I'm working on my first grow ever, and 4 of my 6 cakes are within a few days of 100% colonization. I plan on dunking after birth to get faster pinning and bigger mushrooms. I'm going to submerge them in tupperware containers in the fridge overnight. Is tap water ok for this? Should I boil it first, or is it ok out of the faucet now that the mycelium has taken over and can dominate most things that would have contaminated it in the beginning? How much of a difference will dunking make in the size of my harvest? I've heard figures as large as 2-3 times as much, is that true?
i bet they do, but you really don't need to dunk. it might make it grow more or faster or whatever but if its your first time i wouldnt do it, in case you mess it up. your mushrooms will be just fine without dunking.
Don't dunk. Risky business, for little to no gain. Here you go: Get a big plastic bin and some small plastic trays (little bins). Remove the contents of the jar and spread it across the bottom of a tray. A perfect sized tray will leave you with about 1/2 to 1" thickness. Lightly cover with moistened, sanitized, vermiculite. Put the lid on, and put the tray in the bin. Repeat until everything is tray’ed up. Put the bins in total darkness for about a week. Open the bins, remove the lids from the trays. Keep about 3oz of water in the bottom of the bin (not the tray). Lightly spray the top of the cakes with distilled water. Replace lid. Ensure heat remains at 80-84 degrees. Give light 12 hours a day. Fan out the stale air from the bin, twice a day. Lighty water (spray mist), once a week. I prefer a fluorescent placed directly on top of the bin. If the bins lid isn't clear, make it clear. Think Plexiglas or something of the sort to replace a portion of the top of the bin, and seal with duct tape. While you don't need that much light. The heat combined with the water in the bin, creates the proper humidity inside the bin. If you use any of my advice, please send $5 to: salmon4me 420 Love St. North Pole
