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The Corroboree
holymountain

Alternatives to Woodchips when growing woodlovers

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Hi all just wondering if anyone has experience with substrates other than woodchips/cardboard/hessian or sawdust when working with wood loving species.


In particular I'm wondering if coir will work?

If no one knows I'll get to work on it and see if it's viable. If someone has already tried or has experience with other substrates let me know!

Thanks!

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Not sure bout coir but barley works wonders

Also carpet

Edited by Bush Turkey
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I remember coir being discussed, and maybe it was for dung lovers...BUT... it was said if the coir was in its course form, the mycelium seems to go for it. I will look for the thread , see if i can find it.

Edited by Amazonian

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Chipped bamboo works well. I'd imagine anything lignin rich should work a treat since cardboard works. Maybe the chip form of coco wouldn't be too bad.

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I've used coir a few times (with coffee grounds) for Oyster's (Pleurotus ostreatus) in cold temps without any problems.

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you can use nut shells

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thanks everyone. am testing coir at the moment. nut shells would be great if i could find enough of them. the main thing i'm looking for is something that is easily available and cheap. will let everyone know how i go with the coir.

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I would go cardboard over coir just blend it with some oats and make puks (mould into blocks )

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there's an interesting idea... so you shread cardboard, mix with oats, soak in water? then make bricks out of them? have you had luck with fruiting from this? any more info would be great!

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Coir works but not enough nutes for big fruits.

Needs more bioactivity. Worm castings, fish tank water, etc..

I've recently pondered about soaking coir in blended purslane (it goes like jelly/water retention goop)

although the same works well to add extra nutes by soaking in poo tea..or grain water.. or even the left overs water after boiling your vegies..

the trick is enough fresh air to stop stuff going mold-tastic.

wood lovers grow and fruit fine on semi-pasteurizd substrates if the moisture is allowed to cycle.

however some of the most fun for me,

comes when thinking about colonizing rad pine cones, or other wooden structures (natural or man-made)

and acacia leaves, or velvet bean pods or getting one allie to talk with another in some kinda alchemical symbiosis.

Can't wait to colonise a big pile of bracken, too! Bracken fern mulch grows the biggest woodlover fruits ive ever seen.

It's a good idea to use myc from patches u know are fruting on one or other substrate..

to colonise a similar substrate..

otherwise,

id definitely innoculate with a spore print or heaps of old caps

when exploring the potential of new substrates.

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Azur on walnut and hazelnut shells and eight year old hemp flowers.

After eight weeks.
post-10151-0-69915200-1364641313_thumb.j

And at 12 weeks.

post-10151-0-82505800-1364641458_thumb.j

post-10151-0-69915200-1364641313_thumb.jpg

post-10151-0-82505800-1364641458_thumb.jpg

post-10151-0-69915200-1364641313_thumb.jpg

post-10151-0-82505800-1364641458_thumb.jpg

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Coir works great for dung lovers, i've had some massive fruits with it as well.

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A mixture of straw, sand and old goat manure

Edited by shonman

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