Colonisation Humidity Levels

elgordo · 09-20-08, 10:32

Hi Guys,

Am loving this site. Have spent a fair bit of time searching through pages, however can't find anything relating to the humidity levels required during colonisation of my substrate. I know the temps should be around 81F (which it is, via a heat blanket), but what should the humidity be at?

I'm in England so the temps and humidity levels are usually around 60F and 50%. To try and get the humidity up, I've put the container inside a bag (still sealed, not birthed) with a layer of verm on the bottom, with the blanket surrounding it (a la PF Tek). Only problem is that after 8 days, there's still no sign of the magic mycelium. I should mention that the substrate was pre-bought in the tub as this is my first attempt.

One issue could have been that initially I had the blanket set too high, temps could have gone up as far as 90F for a few hours. Would this have killed any potential?

If any of you could provide answers or links, I'd be most grateful. Am treating this as a test run for when I take delivery of a fish tank in a few weeks - don't want to mess it up if I've 8 jars instead of 1!

MLBjammer · 09-20-08, 10:40

Are you colonizing in a canning jar or plastic bag? You do need a little air exchange--via either the innoculation holes in jar lids or a filter patch in the bag. The humidity in the jar or bag is all you need during colonization. 90 F will not kill spores, but can dry the substrate out a bit. Just make sure you allow your colonizing substrate some air, meaning don't seal it up. If you don't see any mycelial growth within 14 days, consider it a failure and start over. Welcome to the site, by the way.

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09-20-08, 10:32	#1 (permalink)
elgordo Mycophiliac Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 2	Colonisation Humidity Levels Hi Guys, Am loving this site. Have spent a fair bit of time searching through pages, however can't find anything relating to the humidity levels required during colonisation of my substrate. I know the temps should be around 81F (which it is, via a heat blanket), but what should the humidity be at? I'm in England so the temps and humidity levels are usually around 60F and 50%. To try and get the humidity up, I've put the container inside a bag (still sealed, not birthed) with a layer of verm on the bottom, with the blanket surrounding it (a la PF Tek). Only problem is that after 8 days, there's still no sign of the magic mycelium. I should mention that the substrate was pre-bought in the tub as this is my first attempt. One issue could have been that initially I had the blanket set too high, temps could have gone up as far as 90F for a few hours. Would this have killed any potential? If any of you could provide answers or links, I'd be most grateful. Am treating this as a test run for when I take delivery of a fish tank in a few weeks - don't want to mess it up if I've 8 jars instead of 1!

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09-20-08, 10:40	#2 (permalink)
MLBjammer Mycotopiate Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 481	Are you colonizing in a canning jar or plastic bag? You do need a little air exchange--via either the innoculation holes in jar lids or a filter patch in the bag. The humidity in the jar or bag is all you need during colonization. 90 F will not kill spores, but can dry the substrate out a bit. Just make sure you allow your colonizing substrate some air, meaning don't seal it up. If you don't see any mycelial growth within 14 days, consider it a failure and start over. Welcome to the site, by the way.