Strange Fungi Growth

[YesMamNoSir]

I have some soil cooking with a seedling heat pad under it to help stay hot. Last week I made an AACT and the dreggs of particles that were left in the tea bag I thew in my soil that's cooking. About a week later I found this growing on the top. There are holes drilled all in the tupperware containing soil and the soil is The Revs TLO master soil(FFOF and SUNSHINE RAINFOREST AS BASE), with a couple ammendments missing nothing extra added.......AACT was a basic veg tea, using my own EWC and a pinch of steer manure, seabird guano, blackstrap,kelp, alfalfa meal and BIO marine.

This is more what I'm use to and have going on in my worm farm.....

Not too worried about it, it's just new to me. It's got a turquoise and cobwebby look to it. It has to be aerobic seeings it is growing on the top of the cooking soil(also has no smell). I'm guessing I'll just stir it into the rest of the soil. Have not done it yet just so I can show my girlfriend. Kind of pretty and is about the size of a golf ball. Picture doesn't do it much justice

 

[bigshrimp]

Its Trich (trichoderma) on the first and second and whats commonly known as santa's beard on the last.

Good signs, your stuff is actively 'cooking'.

 

[umbralindigo]

I was under impression that any fungi growing other than White fungi is detrimental to the mix.
I would take that heat pad out from under, there is no need for it, you aren't ACTUALLY cooking anything. If fact, I have used my mixes the day I mix them with no poor results.. ever.

 

[YesMamNoSir]

Well the soil and live worm castings that I am using have thousands of these spores in them because it all came from my compost. I wouldn't think it was detrimental, unless it spread voraciously perhaps.

 

[YesMamNoSir]

And yes the heat pad only stayed under for the first week because i was storing it in a room that was right around 45/50 degrees F. Thought the seedling pad couldn't hurt the worse it would do is help

 

[bigshrimp]

They aren't detrimental whatsoever. They will disappear once your mix cools off and their food is gone. Large volumes of fresh soil mixes do heat up as their N amendments decompose. Stick your hand in the center i bet its alot warmer than the ambient temps.

Those fungi specifically seem to show up as the pile gets warm and taper off after it has hit its thermal peak. Trich really gets going around 80f. Its the #1 enemy of mushroom growers. I love the santa's beard personally - very pretty.

Does anyone know the actual name of "santa's beard"?

 

[umbralindigo]

Lol, Santa's Beard suits it just fine.

 

[YesMamNoSir]

Yeah I've heard mixed feeling about trichoderma. I've read that some people think they are counterproductive in soil going after other bennies, but it seems like a lot of innoculants and soils targeted towards medicinal growers usually add it into the package....whatevs.

I was wondering the same thing, what IS santa's beard I always use it as a cue card as soon as I see it on my soil I know I've done something right.

I am starting my first mushroom grow and the funny thing is when I looked up trichoderma images it was a bunch of mushroom growers pissed off at the formation of trichoderma, so I have a feeling I may be getting upset with trich formation in not too long.