The problem I see: everybody is too dry in the substrate layer of their casings.
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| Nan's Nook > Fungi > Humidity |
| Posted by: psilli me May 28 03, 10:36 PM GMT |
| OK, my FOAFOAF has been reserching and thinks that some of her problems are related to low humidity levels (small fruits, split caps, exessive aborts, drying of casing, ect.) Perlite has been used in the past, with misting 3-4 times daily. That produced the results state above. She made a "pickle jar" humidfier from the archives but it isn't doing much either. The container is a 35gallon Sterilite with a 1inch hole on each side near the bottom to allow for some gass exchange. Fanning has been done by hand 3-4 times daily as well. She is pretty sure (as am I) that the problem is low humidity, she has used a cheap hygrometer to measure and it reads a consistant 85%Rh with the "pickle jar" thing running. Does anyone have any tips or proven tech for getting the Rh up to 95%? |
| Posted by: Nanook May 28 03, 11:56 PM GMT |
| http://www.nansnook.com/archives/tek/casewater.htm |
| Posted by: robinhood May 29 03, 12:14 AM GMT |
| Nan, since you're on a roll today spreading the casing tek love, I'm gonna ask another question. This casing tek you posted above doesn't say anything about covering the casing. Are you just spraying it and letting it evaporate to the open air? What about contams? What about CO2 buildup? Obviously it works for you, but is everyone else wasting their time? Robin |
| Posted by: Nanook May 29 03, 12:19 AM GMT |
| I assume that people who are fruiting casings are aware they belong in http://www.nansnook.com/archives/2583.html The problem I see: everybody is too dry in the substrate layer of their casings. |
| Posted by: robinhood May 29 03, 12:28 AM GMT |
 Assuming makes an ASS out of U and ME.......well ok, maybe just ME!  Well thanks for all the advice. Unfortunately my foaf told me he already birthed his WBS casings, so there won't be any misting upon misting upon misting. However, rumor has it that he spawned some of that WBS substrate into quarts of popcorn, which are already looking happy after 24 hours....maybe he can try it with those? |
| Posted by: highroller May 29 03, 12:30 AM GMT |
| Fair assumption Nan. If one is spraying casings the humidity should be high enough to have them in the "open" air. I don't know, upper 80%-mid 90%? What concerns, robin(Rh... hehe), do you have about CO2 or contams other than the norm? He's giving you the straight poo as far as I'm concerned. Works for me. |
| Posted by: Nanook May 29 03, 12:38 AM GMT | ||
Exactly, simply drop them into a bin and snap a cover on them, fan as required. In a closed container with a growing casing at proper fruiting temps the casing transpires moisture, it will condense on the walls. You need to mist the casing to replace that lost water, even after you have them fully hydrated. |
| Posted by: robinhood May 29 03, 12:38 AM GMT |
| Well highroller, it just seems to me that when you add a casing layer and cover it, the casing doesn't absorb the moisture and "dry out" (as the tek describes) to be sprayed again the next day. On the contrary, the moisture condenses on the saran wrap or foil. That's why I thought he meant spraying it and leaving it open without a cover. |
| Posted by: robinhood May 29 03, 12:41 AM GMT |
Ah......see he was already typing it! Man you're quicker than the average human......or ARE you human?     |
| Posted by: Nanook May 29 03, 12:48 AM GMT |
| No, the water is absorbed by the substrate under the casing. The casing acts as a wick to feed the liquid into the mycelial mass. It takes 24 hours for the mycelia to wick up the first soaking, and it takes 2 soakings to hydrate the substrate, then one more good watering to top off the casing itself (which is depleted by giving water to the substrate). Then you have daily evap losses, these can be delt with using a hand mister, humidifer tek, whatever... But misting or humidifiers are no subsititute for watering the casing down. They have to have water to give fruit   |
| Posted by: psilli me May 29 03, 09:39 PM GMT |
| So correct me if I'm not understanding this... a well moistened casing layer is more important than an exact Rh in the chamber. meaning that even under the 85% Rh healthy fruits should be produced from a well watered casing layer. is this correct? |
| Posted by: Nanook May 29 03, 09:46 PM GMT |
| Up to the point you have pins... If the casing is wet... The mycelia will never know what the humdity of the air is... It's covered with a wet blanket at 100% RH Once pins start forming you need to pay attention to humidity of the air the mycelia is sticking up into... Stamets says 85-92% RH for cased beds. |
| Posted by: psilli me May 29 03, 09:51 PM GMT |
| Gotcha! That must have been her problem then, I think my friend was afraid to get the casing to wet. I've been informed that she has taken the steps advised in Nan's link and I will be posting the results in a few days hopefully. TIA -Psilli |