the bottom there is gas exchange in the form of diffusion up through the substrate... so perhaps to prevent green mold all stagnant air must be elimated?

In response to the question regarding Trichoderma, Basically all I can tell you is that if the straw is pastuerized correctly, green mold should NOT be a problem, you may however need to spray the plastic down with some lysol and possible spray the room with lysol, low concentrations of lysol in the air have not affected my crops. BTW- your straw should not take any longer then 2 weeks to completely colonize, after this point, the fungus has alot harder time taking over the straw, and could easily become overrun with contams. So 2 weeks tops until 100% colonization of your straw. Any longer and well.. your prolly screwed.

I want to mention the high quality of Ripper's tek again. I myself and going shopping for a Ryobi mulcher/blower tomorrow...

310BVr Gas Blower/Vacuum

Features...

Converts To Vacuum With Automatic Mulching Action
Up To 150 MPH Air Speed
31cc, 2 Cycle Engine
Ryobi blowers and vacuums feature powerful air velocity for fast and easy outdoor clean ups. But that's not all: Our electric units have the exclusive rounded wind tunnel design that heightens performance. And our gas blowers feature the quick start primer system that ensures fast starts in hot or cold weather.

-Abaddon

[This message has been edited by Condi1 (edited February 24, 2000).]

Okay this tip is from a dude named Mark, he runs some mushroom supply store. Can't remember the name, but they're really big and they sell spores, amanita water, etc. He's generally not well liked on the shroomery for some spore fiasco a long time ago. But he had a good idea in this category. (Ythan would probably remember the name of the place he owned)

Okay, what he did was just buy a simple lawn mower, and rig it up upside down. He then pu some sort of large trash can over the top with the bottom cut out and fit snuggly over the top of the lawn mower. There was also a slit in the side of the trash can. He would start up the lawn mower, and toss his straw in. The lawn mower would toss out the straw out of the slit in the side, and he said it made perfect sized straw pieces in his setup.

Dunno, haven't tried it, but sounds interesting. My gf restricts me from getting into straw, she says it's too visible..., whatever.