External appearance
The F600 large intermediate produces a large, white, dense mushroom with a well-rounded cap of 40-60 mm across. This strain has an extremely high picking rate and is most suited for growing large closed mushrooms for the fresh-market. With this strain it is easy to make a nice spread and create more than 4 picking days.
Growing characteristics
F600 requires a homogeneous active not dry compost. At cropping take care to have a good temperature difference between air- and compost temperatures. Avoid high air-velocities at cropping and preferably do use supplements at casing. The first picking at 12 to 13 days after aeration. This strain needs 2 days more of mycelium growth before fresh air. This can be reduced by adding more Caccing.
Compost and peak heating
This strain likes nutritious, well-degraded compost with relatively high moisture content. Too dry and inactive composts will result in a dramatic reduction in yield. Compost density and filling-weight at about 90 to 100 kg per m at spawning. For this strain compost has to be free of ammonia at spawning.
Spawning and incubation
Recommended spawning-rate is 5 to 7 litres per tonne of fresh compost or about 8 litres per tonne through spawning. After spawning the mycelium growth is normal. The optimal incubation period is 14 to 16 days. Avoid temperatures over 29°C (84 °F) in the compost and do avoid drying of the compost at this stage.
Supplementing
F600 reacts very positively to supplementation at the moment of casing with a rate of 1 kg per m2. Without supplementation pin setting and pin growing may not come up to expectations. Also the quality and shelf life of the fruit bodies will be improved by the addition of supplements.
Casing
This strain likes a casing-soil with a high water content and a coarse lumpy structure. F600 also responds well to Cac’ing. For handpicking the depth of the casing layer should be about 5 cm (2 inches).
CAC’ING
At casing about 400 gr. spawn runned compost or 100 gr. CMS per m2 can be mixed into the casing soil. With this method of cac’ing a more wet casing soil should be used because less days for watering are available. In a more tight growing schedule increase the amount of caccing compost to 500gr per m2. Stop watering at least one day before aeration. This strain can also be grown with the system of scratching at about 7 days after casing.
Aeration and pin-setting
It is not necessary to reduce the temperatures fast and low for this strain. Ideal is to end up with an air-temperature of 16,5°C and a compost temperature of 18,5 °C at about 6 days after the start of aeration. Keep relative humidity high at 92% or higher and the CO2 – content over 1000 ppm. It is important to keep temperature difference as wide as possible by low air-volumes and a high humidity in the micro-climate. The F600 reacts very good at this and therefore it’s very easy to create a good spread.
Pin growing and cropping
For optimal production and quality the relative humidity should gradually be lowered, at high CO2 contents 6 to 7 days after the start of aeration. This results in a more dispersed appearance of the first flush and improved size and picking-rate of all flushes. Avoid compost-temperatures over 20 °C until 75% of the yield of the first flush has been picked. At the last picking day re-water the casing soil and increase air-temperature, relative humidity and CO2 -content for re-pinning as shown in growing proposal.
Third Flush
For the third flush a good compost activity, a moist casing soil and a good temperature difference between compost and air is important. Increase the air temperature at the end of the second flush to bring the compost temperature up to 21 °C while keeping a high relative humidity and CO2 in the air for a short while. After this lower the air-temperature, relative humidity and CO2 for improving the
evaporation to encourage the pin growing of the third flush.
Downloads
Click here to download this information as a .pdf file
Click here to download our growing proposal for F600