After reading the "MAGIC MUSHROOM GROWERS GUIDE 3.2" and the "Psylocybe
Faniticus Technique" I decided to try a combination of the two methods.
I made the rice cakes according to the PF Tech manual I ordered from PF.
While the cakes were colonizing the substrate within the jars, I
constructed a terrarium according to the specifications given in the
MMGG. I tested the humidity levels within the empty terrarium using a
"Sunbeam " combo temperature and relative humidity gage ($3.99 at
Walmart). When the terrarium was empty, it was necessary to use 4
condensation bottles to achieve a high humidity and not see any water
droplets condensing on the upper lid. Later, I would change to only 3
bottles but this seemed still ineffective since it produced water
condensation on the fluffy mycelium on the cakes.
The mycelium pinned as expected and mushroom began to grow. The
mushrooms grew to about 3" before they matured and tore the gill veil.
After about 5 days in the terrarium I noticed something new...a
greenish-bluish color on the tops of the fluffy mycelium on the cakes.
Some cakes had more of this tint than others. I speculated that the
cakes had become contaminated after their exposure and placement in the
terrarium.
I went to the "alt.drugs.mushrooms" newsgroup and asked for advice. The
general consensus was to toss the cakes and start again. Since I then
had nothing to loose, I decided that I would use the opportunity to
experiment using information obtained on various web sites.
I opened the ultrasonic humidified terrarium and "touched" the cakes for
the first time. I immediately noticed that they were exceedingly light.
I speculated that they were light because they were dry and were not
getting the moisture necessary to keep the substrate moist. Two of the
cakes were so light and dry that they seemed to be drying to death.
These two cakes were the ones with the most greenish-bluish color. I
took them and surrounded and covered them completely with Vermiculite
in a Tupperware container. I thought that perhaps by covering the two
cakes with sterile and non-nutritive Vermiculite, that (1) if there were
organisms competing and invading the mycelium they would die leaving
only the mycelium within the centers of the cakes alive and able to
fruit...and (2) perhaps the Vermiculite would act as a casing layer and
the mycelium would develop in much the same manner as the traditional
compost/grain & mycelium/casing method.
Four other cakes in the terrarium were placed in a standard fish
aquarium on top of a 1" layer of Perlite. Distilled water was added to
bring it to half the depth of the Perlite (1/2" deep layer of water). To
the water I poured about 2 ounces of Hydrogen Peroxide. For a lid, I
sprayed the outlide of the fish aquarium with water and placed a piece
of kitchen plastic wrap (Saran Wrap) on it. The water made the plastic
wrap fit tight as a glove. From then on whenever I went in to the
aquarium I simply peeled the plastic wrap off from one end and folded it
back to within 2" of the opposite end. When I was ready to place the
plastic back on the aquarium, I sprayed the plastic as it was hanging
and then tacked it back to the aquarium as it was before. It worked
quite well.
The six remaining cakes were left in the Ultrasonic humidified terrarium
with 3 condensation bottles. I thought it better at this point that
they get too much water via condensation than to dry up.
During the next 3 days I saw some remarkable results. The cakes that
were placed on the Perlite began to pin like crazy from the Vermiculite
that was resting on top of the Perlite. They developed huge stems and
caps - one of the caps was so large that when placed in a 1/2 pint
canning jar for a spore print, it covered the entire bottom! Upon
harvesting, they were so well supplied with water that they would drip
water when squeezed. They had much more water content than the smaller
mushrooms produced in the Ultrasonic terrarium. Weighing revealed that
Perlite mushrooms were 97% water by weight compared to 92% for the
mushrooms from the Ultrasonic terrarium. However, the difference in
size more than made up for the extra water weight. For example, it took
13 of the Ultrasonic mushrooms to have a dry weight of 2 grams. It took
only 4 of the Perlite mushrooms. The rice cakes flourished and produced
abundantly even though the greenish-bluish tint never completely left
the surface of the cakes. Upon further consideration, I now think the
coloration was predominately bluish and most probably the result of the
mycelium dying from thirst (?). Anyway, there was no adverse affect to
the mushrooms from any of the cakes: as evidenced by consumption of the
mushrooms.
After seeing the rebirth of the cakes placed on the Perlite, I shut
down my Ultrasonic humidified terrarium. I taped and silicone sealed
the vent hole in the bottom and the humidity hose inlet hole on the
side. I filled it with Perlite, water, and Hydrogen Peroxide as before.
Eventually, there were new mushrooms growing from the cakes themselves
as opposed to growing from the layer of Vermiculite. These mushrooms
were as big ... but they didn't have the high water content. This was
the jackpot.
The 2 cakes that were placed in the Tupperware container never did well.
They produced one large mushroom weighing 27 grams when harvested and
1.75 grams wen dry - a little more than 93% water weight.
This has led me to some initial observations.
- The Ultrasonic Humidification Technique as described in the "MAGIC
MUSHROOM GROWERS GUIDE" does not supply adequate moisture to the rice
cake substrate. Even though the atmosphere within the terrarium is
humid, it does not seem to prevent the cakes from rapid dehydration.
- The Perlite Humidification Technique is a very worthwhile new
technique that deserves more scrutiny. The next logical step will be to
place the rice cakes on the Perlite on their "Birthday" and see what
happens with the primordia already established on the cakes.
- There were many more mushrooms produced from the layer of
Vermiculite sitting on the Perlite than from the cakes themselves. I
will try to modify the PF substrate method to include a Vermiculite
layer on the bottom and top of the rice cake. Then, when the cake is
removed from the jar, it will have a Vermiculite layer sitting on the
Perlite and a top layer to act as a casing layer. I hope that mushrooms
will spring as much from this top layer as from the bottom.
- The mushrooms that grew from the actual rice cake in the Perlite
Aquarium were of the same size and quality as the more water laden,
Vermiculite layer ones. Perhaps if the rice cakes are placed within a
layer of compost and then cased with a layer of Vermiculite (or the
traditional Sphagnum moss) it would produce large, meaty mushrooms
without having to go through the agar culture/grain spawn stage of the
traditional method.
