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Strontium Dawg

temperatures for spawning chips for subs and other patch questions

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Howdy mycophiles and mycophages,

Thanks to a very generous friend I have come into possession of a bucket of colonised woodchips, and I'd like to propagate this spawn to more buckets before I kick off my outdoor patch.

I've read that summertime temps (eg 30ish degrees c) are fine for colonisation as far as subs go, but does anyone have an opinion as to whether they might be happier if a little cooler?

I have them mixed up in layers in a tub with uncolonised chips and damp cardboard, then bagged and stored in my garden shed. I might be able to keep them 5 or more degrees cooler if they are kept under the house in the middle of the day but I have mo experience as to whether the mycelium will run better when warmer or cooler.

As far as my intended patch, it's in perpetual shade, but I don't know whether to dig out the grass first before spreading the chips into beds or if there is any advantage in leaving some grass.

I've read that there may be beneficial relationships with grasses when fruiting. Again, any advice from the experienced would be greatly appreciated.

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The problem with warmer temperatures is that it can promote unwanted fungi.

in my experience trichoderma sp. loves warmer weather.

i guess then my advice would be for cool moist conditions if possible with free air. say under your house.

in my experience subs loves grass, grass clumbs may contribute to favourable humidity changes or there may be something else going on. do strigolactones contribute to pinning etc.

Edited by obtuse

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Thanks, I appreciate the advice.

So would you leave the tub uncovered with air exchange (albeit limited airflow) or leave it bagged up to retain humidity?

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in my experience bagged can result in contamination. which is why spawn has to be sterile.

you need enough air to let the mycelium breathe, and maintain sufficient moisture but also minimise introduction of contaminants.

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Not much chance of sterility, the gift of chips were dug out of my friend's home patch. They're well and truly inoculated and I'm mixing maybe 1:2 ratio of spawn to new chips to try to get good speedy colonisation and minimise the chances of contams.

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Spawn from an existing outdoor patch is stronger and more resilient to competition than sterile spawn if continuing to live outside

Maybe try spreading your eggs to multiple baskets, half of those chips could start a miny patch in the shady spot, will do best there! If you wanted more spawn just dig it up every month and expand by adding more chips

The top layers will dry out so the key to success is layers...something like an inch of chips, layer of moist cardboard, more chips maybe 2-6 or more inch of chips then another layer of cardboard moist and than an extra inch or 2 of chips on top for insulation. This top layer will most probably dry out but will keep everything under the top cardboard moist, the top inch or two directly under the top cardboard may even be too moist so place spawn below this

Mycelium also loves Hessian, Stamets did not lie, try experiment with layers of this if you can, u will not be disappointed in combinations with the cardboard

4-6 well colonized clusters or chips will easily colonize a one liter takeaway container in 3-4 weeks

Moist corrugated cardboard on bottom, then Hessian then chips then a top layer of Hessian,

Both cardboard and Hessian can be pretreated with boiling water then cooled just in case

Some pics of king stropharia (SRA) colonizing woodchips in non sterile conditions in takeaway containers

post-11208-0-34046700-1419576299_thumb.jpost-11208-0-75372900-1419576360_thumb.j

And another unknown showing some sublime growth

post-11208-0-69846200-1419576488_thumb.j

post-11208-0-43577900-1419576564_thumb.j mycelium on hessian

post-11208-0-34046700-1419576299_thumb.jpg

post-11208-0-75372900-1419576360_thumb.jpg

post-11208-0-69846200-1419576488_thumb.jpg

post-11208-0-43577900-1419576564_thumb.jpg

post-11208-0-34046700-1419576299_thumb.jpg

post-11208-0-75372900-1419576360_thumb.jpg

post-11208-0-69846200-1419576488_thumb.jpg

post-11208-0-43577900-1419576564_thumb.jpg

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sorry, my comment about sterile spawn was simply to illustrature the potential virility of contaminants in a closed environment such as a bag.

i did not mean to do this on sterile chips or some such, as yes the original mycelium is not from a sterile environment anyway.

didnt mean to cause any confusion. lol

Gnome82 has provided some great info, and yes if you wish to follow it up refer to mycelium running by Paul Stamets.

Edited by obtuse

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sorry, my comment about sterile spawn was simply to illustrature the potential virility of contaminants in a closed environment such as a bag.

i did not mean to do this on sterile chips or some such, as yes the original mycelium is not from a sterile environment anyway.

didnt mean to cause any confusion. lol

Gnome82 has provided some great info, and yes if you wish to follow it up refer to mycelium running by Paul Stamets.

It's probably me causing the confusion my appologies I was not disagreeing only trying to suggest and encourage that not having sterile spawn for outdoor patch is ok ,

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I've had subs produce when the air temp was between 24 and 34oC. They survived -6 to 40oC (but didn't survive being left without watering for 6 months over last Summer). I just spread the chips onto the existing grass, about 18cm deep, laid out my colonised corrogated cardboard (beer boxes), put my dripper lines on top, then covered over with another 18+cm of wood chip. As it was an unshaded area for much of the day I strung up old shadecloth (full of rips and tears) above it. Eucalypt seedlings like the torn shadecloth so I figured subs would too (it seemed to work).

My guess is that your "grasses" are going to soon cease to be anything other than Nitrogen food for the wood chip decomposition process - less labour to leave them in place, little benefit in removing them.

I had noticed that when it got hot other fungi started to appear - so be sure to dominate the wood chip with runners. The other fungi weren't noticed when temperatures dropped.

I used freshly chipped timber and leaves, and started in Spring.

This time I'm starting in mid-Summer (thanks Pimento), but so far temperatures have been very mild so it might be successful. Belt and suspenders though - I'll keep a bag running inside in a cool room, and spores in the 'fridge.

Edited by Girl Shiny
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Chips and cardboard are colonising nicely after a week.

Everything's looking good!

It's a healthy strain, very rhizomorphic growth. A powerful ally.

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