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Offlinedualxwielder
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Registered: 02/29/16
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Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciated
    #23372921 - 06/23/16 08:43 AM (7 years, 7 months ago)

Hello! I went back and forth about putting this in the contam forum or not, but since I wanted to talk about my method, I thought here might be better. I'm sorry if I made the wrong choice; feel free to let me know.

First time grower, I've been trying very hard to research every step of the way and troubleshoot the problems I encountered. I purchased cake jars and bulk substrate from Midwest Grow Kits, as well as one of their greenhouse grow environments, thinking it would be an easy way to start. I definitely think that was the wrong choice.

My first mistake, I think, was waiting too long with the bags. I travel a lot so I didn't get to inoculate them until well past their sell by date, and I didn't realize I needed to freeze them to keep them good. To start I had strains of hen of the woods, enoki, shiitake, and three types of cubes. I inoculated the first three into bulk bags and the last three into jars. At this point I was being really overcautious about contaminants and was throwing stuff away at any sign of weirdness. The hen looked never to have even started - their bags just turned liquidy and I tossed them. The enoki ended up with some weird bluish mold. The shiitake were the only ones that took and survived into casing.

For the cubes, one strain molded completely in utero. The B+ and golden teacher made it to birthing via the PFTek method. I dunked and rolled. Here's where things got rough. The greenhouse chamber proved really difficult for me to keep in the right environment. First of all, it was really hard to get airflow in there and clear out the CO2. I have a herp humidifier going almost all the time, and the humidity gauge always said it was 95% to 100% relative humidity, but the cakes dried out while my pearlite was soaked. The casing pan with the shiitake looked good for a while, was going along, then abruptly dried out. I tried overcompensating and overmisted it to bring it back, and new growth started, but then it started to turn a pinkish color in places where the water collected and when I took it out it smelled bad. Tossed that too.

Now I just had the cubes. I soaked them again and took them out of the greenhouse and put them in a monotub. I cased them. They STARTED TO PIN! By this point I was utterly shocked nothing else contaminant-wise had started to grow - I felt like I'd had them in and out of my clean environment so often. I went a little overboard with misting and the humidifier, I think. Today I check on them and many of the mushrooms have broken the veil, but some have the weirdest tops, and I don't know if it's blotch or just too much water. The stems are also a weird combo of soggy but also really thin and somewhat stringy. It resembles when a tomato is dry and then splits after a rain. The mushrooms are admittedly super wet, and somewhat moistened a paper towel I temporarily wrapped them in. There does not seem to be any sliminess or fuzziness to the holes in the caps. I have looked all over for photos of similar occurrences, to no avail. The largest intact cap had faint blue spots that I'm unsure are bruising or blotch. It looks to be inside the cap and not on its surface, like a mold. There's also some weird formation development of the caps.

At this point I'm so...tired and baffled? I don't know if I should toss all of these or dry them out and use them. Are they safe? Should I just start over? And if I do, I would love to know ways in which I can improve the greenhouse to make it a better environment - it was quite a bit of money. Airflow and oxygen were a huge issue. I also think I should have misted the tek more.

Thanks for reading, and feedback.






--------------------
Just a plant lover trying to learn new things.


Edited by dualxwielder (06/23/16 08:52 AM)


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InvisibleSupalemonhaze
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: dualxwielder]
    #23372930 - 06/23/16 08:45 AM (7 years, 7 months ago)

Could have gotten dry at some point. I have the same thing happening in a jar I'm fruiting in open air.


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Invisiblemupetmower
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: Supalemonhaze]
    #23372935 - 06/23/16 08:47 AM (7 years, 7 months ago)

i actually had that happen to a few caps of the B+ that i misted too heavily. when i stopped misting to hard for the last day before harvest, a couple caps split like that. also, some split while printing.

some of those, like the last pic, are kinda troubling, though. looks like its brains are falling out =p


--------------------
-The wise man never stops seeking knowledge.


-I wanna feel the change consume me, feel the outside turning in. I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured within.


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Offlinedualxwielder
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Registered: 02/29/16
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Loc: Illinois
Last seen: 7 years, 7 months
Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: mupetmower]
    #23372947 - 06/23/16 08:51 AM (7 years, 7 months ago)

Haha I know right? They're super alien-looking.


--------------------
Just a plant lover trying to learn new things.


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InvisibleSupalemonhaze
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: mupetmower]
    #23372964 - 06/23/16 08:58 AM (7 years, 7 months ago)

Those do look soggy, the one in the last pic probably had bacteria eating away on it's cap.

My opinion? Forget about pre-made shit and put your greenhouse in storage for now. You should start with something simple, like a monotub. I'm not at all surprised that the cubes are the only thing that fruited, since they were not in the GH.

95-100% humidity is useless, for the most part. For one, humidity only matters at the substrate level. It could be that your FC has only 50% humidity but with proper misting, the substrate level will be 100%. GHs do benefit from a humidifier and I think everyone who grows in them uses one but it shouldn't be on all the time I think. I've never used a GH so I better let someone else go into detail on that.

Start reading a lot of teks, I suggest that you read pasty's no pour agar tek as well as some monotub teks and either spawn to mini-monotubs or spawn to trays and fruit them in big monotubs. Also, when you get something you are not sure of, just take a pic and make a thread, plenty of people will help you get a successful grow. And do yourself a favor, don't buy pre-made shit again. It's just a waste of money.

PS. Those look safe to eat, just make sure none of them have any molds growing on them (I can't see any) and discard the ones that look like they are rotting, like the one in the last pic. Goodluck on your future endeavors.


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Offlinedualxwielder
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Registered: 02/29/16
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Loc: Illinois
Last seen: 7 years, 7 months
Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: Supalemonhaze]
    #23372980 - 06/23/16 09:04 AM (7 years, 7 months ago)

Thank you very much for the feedback. And for the recommendation of which ones to toss. I was pretty concerned about what I could keep.

So you think I should sterilize the substrate myself? Is that what you mean when you say don't buy premade shit? I'll admit I am super intimidated by that - I feel like there are so many opportunities for me to fuck up the sterilization process.


--------------------
Just a plant lover trying to learn new things.


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InvisibleSupalemonhaze
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: dualxwielder]
    #23373041 - 06/23/16 09:28 AM (7 years, 7 months ago)

Sterilization is pretty darn easy, just hydrate some grains, throw them in jars and PC them for 90-120 minutes. The majority of contams you will ever have will be introduced during inoculation, which is the "hardest" part out of growing shrooms. If you are using coir and verm as a bulk, you don't have anything to worry about when it comes to sterilization/pasteurization. As long as you PC for enough time and your inoculant/sterile tek is good, you will have successful grows for a fraction of the price of premade stuff.

Your mushrooms are fine, you will be able to tell pretty easily which ones are rotting. They will be very squishy and gooey. Anything that looks too disgusting to eat, shouldn't be eaten. The ones that look overly wet are still good, just get them cracker dry and eat them. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can use an oven to dry your shrooms.


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Offlinedualxwielder
Trying
Registered: 02/29/16
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Loc: Illinois
Last seen: 7 years, 7 months
Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: Supalemonhaze]
    #23373060 - 06/23/16 09:34 AM (7 years, 7 months ago)

I do have a dehydrator, actually! They are in there as we type.

I will look into more methods next time I start a grow. You are right, the premade stuff is very expensive. It seemed easier this first time since the whole process seemed so huge, but I feel more confident now that I've done it and I've had some successes and failures. Nothing like trying something and learning by fire. I can definitely see how this might get addictive as a hobby.

At any rate, thanks so much for your help!


--------------------
Just a plant lover trying to learn new things.


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Offlinedualxwielder
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Registered: 02/29/16
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Loc: Illinois
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: Supalemonhaze]
    #23377795 - 06/24/16 02:56 PM (7 years, 7 months ago)

Sorry to come back and bump this thread, but I've posted in Contamination and have not gotten much response. I was wondering if you might weigh in on this being my cakes trying to colonize the substrate or if it's mold? It's so fibrous it looks like mushroom growth to me, but I'd prefer a more seasoned opinion. Contamination thread photos

I've had a very discouraging day to day (accidentally thawed my first flush, they're a blue mess now, and probably ruined) so I'd love some good news.


--------------------
Just a plant lover trying to learn new things.


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OfflinecronicrFacebook
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: dualxwielder]
    #23377838 - 06/24/16 03:21 PM (7 years, 7 months ago)

you shouldnt' sit your cakes on food....


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InvisibleSupalemonhaze
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: dualxwielder]
    #23377912 - 06/24/16 03:51 PM (7 years, 7 months ago)

Quote:

dualxwielder said:
(accidentally thawed my first flush, they're a blue mess now, and probably ruined)





You mean you froze fresh mushrooms? If so, the accidental thaw wasn't what made them inedible, the freezing made them that way. You don't freeze fresh mushrooms, you have to get them cracker dry first.

Doesn't look like any contam to me, just regular colonization. Is that a SGFC? Why did you fill it with verm? You have to use something to seperate the cake from the perlite (what you should actually be using).

I say you still have a lot of reading yet to do.


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Invisiblemupetmower
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: cronicr]
    #23377927 - 06/24/16 03:56 PM (7 years, 7 months ago)

yup, listen to cron. your cakes are trying to colonize the verm. that is why you sit them on a piece of FOIL, on top of PERLITE, not vermiiculite.

and that fuzz you are so worried about is normal. almost all mushrooms will have at least a tiny bit of that on the bottom. we call it fuzzy feet. certain conditions will make them have more/less of it. but it is normal and nothing to worry about.

im certain that you havent followed proper SGFC tek, so that would also help your cakes produce more, and healthier mushrooms.


--------------------
-The wise man never stops seeking knowledge.


-I wanna feel the change consume me, feel the outside turning in. I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured within.


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Offlinedualxwielder
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: mupetmower]
    #23378105 - 06/24/16 04:55 PM (7 years, 7 months ago)

Nope, I haven't, I mentioned earlier I tossed them into a tub after having total failure in a GH. It was a last resort to see if they'd do anything, and they did. If its colonization, I'm just going to leave them in there and let them do their thing for now.


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Invisiblemupetmower
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: dualxwielder]
    #23378126 - 06/24/16 05:02 PM (7 years, 7 months ago)

uhhh ok.. so youre gonna leave them on verm? thats only going to make things worse. they would be better off on foil. its going to put energy into colonizing that verm and not into fruiting.

just dont understnad. its such an easy fix which costs no money. or you could spend $10 and get perlite and make a SGFC.


--------------------
-The wise man never stops seeking knowledge.


-I wanna feel the change consume me, feel the outside turning in. I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured within.


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InvisibleSupalemonhaze
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: dualxwielder]
    #23378128 - 06/24/16 05:02 PM (7 years, 7 months ago)

Oh, so you want to eat mycelium instead of mushrooms? Ok then, sounds like a plan.

I prefer mushrooms personally so I would be less inclined to be too lazy to drop a piece of foil between the cake and the verm. I would also be more inclined to follow teks to a T, meaning I would use perlite as the tek suggests, as well as follow the design that the tek shows.

Can't really expect any positive feedback if you can't follow a tek or a simple set of instructions.


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InvisibleSupalemonhaze
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: mupetmower]
    #23378134 - 06/24/16 05:04 PM (7 years, 7 months ago)

Quote:

mupetmower said:
uhhh ok.. so youre gonna leave them on verm? thats only going to make things worse. they would be better off on foil. its going to put energy into colonizing that verm and not into fruiting.

just dont understnad. its such an easy fix which costs no money. or you could spend $10 and get perlite and make a SGFC.




I reckon it's time to break out the :popcorn: When logic fails, least you can do is enjoy seeing something ridiculously silly and funny.


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Offlinedualxwielder
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: Supalemonhaze]
    #23378141 - 06/24/16 05:05 PM (7 years, 7 months ago)

I apologise, I'm not out to be sarcastic, so please don't take it as such. I'm going on a trip, and will be giving the tub to a friend to look after, I thought it would be simpler to just let them colonize while I as gone. I'll be gone for over a month.


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Invisiblemupetmower
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: Supalemonhaze]
    #23378148 - 06/24/16 05:08 PM (7 years, 7 months ago)

what? no. it would be simpler to give your friend cake that are sitting on foil, that are in a SGFC with perlite. that way all he has to  do is mist when dry.

im willing to bet if you just leave them as it, and "let them colonize" while youre gone, they will probably just die.

we arent trying to be dicks, either, just trying to help you.


--------------------
-The wise man never stops seeking knowledge.


-I wanna feel the change consume me, feel the outside turning in. I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured within.


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Offlinedualxwielder
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: dualxwielder]
    #23378153 - 06/24/16 05:11 PM (7 years, 7 months ago)

All right, I will do as you say. Thank you much for the knowledge.  :smile:


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OfflineScuba_Steve
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Re: Holes in mushroom caps - first grow, any feedback appreciatred [Re: dualxwielder]
    #23379495 - 06/25/16 02:52 AM (7 years, 7 months ago)

I also am using pre-made substrate jars from midwest grow kits and to be honest, they are fruiting fine at the moment. They aren't a waste of money, but actually the best option for those of us without a pc.


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