Shiitake block contamination...what to do?!?

Greetings Permies,

I've been lurking these forums for a while. I have only made one response post but have still learned a ton! Thank you everyone for contributing.

I have been trying to grow mushrooms in my New York apartment since there aren't many plants, I find interesting, to work with in winter. I have been purchasing precolonized mushroom blocks online to minimize contamination but a Shiitake block I just rehydrated for a second flush is hosting a blueish green organism.

I had a really nice first flush with this block. After it stopped fruiting I took it out of the fruiting chamber (just a clear rubbermaid) to dry out before dunking it aerated water. I think I left the block out too long before dunking it and that was when the contaminant got in.

It looks to me that the new flush of Shiitake are coming in nicely but the blue green seems troublesome.  

Im not sure what to do with this block, what to do with the harvest that should be mature soon?

I will be working in a garden I keep this weekend. It is the final resting place for all my finished mushroom blocks. I have a pile of hay with wood chip and logs I got for free from craigslist, I have been composting them there and covering with a tarp. Since New York city has had such a mild winter I have already seen mycelium running through the pile. Worst case this block can always become a garden project...

What do ya'll think?
Thanks in advance!

Well, I can think of one option, but it’s an out there type of option.

Any chance you could sterilize a new growing medium?  If so, that would be step 1.

Step 2 would be to find a collection of healthy looking shiitake mushrooms from your current log.  After you get your collection (even if just one), try tapping the top of the mushroom and spreading spores on your new log/medium.  

I don’t know how well this will work, but I think that it is certainly worth a shot if you want to salvage something from your current log.  Just make positively certain that you don’t carry over any contaminants.

Eric

The blue stuff could be some type of mold,
i would avoid keeping it in my apparment as it can pose a health risk to you.

It's trichoderma you need to chuck it outside preferably yesterday. Some species are quite beneficial to plant growth but you dont want the spores in your house or it will make your next grow more likely to fail. Its massively disheartening to throw it out especially as you were nearly there but its best in the long run.

Keep it knocked down with hydrogen peroxide.  

Wayne Mackenzie wrote:Keep it knocked down with hydrogen peroxide.  

It works for things like cobweb mold but in my experience not for trich and the more green you allow to develop the more spores will infest your grow space for the future. Collodial silver is a potential solution mentioned on reddit, but I can't say I have tried that yet.

Henry Jabel wrote:

Wayne Mackenzie wrote:Keep it knocked down with hydrogen peroxide.  

It works for things like cobweb mold but in my experience not for trich and the more green you allow to develop the more spores will infest your grow space for the future. Collodial silver is a potential solution mentioned on reddit, but I can't say I have tried that yet.

Never had that problem in my grow rooms. I keep it down and expose the blocks to a good amount of sun after soaking.

^^^AAMOF, I never get cobweb on my wood substrates. Now on casings, that’s a whole different game.

Thanks for all the responses!

I tossed the block, fruit and all, into a freshly hydrated hay bale laced with wood chips and some spare logs and threw at tarp over it. We have some rain and mild temperatures in the forecast so hopefully the mycelium will run.

It looks like spring is coming sooner than usual so, I think this will be the last attempt at an indoor grow until next winter. Until then I'll be where I know I belong, in the soil.

Thanksfor the help again!  

FWIW-Green or blue-green mold on shitake blocks on the 2nd or 3rd flush is not uncommon.  It can be controlled (not eliminated ) by covering the spots with FRESH baking soda. The baking soda changes the ph thus inhibiting the mold growth. The worst mold for health concerns is black pin mold. If you see that spray with bleach and discard. It's more common on compost or pasturized straw substrates. Cheers!

I've always removed the offending blocks and sprayed them with a high pressure hose to remove the mold.  Then, as stated, a little baking soda.  I guess it depends on how primitive your grow is...

I have the same issue with my shiitake log. Growing a good second flush, but beginning to see the green mold. Which is better, hydrogen peroxide? Or baking soda?

I also have a oyster mushroom log that's looking a bit rusty colored. It just finished a nice flush of mushrooms after taking over a month to emerge. It appears to be producing some more mushrooms at the base.