Jeremy_Davis
27th October 2007, 08:37 AM
Hello all,
This is my first post here. I've spent a little while just going through the forums using the search feature, and I didn't see anything related to my questions, so I'm hoping you all may be able to share some knowledge and wisdom with me as I'm totally ignorant of bamboo at this point, but I am learning! :)
I also learned about Mark and read through his Everlasting Memorial. My condolences to all, and I'm sorry I got here just a few days to late to learn from him myself...
That said,
I am interested in learning a little about bamboo for a project I am interested in trying out. (to see the thread where we've been discussing this project at the Gourmet and Medicinals Mushroom forums check it out here;
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/7557035/an/0/page/0
I am interested in making and selling what are known as "mushroom kits." basically a clear plastic bag filled with mushroom growing substrate. The mushrooms just fruit out of holes that are cut into the plaastic, or the plastic is simply removed and the block of substrate is kept in a humd environment. Here is an example of what I am talking about http://www.fungi.com/kits/index.html
What I am interested in doing, is substituting 3" diameter fresh cut bamboo poles for the plastic bags. So that the mushroom substrate is filled into the empty spaces in the middle of the bamboo. I have several questions about how to actually go about doing this.
The first is this, does anyone know if there are a lot of bacteria in fresh cut bamboo?
Mushroom growing is something that has to be done cleanly. It is basically trying to grow one organism in a medium that may allow many things to grow. So you have to try to exclude as many other organisms as possible. Alternatively, could I pasteurize the bamboo by steaming it for several hours? This would likely render it clean enough.
How long does fresh cut bamboo stay green for?
The process of growing the mushrooms can last anywhere from three weeks to several months. So if I am using this fresh bamboo as a container, I'd like to know the life-cycle, and how it will look. Also there is a possibility that the mushrooms will grow into the bamboo. That would be fine and also neat as the entire project will naturally bio-degrade.
Here's a quote from the thread i posted above. There is a cool picture another member posted just after I posted the below comment (picture here: http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/7565549#Post7565549 )
Okay check it out, I've re-thought the plan. Instead of using one large diameter bamboo piece, it may look just as cool if I take three or four 3" diameter green bamboo poles, and cut them so that each of the three is slightly smaller than the next. Maybe one could be 24" the next 20" then next 16" and if doing a fourth 12".
Then tie them together using a nice rope and make either a square or rectangle (2 or four poles) arrangement. Then drill fruiting holes only on the places you want it to fruit. Then fill with colonized substrate, leave about three inches or so unfilled. Plug the top with polyfill or something. Oh and use Fabio's idea to drill holes in the bottoms of the base.
Can you envision what I'm trying to describe?
So I hope I've given you enough information to get a general idea of the project.
I'd really love to hear any and all ideas and comments you all have, as I'm sure there are bound to be great ones! Thanks all!
Jeremy Davis
This is my first post here. I've spent a little while just going through the forums using the search feature, and I didn't see anything related to my questions, so I'm hoping you all may be able to share some knowledge and wisdom with me as I'm totally ignorant of bamboo at this point, but I am learning! :)
I also learned about Mark and read through his Everlasting Memorial. My condolences to all, and I'm sorry I got here just a few days to late to learn from him myself...
That said,
I am interested in learning a little about bamboo for a project I am interested in trying out. (to see the thread where we've been discussing this project at the Gourmet and Medicinals Mushroom forums check it out here;
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/7557035/an/0/page/0
I am interested in making and selling what are known as "mushroom kits." basically a clear plastic bag filled with mushroom growing substrate. The mushrooms just fruit out of holes that are cut into the plaastic, or the plastic is simply removed and the block of substrate is kept in a humd environment. Here is an example of what I am talking about http://www.fungi.com/kits/index.html
What I am interested in doing, is substituting 3" diameter fresh cut bamboo poles for the plastic bags. So that the mushroom substrate is filled into the empty spaces in the middle of the bamboo. I have several questions about how to actually go about doing this.
The first is this, does anyone know if there are a lot of bacteria in fresh cut bamboo?
Mushroom growing is something that has to be done cleanly. It is basically trying to grow one organism in a medium that may allow many things to grow. So you have to try to exclude as many other organisms as possible. Alternatively, could I pasteurize the bamboo by steaming it for several hours? This would likely render it clean enough.
How long does fresh cut bamboo stay green for?
The process of growing the mushrooms can last anywhere from three weeks to several months. So if I am using this fresh bamboo as a container, I'd like to know the life-cycle, and how it will look. Also there is a possibility that the mushrooms will grow into the bamboo. That would be fine and also neat as the entire project will naturally bio-degrade.
Here's a quote from the thread i posted above. There is a cool picture another member posted just after I posted the below comment (picture here: http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/7565549#Post7565549 )
Okay check it out, I've re-thought the plan. Instead of using one large diameter bamboo piece, it may look just as cool if I take three or four 3" diameter green bamboo poles, and cut them so that each of the three is slightly smaller than the next. Maybe one could be 24" the next 20" then next 16" and if doing a fourth 12".
Then tie them together using a nice rope and make either a square or rectangle (2 or four poles) arrangement. Then drill fruiting holes only on the places you want it to fruit. Then fill with colonized substrate, leave about three inches or so unfilled. Plug the top with polyfill or something. Oh and use Fabio's idea to drill holes in the bottoms of the base.
Can you envision what I'm trying to describe?
So I hope I've given you enough information to get a general idea of the project.
I'd really love to hear any and all ideas and comments you all have, as I'm sure there are bound to be great ones! Thanks all!
Jeremy Davis