Hey, would the idea of "Adopting A Newbie" be any good? I know I just asked someone to be *MY* Shrooming Parents...let's hope someone is nice enough.

But about the FAQ...that will be VERY helpful!!! VERY VERY VERY

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"Pot also turns people into potheads."
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I can see it now
memories of other days
turn through my brain
but tonight as always
I cannot breathe
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I don't know here goes:

There have been a great many guides written on Psilocybe Cubensis cultivation. After spending some time at the Shroomery bulletin boards I have seen a great many questions repeated. So bored as I am at work I decided to slowly write up a Shroomery FAQ for beginner cultivators of psilocybe cubensis. Note that cubensis are the easiest and most adaptable mushroom to grow indoors.

Q: Whats the easiest growing tek out there for beginners, which strain of cubensis should I use and from who shall I get it.
A: I have found personally a small paradox. Others may agree or not . I believe that you must use the MMGG 3.2 the first time, even though it may not be the easiest. The reason for doing this is to get acquainted with the growing process and the requirements of the fungi. Once you are successful in colonizing jars the MMGG method the road opens for further experimentation.
As for which strain. The original strain that a wide array of people began cultivating was the PF Amazonian. It is the easiest to fruit. Some people have suggested that it causes more nausea than others. True or not it is still the easiest to grow. I suggest going through suppliers pages to find out what is currently available. Since the introduction of the PF Amazonian people can get hold of spores for a wide variety of cubensis strains. The ?b?, the ?b+?, equadorian, mazapatec, gulf coast, golden teacher, cambodian, hispanicaAND OTHERS. Note however that they are all of the cubensis family, each having some particularity in its growing parameters.

LINKS
Q: Can I use a substitute for vermiculite.
A: As a beginner I wouldn?t recommend it. Check out however the 9ER TEK method used to grow with plain rice.

LINK

Q: I can?t find wide mouth Jars anywhere.
A: Follow links around here, beg borrow steal. Regular shouldered jars can be used (need to be broken to birth), regular drinking glasses have been used, as well as a variety of used jelly jars that have a wider mouth than base. The point here really is to be able to remove the colonized cake by having it slide gently out of the jar.Use your logic. You want it to survive sterilizing temperatures.

Q: Can I sterilize without a pressure cooker

Q: Can I use a substitute for Brown Rice Flour (BRF)
A:

Q: I inoculated and no signs of growth
A: It can take from 1 day to upto (rarely) a month or so. Most commonly 3 to 5 days. For cubensis check the following:
a. The grain or grain flour used was treated with insecticides and/or fungicides. Not grown organically.
b. The temperature may not be optimal. 60 degrees will be very slow to germinate, 86 degrees will be ideal, upper 90s will be threatening to the spores/mycelium
c. There is no water in the substrate.
d. Contamination may be at fault.
REMEDIES:
a. NONE Next time use organically grown grain flour
b. ADJUST temperature as close as possible to optimal.
c. You could add STERILE WATER via injection but you risk contamination.
d. If you suspect you have a jar contaminated there is not much you can do. Some people have reported just ?waiting to see? and having the mycelium beat out the contamination. These appear as colours other than snow white.

Q: The mycelium is growing but very slowly/ has stopped growing
A: First let discuss slow growth:
e. The most common reason for this is temperature. Optimum growth occurs at 86 degrees F.
f. In the beginning, having the jar holes taped is beneficial (mostly due to contam prevention) , however most growers experience a slow down in mycelium growth after 50% or less colonization. Taking the tape off at this point seems to let the mycelium ?breath? and therefore increase its rate of growth.
g. Less common is the appearance of contamination were growth gradually ceases and then everything turns yucky stinky and moldy.

Q: My jars are not 100% colonized. Can I birth them early.
A: If you plan to case (plant the cake whole or crumbled in trays or cups with some casing mix), its ok to birth as long as you cut out any uncolonized part of the cake. If the uncolonized part is small you could burn it with a red hot nail or something. It is recommended however to wait until 100% colonization and then even some more (a week) .
The only exception would be with the original strain of Amazonian cubensis by PF that might start pinning in the jar (pinning in vitro). When it does, it is time to birth.
If you are not casing, figure out if the cake will stand upright with the uncolonized part removed, and if your impatience is justified (ie have waited a loooong time for this part to colonize. If it is just impatience youre better off waiting.

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In the beginning the Universe was created...
This made a lot of people angry and was widely regarded as a bad move.
-- Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

Later,
Tornos

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"That weed was the shiznitobam snip snap sack!!!"
-Thurgood Jenkins (Half Baked)

Later,
Tornos

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"That weed was the shiznitobam snip snap sack!!!"
-Thurgood Jenkins (Half Baked)

I remember "clicking on" something that had Q & A's. Sure saved me from a lot of awkward questions (newbie-type).

In fact, I'm sure of it. I just checked under "General Info" . . . there it is!

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And to Del: I think "adopt-a-newbie" is a great idea. Who's going to do the matching? Maybe we need a site for newbies to request a "mentor" . . . and seniors can check in and adopt one.

Still . . . . needs someone to keep things under control . . . there are a lot of "interesting" seniors who could really fuck up a newbie (heh heh).

[This message has been edited by scion (edited February 20, 2000).]

scion, yea, there's a psylocibe mushroom faq and a shroomery faq, but they dont' answer the many questions that new members ask pertaining to growing - the questions that many of us get tired of answering every other week. i'd like this faq to be required reading for new members when they register.

Link

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In the beginning the Universe was created...
This made a lot of people angry and was widely regarded as a bad move.
-- Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

del i like that adopting a newbie Idea....

but there all allways many answers...I for example would allways recommend casing....

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I am back with a
vengeance
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