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OfflineHappy2fly
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I got a shiitake kit for christmas!
    #13695205 - 12/28/10 09:30 AM (13 years, 1 month ago)

Can anyone give me any tips to maximize my chances of a plentiful yield of delicious fruits?  I have one cube grow under my belt, but haven't attempted shiitakes before.

My girlfriend gave it to me, but she couldn't remember where she bought it from.  She said the store didn't specialize in mushrooms, and that the kit was one of many gift items that were offered.  The substrate is hardwood sawdust.

Right now it looks sort of like a loaf of rye bread in a plastic bag, with a couple of white strips/indentations on the bottom where it must have been sitting on some wire racks for a while.  I have been reading some shiitake threads that talk about browning.  How can you tell if its fully colonized and brown, or if it still needs more colonization?  The instructions say to dunk it, and put in in a shallow dish in a cool (55F-65F) room with plenty of indirect light.  Would a shotgun terrarium work better?  I have a programmable thermostat in my house which is set to fluctuate between 60 at night and while I'm away at work and 72 when I'm home in the evenings/weekends.  Will that work?  There are some cooler rooms in my basement, but they don't get a lot of light unless I am down there playing fooseball.

I guess the main things I need to know are what are the ideal fruiting conditions, and when do I expose my loaf to them?

I can try to get some pics up later, but my only camera is on my phone and my roommate (who has a camera) is out of town for the week..


--------------------
The fire has many things to teach.
But so does the human experience.. which is like fire, sometimes you just need to stoke the coals and sometimes you just need to add a log or reposition the log matrix. But a well built fire will be much more self-sustaining than a poorly built one, and they all need love to grow. And don't fuck around or your might burn yourself. Must always respect the fire. - Shroomism


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Offlinefungus_tao
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: Happy2fly]
    #13695236 - 12/28/10 09:39 AM (13 years, 1 month ago)

How can you tell if its fully colonized and brown, or if it still needs more colonization?

Generally speaking they benefit from an extended consolidation period during which they brown and blister. How long is a bit strain specific though. Where did you get your kit from?

Would a shotgun terrarium work better?

Yes.

I have a programmable thermostat in my house which is set to fluctuate between 60 at night and while I'm away at work and 72 when I'm home in the evenings/weekends.  Will that work?

That's perfect.


--------------------
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OfflineHappy2fly
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: fungus_tao]
    #13695320 - 12/28/10 10:07 AM (13 years, 1 month ago)

Quote:

fungus_tao said:
How can you tell if its fully colonized and brown, or if it still needs more colonization?

Generally speaking they benefit from an extended consolidation period during which they brown and blister. How long is a bit strain specific though. Where did you get your kit from?




I'm not sure where it was purchased from.  My girlfriend gave it to me, and when I asked her she said she couldn't remember the name of the company but they didn't specialize in mushrooms.  Sounds like it was one of those bazaar type stores that offer a variety of gift ideas.

Right now there are 2 stripes of white mycelium on the bottom of the cake, and the sawdust is solid and kind of spongy like a loaf of bread.  I am trying to figure out if it has already had time to consolidate, and is ready to fruit.  The instructions say that if I don't intend to fruit it right away that I can store it in the fridge for up to 6 months.  I am guessing that means it is ready to fruit?


Quote:

fungus_tao said:
Would a shotgun terrarium work better?

Yes.





Nice.  Should I set it up just like I would for cubes, with around 4" of moistened pearlite and a piece of foil under the shiitake cake?  Do I need to mist and fan 3 times a day?


--------------------
The fire has many things to teach.
But so does the human experience.. which is like fire, sometimes you just need to stoke the coals and sometimes you just need to add a log or reposition the log matrix. But a well built fire will be much more self-sustaining than a poorly built one, and they all need love to grow. And don't fuck around or your might burn yourself. Must always respect the fire. - Shroomism


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OfflineHappy2fly
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: Happy2fly]
    #13695782 - 12/28/10 12:23 PM (13 years, 1 month ago)

Here are some pics I took with my phone just now.  The only white I saw when I opened it 2 days ago were the 2 stripes on the bottom.  Today the top has white mycelium popping out all over.  I also noticed that the bag was not sealed.  In the bottom of the box they came in, I found a packing slip.  Here is a link to the site they were purchased from:

http://www.sahalie.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=15333

The box also contained a plastic bag with a bunch of holes in it.  The instructions say to fill the bag it came in with cold tap water and soak 8-12 hours then pull it out, place it on a raised object in a shallow pan and cover with the perforated plastic bag.  Looks like a poor mans shotgun FC.  I'll probably just use the shotgun that I made for my cube project last summer.









Does it look ready for fruiting conditions?  It looks to me like brown mycelium and blisters, but it's hard to say since I haven't grown shiitakes before.


--------------------
The fire has many things to teach.
But so does the human experience.. which is like fire, sometimes you just need to stoke the coals and sometimes you just need to add a log or reposition the log matrix. But a well built fire will be much more self-sustaining than a poorly built one, and they all need love to grow. And don't fuck around or your might burn yourself. Must always respect the fire. - Shroomism


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Offlineflugelizor
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: Happy2fly]
    #13696343 - 12/28/10 02:27 PM (13 years, 1 month ago)

That's a well browned shiitake block alright.
It's ready to fruit IMO
Day / night temperature fluctuation is a good pinning trigger.
If it's cool outside, but not freezing, you might want to put the FC outside at night for three nights or more after the soak until you get nice pins.


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OfflineHappy2fly
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: flugelizor]
    #13696523 - 12/28/10 03:04 PM (13 years, 1 month ago)

Quote:

flugelizor said:
That's a well browned shiitake block alright.
It's ready to fruit IMO
Day / night temperature fluctuation is a good pinning trigger.
If it's cool outside, but not freezing, you might want to put the FC outside at night for three nights or more after the soak until you get nice pins.




I live in MN, so it's definitely below freezing at night.  I do have a well room in my basement that is probably 10F cooler than the rest of the house.  It probably drops to around 50f at night.  It gets pretty wet when it rains though, so I might be risking a mold contamination if I put the FC in there...


--------------------
The fire has many things to teach.
But so does the human experience.. which is like fire, sometimes you just need to stoke the coals and sometimes you just need to add a log or reposition the log matrix. But a well built fire will be much more self-sustaining than a poorly built one, and they all need love to grow. And don't fuck around or your might burn yourself. Must always respect the fire. - Shroomism


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Offlineflugelizor
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: Happy2fly]
    #13696995 - 12/28/10 04:58 PM (13 years, 1 month ago)

Hmmm. That's a tough one.
Maybe keep it upstairs and see if you get pins.
Move it down at nights as a last resort.

You definately want to keep it away from black mold.
But green mold spores are the biggest problem. (keep away from all dust and soil)


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OfflineRogerRabbitM
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: Happy2fly]
    #13697562 - 12/28/10 06:54 PM (13 years, 1 month ago)

Agreed that the block is ready to induce fruiting.

Keep it in the bag for a few more days while you cold shock it.  Put it into 40F to 50F temperature for several days, while exposing to normal ambient indoor day/night light.  I have one strain of shiitake that won't fruit at all unless the block has been frozen solid for a few weeks, so hopefully you don't have one of the more difficult strains like that one to fruit.

After the cold shock, unwrap the block and rinse it very well under running water.  You can use a sink or hose for this, but wash it very well while 'slapping' the block with your hands. You'll see a lot of brown debris being washed off the block and down the drain. The concussion of slapping the block around is a major shiitake pinning trigger.

Despite the instructions, I wouldn't soak the block prior to first flush.  They should have enough moisture left from make-up to last through first flush, even if it's been six months.

After cold shocking, stripping the bag and rinsing the block, place it in a well-ventilated area exposed to bright light during the daylight hours.  A shotgun terrarium will work but is not necessary.  You want a fluctuating temperature on a day/night routine, and a fluctuating humidity.  Bring the humidity up to 90% for a few hours and then let it drop to 70% or less before misting the blocks and raising the humidity again.  In a shotgun terrarium, this can be done by removing the lid every second day or so for several hours.
RR


--------------------
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OfflineHappy2fly
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: RogerRabbit]
    #13699691 - 12/29/10 07:45 AM (13 years, 1 month ago)

Thanks for all of the tips guys!  I will update this thread with pictures when my cake starts producing.

:cheers:


--------------------
The fire has many things to teach.
But so does the human experience.. which is like fire, sometimes you just need to stoke the coals and sometimes you just need to add a log or reposition the log matrix. But a well built fire will be much more self-sustaining than a poorly built one, and they all need love to grow. And don't fuck around or your might burn yourself. Must always respect the fire. - Shroomism


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InvisibleJavadog
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: RogerRabbit]
    #13751761 - 01/08/11 11:21 AM (13 years, 1 month ago)

Hey RR,

What about misting?  Direct or in the vicinity?  Drench or lightly?  How often?

I have a straw block that fruited not too long after full colonization.
(Lipa made it for me)

This was yesterday:


My first sawdust block is taking a more traditional approach, with
about three months in the bag.  It is fully barked and pop-corned,
and I am waiting for a sign to put it into FCs.  (a pin or two, I think)

Take care all,

JD


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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: Javadog]
    #13751915 - 01/08/11 11:53 AM (13 years, 1 month ago)

Misting can be done with a pump style mister. 3 times a day is ideal. I spray the whole block until it is fully coated with droplets of water and wait until the water has evaporated to spray again. It is important to have a slight bit of air moving around the block to encourage this evaporation. When fruiting a NON-BROWNED block it is important not to saturate the outside with water. You only want tiny water droplets sitting on the surface.


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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: Nucleus]
    #13752130 - 01/08/11 12:39 PM (13 years, 1 month ago)

Quote:

Nucleus said:
Misting can be done with a pump style mister. 3 times a day is ideal. I spray the whole block until it is fully coated with droplets of water and wait until the water has evaporated to spray again. It is important to have a slight bit of air moving around the block to encourage this evaporation. When fruiting a NON-BROWNED block it is important not to saturate the outside with water. You only want tiny water droplets sitting on the surface.




Definitive....thank you!

(so, a browned/barked block is more robust regarding misting?)

Take care,

JD


--------------------
Boyd Rice told my brother that life is a corny pack of freesakes

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OfflineHappy2fly
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: Javadog]
    #13841931 - 01/24/11 12:45 PM (13 years, 1 month ago)

I followed the tips provided in this thread, and the results are better than expected!

This first pic was taken yesterday:


The next 2 were taken about an hour ago:




When is the best time to harvest these beauties?  The largest one is about the size I normally see when I buy shiitakes from the grocery store.  I am guessing they are just about ready.  Is there a rule of thumb or something I should be looking for to determine when to harvest?


--------------------
The fire has many things to teach.
But so does the human experience.. which is like fire, sometimes you just need to stoke the coals and sometimes you just need to add a log or reposition the log matrix. But a well built fire will be much more self-sustaining than a poorly built one, and they all need love to grow. And don't fuck around or your might burn yourself. Must always respect the fire. - Shroomism


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OfflineNucleus
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: Happy2fly]
    #13842109 - 01/24/11 01:22 PM (13 years, 1 month ago)

The look beautiful.. When partial veil (just about to expose the gills) is just about to break harvest them. They are just about there.

Nice work!!


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InvisibleEvilMushroom666
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Re: I got a shiitake kit for christmas! [Re: Nucleus]
    #13842199 - 01/24/11 01:37 PM (13 years, 1 month ago)

Very nice fruits! I hope my first experiments with shiitake work out
as well as yours has!

Here is a quote and the site I found it on, might be of help:

Quote:

Mushrooms are ready for harvest when the edge of the cap (the veil) (Figure 3) breaks free from the stipe. You want the caps to be rounded with the edges curled in when you pick for market. They will continue opening after harvesting. Mushrooms that have their caps fully expanded or flat are considered of much lower quality and will bring a lower price. It is important to cool the mushrooms within one hour of harvest, so you should locate your harvesting area near your cooler and move mushrooms into the cooler as soon as you fill the basket, bag, or other container you are picking into.




http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/for/for78/for78.htm


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