Alternative to Coco coir

TheGrassIsGreenerInAus

Well-Known Member
Hey guys I'm trying to knock together a proper little grow box and the local bunnings according to their site has vermiculite but no Coco coir. I was going to buy just a growing mushroom kit (for legal ones in their case haha) hoping to just inoculate it with mine instead of the ones supplied but it says just add water so the spores must already be in the soil so my question is what's a good alternative to Coco coir?
 

Voodu

Well-Known Member
I'm just getting into growing mushrooms right now. I purchased a kit, that comes with mushroom spawn instead of spores. Based on what I have read, with spores you need to create the substrate (growing medium) and keep it in a sealed container. Inject the spore solution into the substrate (keeping things sterile is very very important) and sterilize your container of substrate and spawn in a pressure cooker for about an hour at 170 deg F. Then you need to keep the container of substrate and spore in a dark and warm place (26-30 deg C) for about a month (Im a noob so my time may be off) once your container looks like its full of white hairy moldy stuff, you need to remove your "cake" from the container and soak it in water for about 20 hours. Then you put your soggy cake into a "fruiting chamber" or a grow chamber. Maintain 13-15 deg C and keep it humid for about 4 weeks. Then pick your shrooms by cutting them at the base, not pulling them out. That is your first "flush" you can soak your cake for 20 hours again and repeat the fruit chamber procedure for your second or even third flush.

It sounds like your kit is only made for fruiting mushroom spawn and not spores. Mushroom spawn is different from mushroom spores. Simply injecting mushroom spores into a fruiting chamber, probably wont work. If you have mushroom spawn, then a sterile fruiting chamber and sterile substrate should give you the mushrooms you want to grow. If you have mushroom spores, you are going to need to make cakes and let the spores do their thing in the cakes for a month at 26-30 deg C in the dark before moving on to the fruiting chamber, or growing chamber.
 

TheGrassIsGreenerInAus

Well-Known Member
I'm just getting into growing mushrooms right now. I purchased a kit, that comes with mushroom spawn instead of spores. Based on what I have read, with spores you need to create the substrate (growing medium) and keep it in a sealed container. Inject the spore solution into the substrate (keeping things sterile is very very important) and sterilize your container of substrate and spawn in a pressure cooker for about an hour at 170 deg F. Then you need to keep the container of substrate and spore in a dark and warm place (26-30 deg C) for about a month (Im a noob so my time may be off) once your container looks like its full of white hairy moldy stuff, you need to remove your "cake" from the container and soak it in water for about 20 hours. Then you put your soggy cake into a "fruiting chamber" or a grow chamber. Maintain 13-15 deg C and keep it humid for about 4 weeks. Then pick your shrooms by cutting them at the base, not pulling them out. That is your first "flush" you can soak your cake for 20 hours again and repeat the fruit chamber procedure for your second or even third flush.

It sounds like your kit is only made for fruiting mushroom spawn and not spores. Mushroom spawn is different from mushroom spores. Simply injecting mushroom spores into a fruiting chamber, probably wont work. If you have mushroom spawn, then a sterile fruiting chamber and sterile substrate should give you the mushrooms you want to grow. If you have mushroom spores, you are going to need to make cakes and let the spores do their thing in the cakes for a month at 26-30 deg C in the dark before moving on to the fruiting chamber, or growing chamber.
Did you even read my question? Out of your entire long answer you didn't once come close to telling me what I need to know an alternative to Coco coir. I already know what to do with everything once I have it
 

canndo

Well-Known Member
So for you three fellas, do I like have vermiculite on bottom horse poop etc on top or all mixed through evenly like with the BRF?

You said you wanted a replacement for coir. Straw is that replacement. Horse manure (jesus, how old are we? "Poop"?) Is too concentrated for your intent. Hard wood wont work at all because your species is not a wood lover.

Why dont you just find a tech and do exactly what it says? After you get it right and understand the details then change it up as you please. And is there a problem with your acquiring coir?
 

TheGrassIsGreenerInAus

Well-Known Member
You said you wanted a replacement for coir. Straw is that replacement. Horse manure (jesus, how old are we? "Poop"?) Is too concentrated for your intent. Hard wood wont work at all because your species is not a wood lover.

Why dont you just find a tech and do exactly what it says? After you get it right and understand the details then change it up as you please. And is there a problem with your acquiring coir?
I meant do I mix them all with vermiculite, as you would do with coir. So id appreciate not being spoken to like I'm a moron for asking if you mix still lol bit harsh. It's redundant anyway as I found coir, but my point stands. Also, scuse me for not writing "hey what to I do with that sloppy, juicy horse shit!" lmao. I have a freaking kid, so sorrrrrrryyyyyy I call it poop.
 
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TheGrassIsGreenerInAus

Well-Known Member
You said you wanted a replacement for coir. Straw is that replacement. Horse manure (jesus, how old are we? "Poop"?) Is too concentrated for your intent. Hard wood wont work at all because your species is not a wood lover.

Why dont you just find a tech and do exactly what it says? After you get it right and understand the details then change it up as you please. And is there a problem with your acquiring coir?
It just isn't called COCO coir here for some reason it's called peat coir mix or just coir depending which one you grab. I grabbed plain coir. Just need grain bags I ordered to arrive now.
 

TheGrassIsGreenerInAus

Well-Known Member
Peat has the wrong ph and no nutrient value
Looks like I made the right call then lmao. Although from what I've read the coir/vermiculite is more about water retention than nutrients, the nutrient would be the sterilized grain bags I ordered right? Though if Peat is wrong ph too I'm definitely glad I just grabbed coir
 

HeatlessBBQ

Well-Known Member
Have You ever successfully fruited and harvested psilocybe containing mushrooms before?

If this is Your first attempt; the method You are using is way too advanced.
May I suggest try out the simple PF tek cake method? Using verm and Brown Rice Flour.
 
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