|
Some of these posts are very old and might contain outdated information. You may wish to search for newer posts instead.
|
dennis885
Stranger

Registered: 04/09/10
Posts: 77
Last seen: 14 years, 4 months
|
Advice needed, getting tons of pins but tiny mushrooms. Please help!!
#12589321 - 05/18/10 10:38 PM (14 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
I need some advice, from a TC if possible 
It has been a week since I birthed my BRF Cakes. I dunked and rolled them as in Roadkill's videos. I currently have them in a PmP set-up with perlite and lava rocks. I'm holding 97-98% humidity and getting plenty of bubbling. I'm also misting if/when the cakes begin to look dry.
I'm having no problem generating pins from my cakes. A few of the cakes have pins all over, however the pins are forming into tiny mushrooms. I've had a few ok sized mushrooms (~6 grams wet) but I've also had to pick several mushrooms with opened caps that have been quite tiny. Most have short fat stems. My most prolific cake probably has about 40 pins growing all directions, and has produced my biggest mushroom yet, along with a few of the tiny ones.
I'm trying to figure out what the problem is. Answers to any of these questions would be great.
1) Should I leave the air pump in my PmP on 24/7 or run it on a timer? I've heard both...
2) How big should the holes on top my PmP be? I currently have two holes about 1/2 - 3/4" in diameter.
3) Is there a preferred direction for cakes to be placed in a FC? Like I said I have pins everywhere on some cakes, I currently have 4 flipped and 4 upright, and plan to just let them ride out this way.
4) I've had to pick a about 10 mushrooms so far from various cakes so far, will this affect the other (newer) pins on the same cake? Also, the mushrooms are all fine to eat regardless of size, as long as they are healthy, correct?
Thanks a ton for any input/advice.
|
afrosheen
9Lives the cat



Registered: 03/06/10
Posts: 1,878
Last seen: 3 years, 3 months
|
Re: Advice needed, getting tons of pins but tiny mushrooms. Please help!! [Re: dennis885]
#12589389 - 05/18/10 10:49 PM (14 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
*deep breath*
Ok, 1. depends on how much air the pump is capable of moving. Exchanging air is very important. I'm still skeptical of PmPs because I have seen poor results from them. Even with a bubbler and some holes I think shotguns outperform them.
2. No clue. Maybe bigger.
3. Directionality doesn't matter one bit. Cakes will pin wherever they feel like it, and they'll grow towards light.
4. No, picking from the cake is fine unless you are disturbing a cluster where a few are still growing. Just twist the mature shrooms off gently and you shouldn't hurt the cake too much. Yes, all shrooms on the cake, including pins, are fine to eat. You may discover that the little ones pack a bigger punch than the giants due to concentration over surface area.
|
dennis885
Stranger

Registered: 04/09/10
Posts: 77
Last seen: 14 years, 4 months
|
Re: Advice needed, getting tons of pins but tiny mushrooms. Please help!! [Re: afrosheen]
#12589478 - 05/18/10 11:04 PM (14 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
I wonder if an airpump/airstone set up inside a SGFC (w/o water of course) on a timer would replace the need for manual fanning...
I had the cakes in an SGFC for about 3 days but my work schedule made it difficult to fan 5-6 times a day. That's why I switched to a PmP, hopeflly less manual maintenance.
|
afrosheen
9Lives the cat



Registered: 03/06/10
Posts: 1,878
Last seen: 3 years, 3 months
|
Re: Advice needed, getting tons of pins but tiny mushrooms. Please help!! [Re: dennis885]
#12589517 - 05/18/10 11:11 PM (14 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Fanning 5-6 times a day is cool, but I believe 3 times or more is adequate. Automating the fanning process is simply not possible from what I've read.
If you want a lower-maintenance grow, you can't go wrong with monotubs. You dump your stuff in, cap it off and wait. Once it's time for fruiting, you unplug the air holes, stuff in polyfil, get a light on a timer and wait some more. No fanning, no trouble. My buddy was extremely lazy (he'd rather stare at the TV than fan) and tried a PmP before and the results weren't all that great. He tried a SGFC next and that was much better but required fanning. Now he's doing monos and I think it's just right. Natural progression.
--------------------
|
Spongiform
Some Cow


Registered: 08/22/07
Posts: 3,994
Loc: Greener Pastures
Last seen: 9 years, 4 months
|
Re: Advice needed, getting tons of pins but tiny mushrooms. Please help!! [Re: afrosheen]
#12589587 - 05/18/10 11:23 PM (14 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Automated FC's are tricky to get working right. You need a careful balance of moisture and fresh air.
I suspect you're not providing enough fresh air and/or improper lighting.
You want 3-5 air exchanges per hour and 6500k color lighting on 12/12 on/off cycle or there-abouts for optimal results.
I'm a bit skeptical of the PmP's because they may actually provide too much constant humidity. The cakes benefit greatly from wet/dry cycles.
-------------------- Spongiform's Plastic Tek - An Alternative to Glass
Spongi's PF Block Tek & Automated Shotgun Project.
|
afrosheen
9Lives the cat



Registered: 03/06/10
Posts: 1,878
Last seen: 3 years, 3 months
|
Re: Advice needed, getting tons of pins but tiny mushrooms. Please help!! [Re: Spongiform]
#12589706 - 05/18/10 11:47 PM (14 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
"The cakes benefit greatly from wet/dry cycles."
True this. I believe evaporation from the cake and lighting are 2 major pinning triggers. Fanning swaps out moist air for dry, temporarily, telling the cakes it's time to fruit.
--------------------
|
dennis885
Stranger

Registered: 04/09/10
Posts: 77
Last seen: 14 years, 4 months
|
Re: Advice needed, getting tons of pins but tiny mushrooms. Please help!! [Re: afrosheen]
#12589845 - 05/19/10 12:20 AM (14 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
afrosheen said:
If you want a lower-maintenance grow, you can't go wrong with monotubs.
I already planned on it! LOL. I figured for my first grow, and to gain a bunch of general knowledge about the mushroom growth cycle, I would go with the PF Tek first.
I definitely plan to try a monotub next. I have a Golden Teacher syringe, however, I'm still deciding on my spawn and substrate materials as well as to make LC or use the syringe.
Any sugguestions for a first monotub? I was thinking WBS then spawned to horse poo or this coir...
But for now it's the BRF Cakes, for better or worse.
|
Spongiform
Some Cow


Registered: 08/22/07
Posts: 3,994
Loc: Greener Pastures
Last seen: 9 years, 4 months
|
Re: Advice needed, getting tons of pins but tiny mushrooms. Please help!! [Re: dennis885]
#12589849 - 05/19/10 12:22 AM (14 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Any sugguestions for a first monotub? I was thinking WBS then spawned to horse poo or this coir...
You can't go wrong with (insert spawn here) spawned to (insert bulk substrate here).
As long as you follow the proper teks and procedures for those particular ingredients.
-------------------- Spongiform's Plastic Tek - An Alternative to Glass
Spongi's PF Block Tek & Automated Shotgun Project.
|
afrosheen
9Lives the cat



Registered: 03/06/10
Posts: 1,878
Last seen: 3 years, 3 months
|
Re: Advice needed, getting tons of pins but tiny mushrooms. Please help!! [Re: dennis885]
#12589901 - 05/19/10 12:41 AM (14 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
dennis885 said:
Quote:
afrosheen said:
If you want a lower-maintenance grow, you can't go wrong with monotubs.
I already planned on it! LOL. I figured for my first grow, and to gain a bunch of general knowledge about the mushroom growth cycle, I would go with the PF Tek first.
I definitely plan to try a monotub next. I have a Golden Teacher syringe, however, I'm still deciding on my spawn and substrate materials as well as to make LC or use the syringe.
Any sugguestions for a first monotub? I was thinking WBS then spawned to horse poo or this coir...
But for now it's the BRF Cakes, for better or worse.
LC to WBS spawned to coir is pretty painless. LC will stretch out your spore syringe and give you tons of myc, which will grow very fast on WBS (of course the strain has alot to do with colonization speed). Spores in WBS or rye takes longer to colonize.
Another benefit of doing it this way is that your materials are a pet store trip away. Coir is available as "tropical soil" at Petsmart and other places, and you can grab a cheap bag of WBS while you are there.
--------------------
|
dennis885
Stranger

Registered: 04/09/10
Posts: 77
Last seen: 14 years, 4 months
|
Re: Advice needed, getting tons of pins but tiny mushrooms. Please help!! [Re: afrosheen]
#12589970 - 05/19/10 12:58 AM (14 years, 7 months ago) |
|
|
Awesome, thanks guys. I'm gonna ride out my first PF Tek grow, and definitely give a monotub a try soon.
|
|