Summer is approaching!
With warm weather baking the Midwest recently, the heat always brings its own
set of problems and benefits in the mushroom growing world.
Humidity: Mushrooms love that extra humidity, even
in most climate controlled homes the humidity levels will rise and you
will notice that in your mushroom growing setup as well. Humidity will
be easier to maintain at lower temperatures. Make sure you allow for
extra air exchange in your growing setup to prevent excess Co2 buildup.
This is much more common during the summer months. Depending on your
method of growing, run your air pump longer or drill additional holes in
your fruiting chamber once the indoor humidity levels exceed 50%.
Temperature: Take advantage of the rising
temperatures! This is the time to expand your growing setup! Reaching
the perfect growing range of 76-78 degrees almost always requires an
external heating source. During the summer it is much easier to find a
spot in your home to grow where you won’t need a heating source; this
will allow you to expand your setup with ease! Use a thermometer to find
a warmer closet or room and close that A/C vent. Many homes or
apartments have a warmer area, usually on the south facing wall.
Light: During the summer we have many extra hours of
daylight. Take advantage of the best light source for growing
mushrooms! Indirect light from the window is ideal for triggering growth
and providing a full spectrum of light for the mushrooms to grow
towards. If you are growing in a closet or dark spot, try our special
mushroom light! Included with all our kits it’s the perfect spectrums to
initiate pinning and provide perfect light to maximize growth!
Contamination: The warm weather across the United
States and Canada also brings to life new types of mold and bacteria
that lay dormant all winter long. That’s why we need to pay extra
attention to detail when inoculating your jars or spawn bags during the
summer months. We see many more incidents of contamination during these
months even from experienced growers.
The infamous purple summer mold Alfa-Gibberella Zeaa.
This mold is very common in Florida, Georgia and parts of California
year round, but when farmers start planting and we start gardening
outside in May this mold is released into the air across the USA. This
mold is one of the more aggressive strains and can infiltrate your grow
setup or cause havoc during inoculation.
Simply taking the extra steps and effort to be sterile can be the difference between success and failure.
Here are a few important steps you should not overlook during the summer:
- While inoculating your substrate, always turn off all
central air systems and close all windows. Make sure your work area is
as still as possible.
- Clean your work area and use Lysol Disinfectant spray all over your work area prior to starting.
- Always
flame sterilize your needles in between each jar or spawn bag. Use
an alcohol lamp for a constant clean burning flame for best
results.
- UV-C Sterilizing has been shown to almost completely
eliminate 99.99% of possible contamination when used during
inoculation.
- Peroxide 35% & UV-C light is the
most effective protection against mold issues! Use for bulk casing
grows, save contaminated cakes and more!