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tomcards



Registered: 04/24/15
Posts: 427
Loc: San Francisco
Last seen: 10 months, 20 days
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A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle
#21679235 - 05/14/15 03:11 PM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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Hi guys,
I’d like to share my first experience of growing mushrooms, and hopefully elicit some feedback.
To educate myself, I read everything on this wondrous site related to first time cultivation. I also bought and read Psilocybin Mushroom Handbook by Nicholas and Ogame.
As a tyro, I chose PF Tek. I bought the Ultimate Mushroom Growing & Incubator kit. The kit came with 12, ½ pint jars of brown rice flower/vermiculate substrate.
I also bought an Easy Mushroom Drying Kit from the same vendor. I was disappointed by the flimsiness of the separation screen. It lays directly on top of the loose desiccant. I worried that placing the shrooms on the screen would essentially bring them into direct contact with the desiccant. So, I bought a small metal cooling rack that elevates the shrooms about an inch above the desiccant.
I chose to start off with cubensis and I bought a strain called Thai-Tanic. The spores in the syringe were clumped together in an eerie black strand. Having never seen spores, I assumed they were dead. So I emailed the vendor and expressed my concern. He promptly responded, assured me that all was well, and instructed me to vigorously shake the syringe to break up the strands.
Day 1: To inoculate the substrate, I used the Oven Door technique from the growing guide that was included with the growing kit. I cleaned the oven, part of the adjacent refrigerator and the several feet of surrounding floor with Lysol wipes.
I preheated the oven to 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Then I turned the temperature down to 250. After 10 minutes, I donned gloves and a mask, opened the oven and pulled out the lower rack. I covered the rack with a piece of aluminum foil so that I could use the rack for a working surface if needed. It turns out that I didn’t need it.
The jars were within easy reach, elevated off of the floor.
After flaming the needle, I injected each jar by holding the jar and the needle at the mouth of the blasting oven, just above the rack. The rising hot air from the oven lifts mold and other air born contaminates up and away from the jars. It was a hot, sweaty, anxiety-provoking experience.
I periodically reflamed the needle and wiped substrate off of it with an alcohol swab.
I inoculated 9 jars with the 10cc syringe. I wasn’t able to inoculate more jars because I accidentally injected too much into one jar, and I made the mistake of vigorously shaking the syringe horizontally, which caused a bit more to issue forth from it. Hey, I was swooning from the heat, I couldn’t help it!
I didn’t replace the aluminum foil over the jar lids. I trusted that the upper layer of vermiculate would do its job.
I placed the jars into the incubation chamber with a temperature of 80 degrees and a humidity of 80%.
Every day, I remove the lid from the tub for a few minutes to give the chamber a shot of fresh air while I inspect the jars for signs of progress.
Day 5: Mycelial growth appears at the inoculation sites of all 9 jars. The growth appeared well beneath the vermiculate, but not as deep into the substrate as I would have preferred. The next time, I’ll make sure to inject the spores as close as possible to the bottom of the jar. There is no sign of contamination.
Day 18 (Today): All 9 jars are at least 85% colonized, but none of them are 100% colonized. Several primordia appear in two of the jars! There is no sign of contamination.
I have read that 100% colonized jars can remain healthy and happy for 30 days before fruiting is induced. I‘ve also read that fruiting should not be induced until the jars are 100% colonized, to prevent potential contamination.
Seeing those baby shrooms makes me feel like a proud, protective papa. Part of me wants to dunk them and switch into fruiting mode immediately for their sake. I’ve read that if I switch to fruiting mode before all of the jars are colonized, the slower jars will not suffer.
This is where I ask for your advice. Should I wait until the two jars with primordia are fully colonized, then dunk them and switch the chamber to fruiting mode, placing the uncolonized jars into the fruiting chamber with them?
Or should I wait until all of the jars are 100% colonized before dunking and fruiting?
Or is there some other appropriate alternative?
I value your expertise and hope to hear from you. To be continued.
Thanks,
Tom
Edited by tomcards (05/23/15 02:33 PM)
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Fog1
Apprentice


Registered: 04/04/15
Posts: 358
Loc: USA
Last seen: 8 days, 19 hours
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: tomcards]
#21679275 - 05/14/15 03:20 PM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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It is best to let them colonize 100% then consolidate for 7 days in jar before placing in fruiting chamber
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Mad Season
hookers and blackjack



Registered: 09/16/12
Posts: 12,666
Loc: Canada
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: Fog1]
#21679288 - 05/14/15 03:24 PM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Fog1 said: It is best to let them colonize 100% then consolidate for 7 days in jar before placing in fruiting chamber
and make sure you use wide jars not tall ones if you want to see them colonized before knotting/pinning. Just leave them to colonize fully and if they just completely stall, wash off the uncolonized spot and put into fruiting (assuming there's still no contam)
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tomcards



Registered: 04/24/15
Posts: 427
Loc: San Francisco
Last seen: 10 months, 20 days
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: Mad Season]
#21679749 - 05/14/15 05:02 PM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Fog1 said: It is best to let them colonize 100% then consolidate for 7 days in jar before placing in fruiting chamber
Thanks for your prompt responses gents.
Fog1, you're recommending that I wait until all 9 jars (not just the two with primordia) colonize 100% and consolidate before initiating fruiting, right?
Tom
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Fog1
Apprentice


Registered: 04/04/15
Posts: 358
Loc: USA
Last seen: 8 days, 19 hours
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: tomcards]
#21679862 - 05/14/15 05:28 PM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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You can place them in chamber after 7 days of consolidation!!
Just put date on jar and wait 1 week for consolidation, you can put 1 or more at a time..
No need to wait for all at once
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tomcards



Registered: 04/24/15
Posts: 427
Loc: San Francisco
Last seen: 10 months, 20 days
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: Fog1]
#21680679 - 05/14/15 08:42 PM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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Understood.
Thanks,
Tom
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tomcards



Registered: 04/24/15
Posts: 427
Loc: San Francisco
Last seen: 10 months, 20 days
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: tomcards]
#21698813 - 05/19/15 03:25 PM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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Day 20: Until now, the incubation/fruiting tub floated atop water in a second tub. An aquarium heater in the water-filled tub provided a consistent, precise temperature in the incubation tub. But because the incubation tub was floating on water, whenever I opened the lid and lifted the jars to inspect them, the jars would slide around, causing the tub to list to starboard, etc. The floatation method doesn’t provide a stable working surface.
So, I got rid of the water-filled tub, bought a heating pad and stuck it under the incubation tub.
Miniature shrooms are visible in four of the jars, and pins are visible in the other 5 jars. All interior surfaces of the jars are colonized, except for small portions of the bases.
The incubation tub had not been exposed to direct sunlight, only ambient room light that came through a window with closed curtains. Still there was obviously enough light to stimulate fruiting before the jars were completely colonized and consolidated. That was my mistake. In the future, I will keep the incubator in the dark.
Day 21: I had to birth those four cakes containing the ever larger shrooms! So I switched the tub into fruiting mode. I put 2 inches of wet perlite into the tub. The heating pad is connected to a timer that turns the pad on for 30 minutes, then off for 30 minutes over 24 hours. By placing folded pillow cases between the heating pad and the bottom of the tub, I’m able to maintain a night time temperature of 70-71 degrees.
I stuck a 60 watt bulb into an 8 inch reflector and clamped it 27 inches above the lid of the tub. Even at that distance, it warms the tub to 73-74 degrees during the day, so I can unplug the heating pad.
I birthed the four cakes and chose not to dunk them due to the presence of rather large mushrooms. I sprinkled a casing layer of vermiculite on top of the cakes, placed them on foil on put them in the tub.
I put the other 5 jars into the tub with them.
Day 22: I harvested the first shroom! I put it into a desiccant container.
Miniature shrooms were now visible in the other 5 jars. I birthed them, gave them a vermiculite casing layer and popped them into the fruiting tub.
Day 23: I harvested several more shrooms, picking them right after the veil began to tear.
I placed one cap on a piece of sterilized aluminum foil and covered it with a small glass to collect a spore print.
Day 24 (Today) I successfully collected the spore print! I continue to harvest about a half dozen shrooms every day. I chose an even larger cap and prepared it for collecting another print.
Here is a photo:
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tomcards



Registered: 04/24/15
Posts: 427
Loc: San Francisco
Last seen: 10 months, 20 days
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: tomcards]
#21713422 - 05/23/15 08:30 AM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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Day 25: Collected the second print. I folded three sides of the foil packet and put it in the desiccant chamber. Later that night, I removed the print packet from the desiccant chamber. I folded the fourth side, placed the packet in a zip lock bag and put the bag in a cool dark place.
Harvested all of the shrooms from the first flush and placed them in the desiccant chamber.
Rinsed off the cakes and dunked them.
Day 26: Put a half cup of hydrogen peroxide in the perlite, along with a cup of water and mixed it. I placed lids on the perlite, instead of foil.
20 hours after dunking, I removed the cakes, gave them a casing layer and put them back in the fruiting chamber.
Day 27: Removed the shrooms from the desiccant chamber and weighed them. The first flush of 9 cakes yielded 14 dry grams. Success!
Day 29: Several pins appear on a few cakes.
Edited by tomcards (05/23/15 02:34 PM)
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Pastywhyte
Say hello to my little friend



Registered: 09/15/12
Posts: 37,810
Loc: Canada
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: tomcards]
#21713455 - 05/23/15 08:43 AM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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Well OP it looks like your getting some fruits, congrats its a good feeling. However i am going to caution you that nearly everything that kit told you is wrong and that your success is more a testement to the resiliance of the species than to the quality of the kit.
I would also suggest that you got back to the original post and remove the links and vendor names. Naming vendors and placing non sponsor links is not alllowed here. I would hate to see your thread locked.
Good luck with your kit
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eatyualive
Eat's You Alive :)



Registered: 08/17/01
Posts: 19,026
Loc: In Your Head
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: Mad Season]
#21713471 - 05/23/15 08:48 AM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
Mad Season said:
Quote:
Fog1 said: It is best to let them colonize 100% then consolidate for 7 days in jar before placing in fruiting chamber
and make sure you use wide jars not tall ones if you want to see them colonized before knotting/pinning. Just leave them to colonize fully and if they just completely stall, wash off the uncolonized spot and put into fruiting (assuming there's still no contam)
this is incorrect. regular mouth and wide mouth 1/2 pint jars work exactly the same. inoculate down the side of the jar and colonize from bottom up. i use both, they both work perfectly. some people don't have access to wide mouth half pints. it depends on your location.
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Mad Season
hookers and blackjack



Registered: 09/16/12
Posts: 12,666
Loc: Canada
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: eatyualive]
#21713532 - 05/23/15 09:15 AM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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Well it can work, just not ideal. We see lots of posts on here asking why it's pinned before full colonization and 9/10 times they're using tall 1/2 pints. It's just a trend I see. The mycelium is wrapped all around the jar except the bottom. Bottom up is best but sometimes it seems to not reach the bottom.
On a side note all I have is tall 1/2 pints so I'm in that boat of not having short jars and I made it work so you are also correct. Just think the short ones like used in the teks are the best from my own experience.
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eatyualive
Eat's You Alive :)



Registered: 08/17/01
Posts: 19,026
Loc: In Your Head
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: Mad Season]
#21713633 - 05/23/15 09:56 AM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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Pf tek states to trickle the inoculum down the sides of the jar. Then you get even growth in all parts of the jar. This in turn makes the bottom stalling a non issue when it colonizes evenly. Personally i think most peoples issues have to do with pf mix, moisture content, inoculation technique. It hasnt been an issue for thousands of growers on the omc in the last 20 years. Why has it become an issue in the last 5 years? Maybe suggest reading the pf tek to newbies. Worked for me as a newb thousands of times with tall jars. I never had access to wide mouth half pints and wasnt willing to pay shipping ordering them online when the regular mouth worked just as well. I do find that if the mix is on the overly dry side or overly wet side that this can happen with thr bottoms not colonizing. One pointer that has helped me get a nice even pf jar mix is to use a hand blender to mix up the pf mix. Then spoon it in the jar. You end up getting a really nice even particle mix and the inoculation drips all the way to the bottom rather easily. this ends up colonizing from bottom up. generally the bottom colonizes first.
Edited by eatyualive (05/23/15 10:21 AM)
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Mad Season
hookers and blackjack



Registered: 09/16/12
Posts: 12,666
Loc: Canada
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: eatyualive]
#21713677 - 05/23/15 10:16 AM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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very logical. It certainly seems like a moisture problem so you're probably right. Thanks for clarifying
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tomcards



Registered: 04/24/15
Posts: 427
Loc: San Francisco
Last seen: 10 months, 20 days
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: Mad Season]
#21714446 - 05/23/15 02:51 PM (8 years, 8 months ago) |
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I appreciate the recommendation, Pastywhyte. I edited the post.
Can you elaborate on what you believe that I did wrong?
Thanks for your feedback regarding inoculation and moisture, eatyualive.
Edited by tomcards (05/23/15 03:05 PM)
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tomcards



Registered: 04/24/15
Posts: 427
Loc: San Francisco
Last seen: 10 months, 20 days
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: tomcards]
#21739955 - 05/30/15 07:01 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Day 32: Begin harvesting the second flush. This flush is producing many more, and much bigger shrooms, some with 3 inch caps.
Day 34: Harvested 4 cakes and dunked them.
Day 35: Put the dunked cakes back in the fruiting chamber. Harvested the remaining 5 cakes and dunked them.
Day 36: Put the dunked cakes back in the fruiting chamber. Drying the yield. I eagerly await the weigh-in.
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tomcards



Registered: 04/24/15
Posts: 427
Loc: San Francisco
Last seen: 10 months, 20 days
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Re: A First Time Cultivator's Chronicle [Re: tomcards]
#21747529 - 06/01/15 07:25 AM (8 years, 7 months ago) |
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Day 38: The second flush produced 35 dry grams. Whoo-hoo!
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