Description
Calcium Hydroxide Lime/Hydrated Lime (Ca(OH)2) for Cold Pasteurization in Mushroom Growing
This product is naturally high in calcium and low in magnesium. Known as Calcium Hydroxide, Slaked Lime, and Builder’s Lime, its chemical formula is Ca(OH)2. This hydrated lime is perfect for cold water pasteurization of your substrate, as it drastically changes the pH of the medium, leading to the death of all contaminants.
Key Features:
- Pasteurization kills living organisms but not their spores. We recommend using boiling water for a process called super pasteurization.
- Ensuring complete substrate colonization within 2 weeks provides a robust defense mechanism for the mycelium before contaminants start to sporulate.
- Use a higher grain-to-substrate ratio for better results. Typically, 5-10% spawn is required, but we recommend a 20-25% minimum spawn ratio when using pasteurization.
- This product eliminates the need for an autoclave/pressure cooker, enhancing the speed and vigor of mycelium growth by adding much-needed calcium.
- Best used with low-nutritional substrates like sugarcane mulch, straw, coco coir, and vermiculite.
Your Purchase Includes:
- 50g or 300g of Hydrated Lime (Ca(OH)2)
Specifications:
- Chemical Name: Calcium Dihydroxide
- Chemical Formula: Ca(OH)2
- Color: White
- Appearance: Powder
- Odor: Odorless
- pH: 12.4 (saturated solution at 20˚C)
- Purity: 95%
- Solubility: Soluble in water
- Other Names: Hydrated Lime, Slaked Lime, Pickling Lime
Instructions:
- Safety First: Use proper protective equipment such as a mask, gloves, and eye protection.
- Soak your substrate for 3-12 hours in cold/hot water treated with hydrated lime.
- Drain water and inoculate with your mushroom grain spawn.
Ratios:
- Use the specified amount of water to avoid draining excess water.
- For every 1 kg of straw, use 4 liters of water.
- For every liter of water, use 5g of lime.
- Inoculate with at least 25% grain spawn (1 part grain spawn to 4 parts substrate) to shorten colonization time and reduce contamination risk.
If you intend to measure the pH levels of your substrate after adding lime, we offer pH strips in our store.
Get everything you need to grow mushrooms in monotubs and buckets in our store.
