agar->wild brown rice->lime soaked straw 1 cup Hi-Yield brand hydrated lime per 10 gallons of water, soaked for 18 hours. Drained and spread out on a tarp. This the same way I do straw logs, BTW. Just decided to use the laundry basket this time around For this grow I used Trout's oyster - a bangin' culture for sure! Thanks, man Spread the spawn evenly over the straw and mix together Make sure you have a few drainage holes in the bottom of the basket and then pack your spawned straw into the basket Cover it some way and let it colonize in a shady spot And here's the mushies: A beautiful culture brought to us by @Trout
Very nice! I love that tek That and the bucket tek have worked well for me. Awesome genetics, too @Trout
Nice grow! Im jealous... Do you know if you can use hydrated dolomitic lime in place of regular hydrated lime? Its got about 35% magnesium...
Thanks, man. Here's a little info on a good method for straw. This is more or less what I use for straw growing. While I've never tried high magnesium, everything I've ever learned warns against it. Hopefully that will point you in the right direction. Taken from: http://www.alohaculturebank.com/low-tech-growing.html#.V9GZYdQrJxA Lime Types and Usage in Mushroom Farming The term "Lime" is widely used in English, and the same term often refers to different materials. So an explanation of different types of lime and their usage is in order: 1) Calcium Carbonate lime - this is limestone, marble, chalk, eggshell, coral or oyster shell. This material is used as a pH buffer in substrate and media. This type of lime does not cause a major change in pH, but acts as a buffer, that is it holds the pH steady as the mushrooms grow. This is the preferred amendment for substrate to ensure the substrate does not go too acid during the growth cycle. THIS TYPE LIME WILL NOT WORK FOR PASTURIZING! 2) Calcium Hydroxide or Hydrated Lime, also known as Quicklime. This is used for pH increase and is used primarily for pasteurizing or sterilizing substrate. Many mushrooms do not grow well if this type of lime is added to the substrate, and is therefore NOT used for amending the substrate, it is used only for pasteurization, through the mechanism of rapid pH change. Adding about 3 pounds of hydrated lime (a big double handful) to a barrel of water will yield a high pH, around pH 12-13, which is sufficient to pasteurize straw in about 4-6 hrs. Hydrated Lime is made by burning limestone (calcium carbonate) which converts it to Calcium Hydroxide. The starting material can be any of the calcium carbonate sources, or the raw material source can by Dolomite Lime, which has a high magnesium content. When Hydrated Lime is made from Dolomite, it is often called "Builders Lime" and is used in the concrete industry. High Magnesium Lime or Builders Lime WILL NOT WORK for growing mushrooms. When you purchase Hydrated Lime for pasteurization of your substrate, make sure it is the High Calcium Lime (90% or more calcium - usually about 95-96% calcium). If the bag says high magnesium, or states a percentage of magnesium anything over 10%, do not use it. The high magnesium will stunt the mushroom growth. A correct type of lime for pasteurizing straw There is another material often called Agricultural Lime, Dolomite Lime or just Dolomite. This has high Magnesium and WILL NOT WORK for growing mushrooms. Gypsum is not lime, it is Calcium Sulfate, and is used for other purposes. It does not change pH significantly or act as a buffer. It is used to modify the physical properties of the substrate. It also adds some metabolic sulfur to the substrate. Soap is also a good pasteurizing agent. What kind of soap? Almost any will work, we like the cheapest dish detergent on sale at the store, or a washing powder like Tide, or pretty much any soap. Make up a good strong soap solution, soak 12 to 24 hrs, and drain the excess water and inoculate. The Oyster Mushrooms use the straw and the soap both as a food source, and there is no residue soap left in the mushrooms, it is all bio-converted into mushroom tissue. Another good pasteurizing agent is wood ashes. Works just the same as lime or soap, and the BE’s are a bit higher than either. For a PDF presentation on the ash pasteurization method, Click Here [PDF] I hope this little write up helps understand some of your options. Take a look at these photos of an Oyster farm below that we consulted for. This farm uses only lime pasteurization, they consistently have 150% BE, They have zero contamination, and have a production capacity of 5000 lbs a month. All this with no heat at all – just a lime soak. Cheap and Effective and Profitable – fulfilling all the goals set out above.
Well that explains why I had a couple boxes crash on me after casing with peat amended with dolomite lime maybe....
