Sarah Brown
Bottom watering is a technique used in mushroom cultivation to ensure the mushrooms receive the right amount of water. It involves adding water to the bottom of the tub without getting the surface wet. This method is crucial for successful mushroom growth, as it helps the mycelium colonize effectively, supports healthy mushroom growth, and minimizes the risk of contamination. However, finding the right balance can be tricky, as too much or too little water can hinder the growing process. To master the art of mushroom cultivation, growers must pay close attention to the moisture levels in their monotubs and make adjustments as needed.
How to Bottom Water Mushroom Monotub
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Moisture level | Maintain the right moisture level; not too dry or too wet. |
| Misting | Mist the walls, not the substrate directly. |
| Humidity | Aim for 90-95% humidity. |
| Water droplets | Small water droplets should form on the monotub's inner walls. |
| Hydration | Ensure the perlite is 100% hydrated without water puddles at the bottom. |
| Airflow | Adjust airflow by covering or uncovering holes, or using a fan. |
| Harvesting | Pick mushrooms when the veil under the cap starts to stretch or tear. |
| Substrate | Add 3-4 inches of substrate to the monotub bottom. |
| Spawn | Sprinkle spawn evenly over the substrate, aiming for a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio of spawn to substrate. |
| Temperature | Maintain a temperature of 70-75°F (21-24°C). |
| Light | Place in an area with 8-12 hours of indirect light daily, away from direct sunlight. |
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What You'll Learn
Bottom-watering technique
Bottom-watering is an advanced technique used in monotubs to ensure the mushrooms receive the right amount of water. It is one of the many ways to build and use a monotub.
To begin, you will need a clear plastic storage bin with a lid, which will serve as your monotub. Cut 10 holes in the storage bin: four holes on the long sides (two inches above the perlite and five inches in from the corner of the bin on both sides), two holes spaced inward five inches from the corner and three inches below the top edge of the bin on both sides, and one hole in the centre of each short end. Stuff each hole with polyfill or cover them with paper tape to allow for gas exchange without letting in contamination.
Next, add a liner to the base of your tub to contain the substrate and make cleanup, harvesting, and yield management easier. Cut a square of plastic sheeting with even overhang on each side, measuring 3 to 4 inches away from the base of the tub. Fold each corner and secure it with duct tape.
Now, add about three inches of perlite to the bottom of your monotub. Hydrate the perlite to carrying capacity without letting water puddle at the bottom, as puddles can harbour bacteria. You should see small droplets of water form on the inside surfaces of your monotub. If it is too humid, take the lid off once a day, hold it vertically, and let the excess water drain into a separate container.
Finally, add about an inch of sterile substrate, followed by more spawn. Keep layering spawn in layers of bulk substrate until you reach your desired depth. Make sure the substrate is at field capacity by checking if you can squeeze out a couple of drops of water from it. If it dried out during pasteurization, add sterilized water to the blend.
To bottom-water your monotub, simply add water to the bottom of the tub without getting the surface wet. This technique ensures that the mushrooms receive the right amount of water without becoming waterlogged.
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Maintaining humidity
Maintaining the right moisture level in a monotub is crucial for successful mushroom cultivation. Proper hydration helps mycelium colonize effectively, supports healthy mushroom growth, and minimizes the risk of contamination. However, finding the right balance can sometimes be tricky, as too much or too little water can hinder the growing process.
The humidity inside the monotub should be maintained at around 90-95%. You should see small water droplets on the inside walls. If it looks dry, mist the walls (not directly on the substrate). If it's too dry, add more water; if it's too wet, add more dry stuff. You can mist the blocks themselves, but avoid overdoing it – you don’t want to see water droplets sitting on the surface. Your aim is to maintain sufficient humidity levels inside the tub for mushroom growth.
If you're using a Gro Magik monotub with field capacity substrate, you won't need to water at all during the first flush, giving you a more hands-off experience and reducing the risk of errors in moisture management. The substrate holds the ideal amount of moisture from the start, so there's no need to mist your monotub during the first flush.
If you're not using a Gro Magik monotub, you'll need to monitor the humidity levels in your monotub and adjust accordingly. You can do this by checking for signs of stress in the mycelium, which will appear thin or shrivelled when the monotub is too dry. In this case, you'll need to mist frequently to keep growth on track and prevent stunted mushrooms. Keeping moisture consistent is key to avoiding these issues.
Additionally, you can create a low-cost fruiting environment by hydrating the perlite to carrying capacity and spraying it with hydrogen peroxide to keep bacterial contamination at a minimum. Make sure there's no excess water forming a puddle at the bottom, as this can harbour bacteria. You should see small droplets of water form on the inside surfaces of your monotub. If it's too humid and you see drips of water falling from the lid, take the lid off once per day, hold it vertically, and let the excess water drain into a separate container.
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Avoiding over-watering
Bottom-watering is an advanced technique used in mushroom monotubs to provide water to the mushrooms without getting the surface wet. It is important to avoid over-watering mushroom monotubs as it can create a host of problems for mushroom growth. When the substrate holds too much water, the mycelium can become waterlogged, causing it to mat down or stall entirely as it struggles to spread in a saturated environment.
To avoid over-watering, it is important to maintain the right moisture level in the monotub, which is crucial for successful mushroom cultivation. Proper hydration helps the mycelium colonize effectively, supports healthy mushroom growth, and minimizes the risk of contamination. The humidity inside the monotub should be maintained at around 90-95%. Small water droplets on the inside walls of the monotub are a good indication of the right humidity level. If the monotub looks dry, mist the walls, but not directly onto the substrate. If the monotub becomes too humid and water starts to drip from the lid, remove the lid once a day and let the excess water drain into a separate container.
To avoid over-watering, it is also important to allow some airflow into the monotub. Keep the lid of the bin slightly offset to allow more oxygen flow. Additionally, when the mushrooms start to pin, you can remove the lid from the bin. The casing layer, which mimics the natural system of leaves on a forest floor, also helps to maintain the right moisture level in the monotub. You can use materials such as coco coir, peat moss, or certified asbestos-free vermiculite.
Finally, to avoid over-watering, it is important to start with the right amount of water. When preparing the substrate, it should be at field capacity, meaning it should be able to squeeze out a couple of drops of water. If it has dried out, add sterilized water to the blend as you fill your tub.
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Using liners
Liners are optional when bottom watering mushroom monotubs, but they can ease cleanup, increase total yield, and make harvesting easier. To make your own liner, cut a square of plastic sheeting, leaving even overhang on each side of the base of your tub. Then, fold each corner and secure it with duct tape.
When using a liner, start by sprinkling grain spawn into your liner, then add a layer of sterile substrate followed by more spawn. Keep layering spawn and bulk substrate until you reach your desired depth. Make sure your bulk substrate is at field capacity by checking if you can squeeze out a few drops of water from it. If it has dried out, add sterilized water to the blend as you fill your tub.
If you want to bottom water your monotub, you can pull the liner back after it shrinks and pour water between the substrate and the liner. This method of bottom watering ensures that the water reaches the bottom of the tub without wetting the surface.
Some growers have reported that liners help keep side pins at bay, while others have experienced the opposite effect, with the liner creating more microclimates for pinning along the sides. If you experience the latter, you may need to focus on evenly mixing the spawn and substrate, gently patting it down to avoid any gaps or bubbles, and keeping the fruiting conditions consistent.
If you decide not to use a liner, ensure that your substrate is spread and compressed to an even level throughout your tub.
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Harvesting techniques
Harvesting at the right time and in the right way helps you get the most mushrooms and prevents contamination. The timing of the harvest depends on the type of mushroom you are growing. For instance, for Psilocybe species, the mushroom is ready to harvest when the partial veil that protects the gills during development begins to tear or fall away from the cap, revealing the gills. For Agaricus, you can harvest at different ages depending on whether you want button mushrooms, crimini, or portobello.
Before harvesting, you should check for the spread of white, fluffy mycelium across the substrate, indicating healthy growth. You should also maintain a consistent environment; subtle adjustments in humidity and temperature can significantly impact mushroom development. Be on the lookout for any signs of mould or odd colours, which could signal contamination.
When harvesting, if your mushroom is part of a cluster, pick the whole cluster by pulling gently from the base and twisting to gently break the mycelium. If you pick just one or two from a cluster, this usually stops growth. Mushrooms are very sensitive to sudden changes in their microclimate and can stop growing if this changes too much too quickly.
After the harvest, cleaning and preparing your monotub for the next cycle is crucial. Remove all spent substrate and clean the tub with a disinfectant solution to eliminate any potential pathogens. This step is vital in maintaining a sterile environment for future batches and extending the life of your monotub setup.
You can get more harvests (flushes) after letting your monotub rest for 5-10 days. To encourage pinning and proper growth, loosen the polyfill or use less of it, and give the mushrooms indirect light (about 12 hours on, 12 hours off). Mist the walls (not directly on the substrate) if it looks dry. Harvest when the veil under the cap starts to stretch or tear.
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Frequently asked questions
Bottom watering is a technique where you add water to the bottom of the tub without getting the surface wet.
You should bottom water your monotub when it becomes too dry. You will know it is too dry when the mycelium appears thin or shrivelled and struggles to colonise the substrate fully.
To bottom water a monotub, you should add water to the bottom of the tub without getting the surface wet. You should maintain sufficient humidity levels inside the tub for mushroom growth.
