Just an FYI - I've just grown my first patch of mushrooms (YEAH!) and the lady who taught me uses hydrated lime to treat the substrate rather than boiling it. It worked for me, I have loads of oysters! She says pine isn't very good for growing most mushrooms. They prefer hardwoods. Maybe that will help your efforts.
Congrats on your first batch. There is nothing more exciting then seeing the first pins. And not much more fascinates me then watching them double in size in just a day. I have not been able to find hydrated lime yet, but did hear it works great. I was just trying the pine to see if I could get them to work, but have not as of yet. As far as inoculating,, I use a still air box, just open your grain bag after you have wiped it with alcohol flamed you needle put in about 2 CC odd liquid culture, seal your bag and let it sit for a week until you see mycelium starting to grow, then shake it up a bit to redistribute the culture and when it is fully colonized use it to inoculate your growing medium. I am experimenting now with growing on old cardboard. I will make a video when I get it right. Congrats again and if you have any questions pls ask.
That type of substrate should work great. I get it from the cabinet shop here. Like you, I do have problems with mold though. I get a flush of oysters, kings, and shiitakes, and then it fails. Your other video, showing the grow room is great. I think you'll get great results there over time.
Thanks Big Ralf. I was trying an experiment with this substrate. I know the yield is zero or at best very low, but I was trying a mineral and nutrient mix I bought from aloha medicinals in Hawaii. I wanted to see if I got results in pine. I am also trying cardboard and experimenting with several other substrates. I will post my results when I am finished.
I was not dripping wet, but I found if it was any wetter it would mold before the mycelium colonized the substrate. Also it was sterilized when I inoculated it, but as with anything nothing is ever 100 %.
Yes, I put the shavings into water, really squeezed as much in there as I could. Put the thermostat into the center of the wet shavings. Brought the internal temp to 170 or so then held it there for 30-45 min. Then put it out to cool.
It's the pine causing you so much trouble! Look it up, pine is not good to use for mushrooms. They do grow on pine trees in nature sometimes but it seems to make them purposely grow on any kind of pine substrate doesn't work out for most people. Hardwood substrates are best although can be a pain to find due to the pandemic shortages! Oak, wheat, maple, cedar, Cypress, barely are first choices and there are many others to use Hardwood and other substrates! Due to shortages my outdoor bed I made was a wheat blanket roll straw from home depot and no flow Cypress mulch which worked great! Also people are using for mushroom bags like your doing coco coir, vermiculite and optional gypsum powder. Also make or buy already made masters mix which is great. Pellets! 50% oak 50% soy hull.
It was completely colonized (white) before I broke it up. After you brake it up it seems to loose its color. The logs seem to be colonizing but I would love for it to go faster. The last time I waited a bit longer to give it more time to colonize and it actually pinned on the grain. So I waited a little too long. I will do an updated and let you know how it comes out.
How did it turn out? Your spawn didn't seem colonized. Id wait till it was 100% colonized before using it. Your substrate would colonize at a much faster rate if you were to do this.
Hi big daddy, you'd mentioned blue oyster, what kind, warm or cold? and what's your climate whether y had it inside or outside is the point, and how are they or which kind of blue is doing well? thanks, Daddy.
I have not. Because I sell the mushrooms the state has concerns about the inks in the print. I have thought about cardboard but the same issue with the glue and the worry about if it has been treated with intifungal chemicals
djpitr I got the bags at Fungi Perfecti. They are 10" bags. You can buy them by the foot. I think I got 250 or 300 feet to try them. They are nice and thick so you can really stuff them full. They sell these at most of your mycologists supply places.
