Lipa Yai Grow

Tek: Rye grainbag spawn mixed to 50/50 hpoo/straw substrate

Inoculation to first flush: Two and a half months

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I made some grow trays using three gallon tupperware containers and metal waterproof taping to block out the light:



Inoculated grainbag thusly:

First wiped inoculation point with 91% alcohol. Made small mark with sharpie on spot to inject spores into. Flamed needle red, wiped with 91% alcohol, Let dry two minutes. Injected three cc's of spores in back and forth motion over rye grain. Placed sterile tape over injection spot while pulling out needle.



Grainbag was then placed into 86f completly dark incubator to colonize.



Waited approximately two full weeks for complete colonization of rye grain (mixing the bag after 30% colonization):







Then fully colonized rye grain was mixed with pasturized 50/50 blend of hpoo/straw in grow tray, placing punctured tinfoil on top and placing in sterile tub:







Tray after one week:



Three weeks:



It started to smell a bit at this point so I decided to fruit, raising humidity to 94%, giving twelve hours light/dark, and exchanging air four times daily:









Total weight of first flush was nine ounces wet:



Not a boomer crop but good enough for my first grow ever

[Xerces]

I love the grow log! Congratulations with your first crop!
I'm also on the path, just inoculated last week.

[zeegos]

nice one man, those are some beauties you got there and a good yield
i had the same problem once, colonised about 80% then started to smell, except mine never fruited and fell victim to the mean green.
for a first grow, well done

[I_am_me]

Very meaty looking shrooms, tasty.

Three weeks seems like a long time for the spawn to colonize the poo. How much spawn did you use and how much bulk substrate? Just curious, lovely shrooms either way.

Originally Posted by I_am_me

Three weeks seems like a long time for the spawn to colonize the poo. How much spawn did you use and how much bulk substrate?

Three pounds spawn, ten pounds substrate.

I dropped the temp to 75f (on hips advice) when I mixed the spawn and substrate, that's why it took so long.

[shobimono]

Originally Posted by Water

Three pounds spawn, ten pounds substrate.

I dropped the temp to 75f (on hips advice) when I mixed the spawn and substrate, that's why it took so long.

Your substrate looks really wet and clumpy, which would explain the slow colonization.

Try breaking up the poo better and maybe adding some vermiculite to help aerate it.

Originally Posted by shobimono

Your substrate looks really wet and clumpy, which would explain the slow colonization.

I had just heavily sprayed the tray in the picture you're talking about.

What I really had was a much too dry environment, and ended up growing shrooms with cracked caps.

Originally Posted by shobimono

Try breaking up the poo better and maybe adding some vermiculite to help aerate it.

I may try using a blender next time to chop up the substrate into a finer consistancy. As for vermiculite...

I can't find any medium grade vermiculite anywhere I live, it's rediculous.

I'll probably end up buying it online.

I did buy some 'eco-earth' coco coir, will that work?

[shobimono]

Originally Posted by Water

I had just heavily sprayed the tray in the picture you're talking about.

What I really had was a much too dry environment, and ended up growing shrooms with cracked caps.

Wet substrate and dry environment are two different things. I'm not talking about any picture in particular. I'm talking about how you have clumps that did not colonize. These same clumps are visible in each picture. They are too wet and compacted for the mycelium to colonize. They are also what was causing the smell.

Originally Posted by Water

I may try using a blender next time to chop up the substrate into a finer consistancy.

You don't need it chopped finer, that is going to cause more clumping problems. You need to break up the clumps by hand and add some sort of filler like verm (or coir).

Originally Posted by Water

As for vermiculite...

I can't find any medium grade vermiculite anywhere I live, it's rediculous.

I'll probably end up buying it online.

Buy a 3cu foot bag of coarse grade thermorock and you will be set for a long long time. Medium grade, imo, is too fine, it works ok for putting on the top as a contam barrier, but the coarse grade works better for adding to poo to break up clumps.

Originally Posted by Water

I did buy some 'eco-earth' coco coir, will that work?

yes it will also work, just don't make it too moist when adding it to the poo.

Interesting.. you may have just opened a new world to me.

I didn't realize it until your comments, but adding coir or verm to your poo keeps the substrate fresh because of air flow. Is that correct?

I just bought some black kow and am planning on mixing a (new) fully colonized grainbag with it. What would you suggest I do exactly?

[zeegos]

the addition of gypsum to hpoo substrates helps to reduce clumping, im not sure how much to add though

[shobimono]

Originally Posted by zeegos

the addition of gypsum to hpoo substrates helps to reduce clumping, im not sure how much to add though

I've never heard of adding gypsum to substrates.

I have heard of adding a pinch of gypsum to jars when using grass seed to grow sclerotia producing mushrooms.

[shobimono]

Originally Posted by Water

Interesting.. you may have just opened a new world to me.

I didn't realize it until your comments, but adding coir or verm to your poo keeps the substrate fresh because of air flow. Is that correct?

I just bought some black kow and am planning on mixing a (new) fully colonized grainbag with it. What would you suggest I do exactly?

I wouldn't say it keeps it "fresh because of air flow". I would say that adding verm and/or coir to poo, especially bagged poo like black kow, adds air space in which the mycelium may grow. It makes colonization of the poo easier and quicker.

The clumps do not have these air spaces, so the mycelium does not penetrate them. Unfortunately they are ideal breeding environments for anaerobic bacteria (in this case, what you smelled). Anaerobic means they grow without air, so adding air spaces to the substrate will prevent the anaerobic bacteria from growing.

I would suggest getting horse poo and not using black kow if you can help it.

If the black kow is your only choice, then I would leach it (run water through it to remove excess urine), then let it drain. Use coir and/or verm to mix in with the poo. Use your hands to really break up the poo, there should not be any clumps at all. Then mix the poo and verm/coir with your hands. The idea is not to mash the shit out of it, but more to "fluff" it or toss it like you would a salad. Then do it again when you add the spawn so it is evenly distributed throughout the container.

[zeegos]

i remember roger mentioning it over at the shroomey. i guess you might just add the same amount as you would with grains, 1 tbsp per gallon of water

[cyberd0c]

Originally Posted by shobimono

I've never heard of adding gypsum to substrates.

I have heard of adding a pinch of gypsum to jars when using grass seed to grow sclerotia producing mushrooms.

shobi, gypsum is always added by commercial growers to grain and to substrate in order to reduce clumping. for grain it is only a tsp or two for a bag of grain, but for substrate which is essentially compost a more substantial amount is used (around 2%). if you use gypsum you must then adjust (raise) the PH by adding lime.
there was a nice discussion the other day here http://forums.mycotopia.net/showthre...ghlight=gypsum (Gypsum.... friend or foe?).

So I leeched the black kow today. It's actually already pretty loose, like the consistency of really good soil.

I'll add the coir when I mix in the spawn.

Should I mix in some calcium carbonate also?

[roc]

Originally Posted by Water

So I leeched the black kow today. It's actually already pretty loose, like the consistency of really good soil.

I'll add the coir when I mix in the spawn.

Should I mix in some calcium carbonate also?

Sounds like a tiny bit may be positive

[shroom_seeker]

Congrats on your grow

Originally Posted by roc

Sounds like a tiny bit may be positive

Cool, thanks.

[jrogers311]

I've had slow colonization from too wet of a substate and agree that it may have been your problem. I would suggest poking a couple of drain holes in the bottom of your pan. You can also increase the humidity in your tub by placing some paper towels in it soaked and misted with water/bleach or water/h2o2 just replace them after one grow cycle. Thats my 2 cents. Best of luck!

I shouldn't have the 'too wet substrate' or 'clumping' problem again.

My next tray will consist of finely chopped cpoo and coco coir.

I know hpoo is better than cpoo but I can't afford the hpoo at the moment.

nice photolog of your grow, and good thread to the veterans helping out with advice.

[shobimono]

Originally Posted by Water

I shouldn't have the 'too wet substrate' or 'clumping' problem again.

My next tray will consist of finely chopped cpoo and coco coir.

I know hpoo is better than cpoo but I can't afford the hpoo at the moment.

Cool, keep us updated! Another growlog perhaps?

Definately another growlog. I already took pics of the leeching process

My next grow will have a much better looking first flush though.

Thanks for the help shobi

The entire cake inside the tray has pulled away from the sides about a 1/4 inch.

Would it be better if I just took the whole eight pound cake out of the tray and let it fruit on top of a piece of foil inside the fruiting chamber? It's pinning along the sides and I can't pick off the aborts.

[roc]

It'll be great flatcake style. Do a search if you weren't around in the flat cake days...

Yeah well why even use a tray at this point?

I'll experiment.

Yikes...

It was like a reservoir at the bottom of the tray. Holding lots of water and smelling bad.

Good thing I took it out of the tray tonight otherwise it would of been history.

[abaca]

Nice work, the lipa yai's I tried produced 100's of small fruits on the first flush. Then on the second and third flushes the fruits got larger with less fruits. I also removed the cake from the origional tray after it started to pin because of the numerous pins on the sides of the cake.

Here's my soggy mess now:

[mycobri]

i nominated this one for picture of the month

nice flush!