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 Steve
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 1st timer grow log-Harvest time!!
#8845880 - 08/29/08 03:18 AM (3 months, 5 days ago) |
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Hi everyone,
Having spent many hours searching through these forums I have taken the plunge and decided to it for myself.
Hopefully other newbies can get some useful info of my success or mistakes (its only been 2 days!!)
Ok so to start off im using Psylocibe Australian.
Going of PF Tek and various other TEKs I used 3 cups Vermiculite, 1 cup BRF which i ground myself in a blender and 1 cup water. The mixture had a small amount of water come out when i squeezed it by hand but not much. THis made 4 of the jars pictured below with some left over.
I put this mixture 1/2 inch below the rim of my glass jars then covered with dry Vermiculite. I put two layers of foil over the mouth of the jar and stretched a rubber band really tightly twice around it.
These 4 cups were sat on top of a teatowel in pot of water on the stove for 1 hr 15 min on a simmer. The water level came up to about an inch of top of the jars.
One jar had to bee thrown out because it had blue moisture inside the jar which was the result of using a blue teatowel and therefore blue water in the pot!!! Lesson learnt!!
After the jars had cooled I made the spore syringe from a spore print and inoculated the jars.
These jars are now in a fishtank with 2 inches of water, fish tank heater so that the substrate temperature is between 28 C and 29 C or just under 85 F.
It is a 2 foot fish tank with glad wrap over the top as i have no lid then covered by a towel.
Have read different opinions on taking the foil off the jars to allow fresh air exchange. Are the 4 needle holes in the foil enough or should i take off all the foil or add more holes? Seems most people say take all the foil off but this is my first time so Id rather be safe than sorry!!
Any suggestions appreciated!!
Will add more flicks as it develops!!
One flick of 2 inoculated jars and one control jar with vermiculite and water with the thermometer in it so i can monitor the substrate temp.
A flick of an inoculated jar before it was placed in the fishtank.
Edited by Steve (10/14/08 04:27 AM)
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 plonkerism
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Registered: 06/27/08
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Re: 1st timer grow log [Re: Steve]
#8845933 - 08/29/08 04:28 AM (3 months, 5 days ago) |
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Hey another aussie, Nice   Welcome to Shroomery! Ill go bit by bit where things seem iffy.
Quote:
3 cups Vermiculite, 1 cup BRF
I go 2-2.5:1 but meh, shouldnt matter... Just doesnt look like there is much BRF in there... Pack jars loosely
Quote:
These 4 cups were sat on top of a teatowel in pot of water on the stove for 1 hr 15 min on a simmer. The water level came up to about an inch of top of the jars.
Its good to try and use something else other than a tea towel. Not sure why, just coz RR says so  also 90 minutes is better for steam sterilising without a PC. And i like the jars out of the water so you dont get moisture trapped under foil when you boil. Boiling is messy, water splashes around everywhere so i try to minimise that if possible. So that means i only ever have about 2 inches of water in the bottom of the pot.
Quote:
After the jars had cooled I made the spore syringe from a spore print and inoculated the jars.
Did you wait for the syringe to cool before introducing spores?
How did you go about making the syringes? Did you use a glovebox or still air box?
After introducing spores (syringe meet spores, spores meet syringe oh dear...) its good to let the syringe sit in cool dark dry place overnight to let spores re-hydrate. apparently not necessary but may delay germination or not germinate at all.
Quote:
jars are now in a fishtank with 2 inches of water, fish tank heater so that the substrate temperature is between 28 C and 29 C or just under 85 F.
I reckon just leave them at room temp. I tried what you're doing, and was educated quickly Sitting them in standing water isnt very safe/good.. If you want to incubate them, try a TiT incubator (search), but i hear the difference to leaving them at room temp is very little. Also can increase risk of contam. That temp is a little too high also. Just leave them at room temp if you ask me, spring is coming here so unless you live in Tasmania you'll be fine 
As for foil on the jars, yeah do leave one layer with the holes. Thatll be fine. I wouldnt recommend taking that layer off...
Damn that took ages.. I hope that helps, and remember im new too, and am only halfway through my first grow... ive absorbed a lot from this place though, i feel smart 
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Disclaimer : I have massive self-confidence issues which lead me to compulsively lie. I say things, and fabricate things, in an effort to make myself look cool, thus boosting my tragically low self esteem. Hence everything i say or do on this site should be treated as a result of this compulsion and not taken as fact.
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Steve
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Re: 1st timer grow log [Re: plonkerism]
#8845983 - 08/29/08 05:33 AM (3 months, 5 days ago) |
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Thanks for the reply,
Mixing a new sustrate batch tonight 2 1/2 verm : 1 BRF. Just to try something different.
I had the water on just boiling so it didnt splash around too much when sterilising the jars. I had one jar just to test the temperature after i took it out of the water and stuck my finger in. Quite hot but not hot enough to burn.
There didnt appear to be any additional water enter the jars-the rubber bands were on really tight (looped around twice).
The water sat in a shot glass (in sterile conditions) for over an hour-it was cool when i squirted it out of the syringe onto my hand. I let the spore rehydrate for about 2 hours before injecting into the jars.
Am trying drying the substrate in the oven before "PCing" in my pot.
Also going to try the Honey LC tonight.
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plonkerism
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Re: 1st timer grow log [Re: Steve]
#8846131 - 08/29/08 07:28 AM (3 months, 5 days ago) |
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Quote:
Am trying drying the substrate in the oven before "PCing" in my pot.
 Not sure why you're doing that?? you dont need to dry it before PCing (PCing is pressure cooking btw), you want the moisture in there.
Syringes should be fine anyways just i have knocked up 12 with syringes i was patient with and let sit for ages and they all germ'd well, but i have another 12 that have i didnt let sit and they havent done anything. I might just be impatient however
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Disclaimer : I have massive self-confidence issues which lead me to compulsively lie. I say things, and fabricate things, in an effort to make myself look cool, thus boosting my tragically low self esteem. Hence everything i say or do on this site should be treated as a result of this compulsion and not taken as fact.
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Steve
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Re: 1st timer grow log [Re: plonkerism]
#8864520 - 09/02/08 06:43 AM (3 months, 1 day ago) |
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Ok, Have tried using a heat bomb for the last few days with no success whatsoever. Ambient temp 19 C and inside tub 20 C. Even with the thermometer turned up to 30 C.
Spent $20 on two tubs today. drilled holes to cable tie them together (so top tub doesnt float).
Sat inner tub or a baking tray with a small fishtank pump. Added red dye so water level is easy to see . Drilled a hole and then melted the plastic and squeezed a thermometer into the lid. Covered with a towel.
Within 1/2 hour temp up to 26 C /79 F might bump it up a few more degrees.
Have 2 BRF jars inside now. Have left one outside the tubs to compare the growth rates of myc.
Also one LC jar in the tub - is it better to have this jar at a lower temp say 20 C / 68 F. Have read differeing opinions.
Am now at day 5. Pics of jars are too out of focus close up to bother posting.
Feel free to move this to the grow log section.
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Steve
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: Steve]
#8880679 - 09/05/08 04:26 AM (2 months, 29 days ago) |
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After 9 days all 3 BRF jars have some signs growth and no signs of contamination.
The two jars that were put in the incubator seem to be about 25% more developed than the jar left out of the incubator. But with only 1 control jar its not a very scientifically accurate experiment.
Made a LC of honey and water and after only 4 days i can see the growth in the LC.
Does anyone know if i can freeze the LC?? Will the myc be alive when thawed out?? Otherwise I'll put the remainder in the freezer and see what happens when I take it out in the future. I dont have anything to lose!!
Will upload pics when the upload function on this site is working at normal speed!!
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Steve
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: Steve]
#8880691 - 09/05/08 04:37 AM (2 months, 29 days ago) |
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I know you have all seen mycelium before, probably in better focus too but meh!!
I thought it had been 2 weeks since inoculation but I had written the dates on the jars and it was only 9 days.
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Steve
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: Steve]
#8920289 - 09/12/08 07:07 PM (2 months, 21 days ago) |
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Last night (16 days after inoculation, 1/2 cc per hole, 5 holes per 1/2 pint cup) I planned to birth and dunk my BRF cakes and then fruit as cakes until tripsis told me that the P Australiana needed to be grown on wood!! Same as p. Subaeruginosa (spelling?)Oops Im allowed its my first grow!!
So i have birthed the cakes and crumbled in a ziplock bag and have returned it to the TiT for the day.
Tomorrow i plan on spawning this to cardboard and then when ready cover in woodchips and place in the fridge to induce fruiting.
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/thumbs/08-37/126775080-thumb_CIMG6339.jpg
for some reason the site wont let me submit this photo of the crumbled cake
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plonkerism
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: Steve]
#8921368 - 09/12/08 11:09 PM (2 months, 21 days ago) |
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Oh i thought you had the aussie cubes.... Do they grow on different substrate?? I thought all cubes were done pretty much the same way.. These are what i mean : http://www.ralphstersspores.com/index_files/Page1564.htm
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Disclaimer : I have massive self-confidence issues which lead me to compulsively lie. I say things, and fabricate things, in an effort to make myself look cool, thus boosting my tragically low self esteem. Hence everything i say or do on this site should be treated as a result of this compulsion and not taken as fact.
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Steve
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 Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics-FAILED!! [Re: plonkerism]
#8925405 - 09/13/08 08:09 PM (2 months, 20 days ago) |
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Thats what I thought I bought too. Apparently they aren't a cube. and have to be grown on cardboard and woodchips. They are also known as P. Subaeruginosa and similar to a P. Azurescens for fruiting (I think, Theres too much information in my brain and it gets confused sometimes ).
Anyways checked my crumbled cake this morning and theres dark green mold showing and it smells like blue cheese.
Think this was due to adding extra water to the bag after crumbling the cake because I forgot to dunk the cake and didnt want it to dry out. I boiled the needle and water for almost an hour and then let cool.
Lesson learnt!!
Next time i will crumble each cake in its own bag. I had 2 cakes in one bag.
Still have 3 BRF cakes that are colonising but not ready to birth yet.
Found some eucalypt woodchips to case with.
Really frustrating but back to square one.
Edited by Steve (09/13/08 08:37 PM)
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warGOD
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: plonkerism]
#8925479 - 09/13/08 08:28 PM (2 months, 20 days ago) |
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Quote:
plonkerism said:
Oh i thought you had the aussie cubes.... Do they grow on different substrate?? I thought all cubes were done pretty much the same way.. These are what i mean : http://www.ralphstersspores.com/index_files/Page1564.htm
I've grown 8 different strains and Auss is by far my best fruiter! 
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Prints for Trade! PM me if you want to trade prints!
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 veda_sticks
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: warGOD]
#8927600 - 09/14/08 07:19 AM (2 months, 20 days ago) |
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2 cups verm, 1 cup brf and 1 cup water for the pf tek. You want your substrate to be light and fluffy, to wet and it will stick together causing slow colinisation. Its better to mix slightly on the dry side. Lack of moisture is going to be replaced when you dunk anyway.
Dont bother with incubators,room temperature is just fine (75F).
use something on the bottom of your pot to keep the jars out of the water, its the steam thats sterilising the substrate not the water. This also prevent water getting into your jars which would mess with the moisture content.
If your growing a species that likes wood, i believe you can substitute verm for sawdust (shitake grows well this way)
wheres your foil lid on those drinking glasses?
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RogerRabbit said:
"Rush Wayne's peroxide tek is crap. There's no other words for it, and I've been saying it for years. It's right up there with 'fractional sterilization' and the 'oven tek'."
RR's Shotgun FC how it works and lighting info
Agar's Grain LC Tek
Lipas Deli cup Agar Tek[/color
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Steve
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: veda_sticks]
#8931970 - 09/15/08 06:08 AM (2 months, 19 days ago) |
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Seeing as it is my first grow I dont know how much the ratio makes a difference but all my jars have colonised-the first 2 took 16 days which doesn't seem to be slow by most accounts.
I used an incubator because it is winter and my house is quite cold.
The way I see it is that it cant hurt. Plus being my first grow I wanted it to be as quick as possible. Im impatient!!
I recently got a pressure cooker but am waiting to replace the seal so tha wont be an issue soon.
I didnt realise I was growing a wood loving species when I started. Its even growing on some popcorn and WBS jars i knocked up but very slowly.....
Next time i will try sawdust/small wood chips and cardboard mixed together.
Veda_Sticks-did you mean substitute the BRF for sawdust??
I was under the belief that the top 1/2" layer of dry verm kept contaminants out.......
Crumbled another cake tonight and it smells slightly like blue cheese but I can't see any green mould.
Apparently the green mould in my cakes was growing from the inside out so had to have been there before the cake was birthed. The mould appears to be underneath the mycelium.
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veda_sticks
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: Steve]
#8931975 - 09/15/08 06:15 AM (2 months, 19 days ago) |
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Take a look on www.mushroomvideos.com and watch the pf tek part 4, rr breifly talks about growing shitake im sure he says use sawdust instead of verm, obviously you will still need the dry verm layer.
Yes the dry verm layer is your filter, but its still a good idea to keep the foil lids on. All thats needed is gas exchange, which the 4 inoc holes provide plenty off.
Smells like blue cheese? sounds like bacteria. Should smell a nice earthy mushroomy smell.
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RogerRabbit said:
"Rush Wayne's peroxide tek is crap. There's no other words for it, and I've been saying it for years. It's right up there with 'fractional sterilization' and the 'oven tek'."
RR's Shotgun FC how it works and lighting info
Agar's Grain LC Tek
Lipas Deli cup Agar Tek[/color
----------------------------------------------------
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Steve
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: veda_sticks]
#8931983 - 09/15/08 06:21 AM (2 months, 19 days ago) |
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Most people say that mycelium smells delicious.
This smelt absolutely disgusting!!
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OZZ
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: Steve]
#8932241 - 09/15/08 08:34 AM (2 months, 18 days ago) |
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Ild like to give you a little advice if I could, after reading through this entire thread ... it seems like you are doing a bunch of stuff that is NOT in the teks because you think that this, or that, needs to be done.
Its been a long time since I messed with PF tek but Im pretty sure the PF tek is 1/2 cup verm, 1/4 cup BRF, 1/4 water or 2:1:1 verm/brf/water. Follow it, dont change it. You mentioned "since Im a newbie Im not sure how much the ratios matter" ... thats what Im referring to, stop thinking ... and just follow directions (for your first time at least) Follow the teks, to a T and do not change anything no matter if you think its to dry or think its to wet. Its really, really hard to screw the PF tek up if you follow it and do what is said. No where in the PF tek does it say to dry out this in an oven, and add more water to crumbled cakes if they are to dry Your really close to nailing it on the head bud, my advice is to go back and re-read the entire PF tek, and follow it EXACTLY. Dont change anything. Also, incubating temps in the 75-80 deg's is perfectly fine, and in fact it seems a bit better then the 85 deg range as contams like higher temps.
That being said ... there is a CUBENSIS strain called australian. And there is a P. Azurescens.
Where did you get your spores?? We need to find out what you have FOR SURE first.
Last but not least, when you made your syringe you let it soak for 2 hours, not 24 as the majority of the tek's suggest. Gotta follow the teks bud!
Your really close though, find out what strain you have for sure, go back and read the tek's completely through, and follow them step by step.
Your not following the tek's, and that is part of your problem. Of course if you do have a wood loving species that would be a huge part of it ... lol ... but it doesnt sound like you know that for certain quite yet. As mentioned there is an australian cubensis strain that fruits just like all cubensis. In that case, follow PF tek to a T, DONT DEVIATE FROM IT. If you do have a wood loving species, put it away, buy a cubensis strain, and go back to the PF TEK as stated above. Then after youve had success you can give the wood lovers a shot, they are a bit more demanding.
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It's never to late to become what you might have been
Edited by OZZ (09/15/08 08:47 AM)
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OZZ
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: OZZ]
#8932283 - 09/15/08 08:52 AM (2 months, 18 days ago) |
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Do you have P Australiana or just the australian strain of cubensis?
Where did you get the spores?
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It's never to late to become what you might have been
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plonkerism
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Registered: 06/27/08
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: OZZ]
#8937499 - 09/16/08 03:01 AM (2 months, 18 days ago) |
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Yeah you were going good up until you crumbled them. P. Australiana are a wood loving species, Tripsis is absolutely right about that. But if you told him you had Psilocybe Australiana instead of Psilycybe Cubensis, Australian(a) then yeah thats where you went wrong. I personally reckon (remember relative noob here) you have P.C (Psilocybe Cubensis) Australian, judging by the good colonisation you had on your BRF cakes...
Not trying to sound like a dick, but it really helps if you know what you are growing...
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Disclaimer : I have massive self-confidence issues which lead me to compulsively lie. I say things, and fabricate things, in an effort to make myself look cool, thus boosting my tragically low self esteem. Hence everything i say or do on this site should be treated as a result of this compulsion and not taken as fact.
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Steve
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Registered: 09/22/07
Posts: 124
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Last seen: 2 hours, 47 minutes
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: OZZ]
#8937592 - 09/16/08 03:59 AM (2 months, 18 days ago) |
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Quote:
OZZ said:
Ild like to give you a little advice if I could, after reading through this entire thread ... it seems like you are doing a bunch of stuff that is NOT in the teks because you think that this, or that, needs to be done.
Its been a long time since I messed with PF tek but Im pretty sure the PF tek is 1/2 cup verm, 1/4 cup BRF, 1/4 water or 2:1:1 verm/brf/water. Follow it, dont change it. You mentioned "since Im a newbie Im not sure how much the ratios matter" ... thats what Im referring to, stop thinking ... and just follow directions (for your first time at least) Follow the teks, to a T and do not change anything no matter if you think its to dry or think its to wet. Its really, really hard to screw the PF tek up if you follow it and do what is said. No where in the PF tek does it say to dry out this in an oven, and add more water to crumbled cakes if they are to dry Your really close to nailing it on the head bud, my advice is to go back and re-read the entire PF tek, and follow it EXACTLY. Dont change anything. Also, incubating temps in the 75-80 deg's is perfectly fine, and in fact it seems a bit better then the 85 deg range as contams like higher temps.
That being said ... there is a CUBENSIS strain called australian. And there is a P. Azurescens.
Where did you get your spores?? We need to find out what you have FOR SURE first.
Last but not least, when you made your syringe you let it soak for 2 hours, not 24 as the majority of the tek's suggest. Gotta follow the teks bud!
Your really close though, find out what strain you have for sure, go back and read the tek's completely through, and follow them step by step.
Your not following the tek's, and that is part of your problem. Of course if you do have a wood loving species that would be a huge part of it ... lol ... but it doesnt sound like you know that for certain quite yet. As mentioned there is an australian cubensis strain that fruits just like all cubensis. In that case, follow PF tek to a T, DONT DEVIATE FROM IT. If you do have a wood loving species, put it away, buy a cubensis strain, and go back to the PF TEK as stated above. Then after youve had success you can give the wood lovers a shot, they are a bit more demanding.
Thanks for your input. i had read so much from so many people about grow teks i sort of put bits and pieces together and crossed my fingers.
What I meant by "not being sure about the ratios" is that the original mix i used (not the BRF ratio) was still 100% colonised in 16 days so I cant see how that was wrong. Im not being stubborn im just saying......
I ordered my spores from Spores101. Before you say anything I hadn't found this site and sponsors until after I ordered them.
When the spores arrived one said
Strain:Golden Teacher and the other
Strain:Australian.
I just went back to the website and the Australian in in the P. Cubensis section
Either way the cakes had green mould inside them so it was for the est they were thrown out.
I still have a few jars of BRF, popcorn and WBS with myc gowing so I will continue with those as if they are Cubes.....
Seems as though I was going ok until I confused myself
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Steve
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Re: 1st timer grow log Updated with pics [Re: Steve]
#8967018 - 09/22/08 05:48 AM (2 months, 12 days ago) |
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Just spawned 2 colonized WBS jars to coir at about 1:2 into 2 small aluminium trays (like what you get take away pasta in).
The coir was the standard coir found in the gardening section.
I placed a small amount into a ziplock bag, added water then put into water in a saucepan. Pastuerised for aout 30 min at 60C.
I know some people say to pasteurise for over an hour but others say you dont need to at all.
One jar was 50% WBS and the other 50% was popcorn whilst the other jar was just WBS. This is 17 days after inoculation. The same as the BRF cakes.
I have other popcorn jars still colonising but they are only at about 50%.
My previous LCs (in glass jars with metal lids) havent worked so this time I used the baby bottle idea with 3% honey then boiled in the microwave. This time I only let the water bubble for about 5 seconds. I am thinking that the last two times I made LC I boiled it for too long thus breaking down the honey.
(Just my theory, I'm trying something diffferent seeing as the last times didnt work for me. If it doesnt work it doesnt work-no big deal).
I dropped in a colonised piece of WBS so I know that mycelium definately went into the LC.
I have one last BRF cake that will be ready to go in my FC in the next few days. I will not crumble it like the other 2.
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