|
PSMM
PsychedelicsSavedMyMarriage



Registered: 03/27/20
Posts: 18
Last seen: 3 years, 30 days
|
My very first mushroom grow!
#26617367 - 04/21/20 10:21 AM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
So....my mushroom cultivation ventures got off to a rocky super slow start. Here I am quite a few months since starting, and FINALLY have some actual mushrooms growing.

First of all, being a newb I decided to go the "grow kit" route since I had no idea what I was doing and figured that would get me started. It probably would have, had I got my hands on viable spores to start with. But bad spore syringes,together with lack of experience led to my first cakes never colonizing......At all. But while I was waiting for those original cakes to colonize, I ended up getting my hands on more spore syringes as well as a spore print, and got started doing agar, and growing the mycelium out on agar first and things.
I had decided to attempt to pressure cook and re-use the original pre-sterilized jars I had bought in the kit since there was no visible contams, just simply did not colonize from the first inoculation. After PC'ing the jars and inoculating them with some Amazonian spores I had acquired as a free gift from one of the suppliers, finally for the first time I saw actual white mycelium forming in the jars! It was so exciting after weeks of NOTHING. So while I was waiting for those jars to colonize, I went ahead and prepared and inoculated a bunch of jars of corn, and wild bird seed with various strains I have acquired over this process. I also made a bunch of agar dishes using 2 ounce catchup cups, and have a bunch of different strains growing out on that as well.
I had decided to go the monotub route instead of birthing the cakes. So when my little "kit" jars were fully colonized, I just did a bucket tek with some coir and verm and broke the cakes apart into a big 66 quart tub with the coir and verm, but I also happened to have this little "salad tub" that I wanted to try a little shoebox grow in. And within a few days, had quite a few little pins! And now, have actual mushrooms growing! You will probably notice the lack of a "liner" in this little tub. I used the "spray paint" method.......but then realized I was going off of old information that it is light that causes side pins. So I have quite a few side pins in this little tub, but oh well. The big tub has different conditions, so it is only just now starting to pin a tiny bit. But it is fun after all this time and work to finally have actual mushrooms growing! I'm pretty sure they are Amazonian. Amazonian so far have proven to be the fastest colonizers I've got. My B+ come in second, and the Golden Teacher spores I've been attempting to get going, have only just finally started to take in a jar of corn. So I transfered a little of that onto agar to try getting some more Golden Teacher to grow.
Anyway, it's been a lot of fun! Even with the frustrations and issues I've run into! It is a very rewarding hobby! Happy to finally have a Still air box built so I can work cleaner as well. I plan to keep a few big tubs on a cycle. I've currently got about 5 jars of corn almost fully colonized so going to be putting that into a tub here real soon, and have a whole bunch of other jars in varying stages of colonization. Going to be building some climate controllable shelves in our basement over the next couple weeks since the aquarium heater in a tub, with another tub floating inside, while doable, and a clever method, it has it's drawbacks and I'd like to move away from doing it that way.
Anyway....Just thought I would share my first ever succesful mushroom grow! Hopefully the first of many now that I know far better just what the heck I'm doing here. ha ha

|
Bsfixit


Registered: 10/23/19
Posts: 132
Last seen: 2 months, 18 days
|
Re: My very first mushroom grow! [Re: PSMM]
#26617387 - 04/21/20 10:28 AM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Congrats ! How are you able to sterilize those little ketchup containers?
|
PSMM
PsychedelicsSavedMyMarriage



Registered: 03/27/20
Posts: 18
Last seen: 3 years, 30 days
|
Re: My very first mushroom grow! [Re: Bsfixit]
#26617414 - 04/21/20 10:36 AM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Bsfixit said: Congrats ! How are you able to sterilize those little ketchup containers?
That is a good question. I wondered the same thing. Basically the hope is, that they are sterile (enough) as they are packaged. I keep the bag they come in tightly closed until I am ready to take a stack of them out and put them in the still air box. Then I am very careful to only expose them to air as I fill them with agar and then quickly put the lids on. And so far, they seem to remain "clean" of any contams. Once in a while, I will get one that starts to develop contamination, but it is rare enough that it seems as though the cups are sterile enough as they come in the package. Because yeah, they melt very easily, so pressure cooking them is not an option.
|
poisoned
untitled



Registered: 04/17/13
Posts: 1,738
Loc: Yurop
Last seen: 1 year, 3 months
|
Re: My very first mushroom grow! [Re: PSMM]
#26617436 - 04/21/20 10:44 AM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
How long since you did a first batch?
|
ModularMind
M.P.F.



Registered: 02/09/10
Posts: 7,902
|
Re: My very first mushroom grow! [Re: Bsfixit]
#26617452 - 04/21/20 10:52 AM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Bsfixit said: How are you able to sterilize those little ketchup containers?
They are food grade containers. Manufacturers send them out clean with the understanding that they’re to be used to hold nutrient rich items. It behooves them not to contam the giardiniera instantly.
|
rumfor69
Bodhicitta Cultivator



Registered: 08/05/11
Posts: 6,767
Loc: In the Gills
Last seen: 1 hour, 8 minutes
|
Re: My very first mushroom grow! [Re: ModularMind]
#26617628 - 04/21/20 12:12 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Congrats enjoy the fruits!!!
|
Bsfixit


Registered: 10/23/19
Posts: 132
Last seen: 2 months, 18 days
|
Re: My very first mushroom grow! [Re: ModularMind]
#26618445 - 04/21/20 06:36 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
ModularMind said:
Quote:
Bsfixit said: How are you able to sterilize those little ketchup containers?
They are food grade containers. Manufacturers send them out clean with the understanding that they’re to be used to hold nutrient rich items. It behooves them not to contam the giardiniera instantly.
Most things like that are irradiated.. so I guess they would be sterile. Any particular source for those ? It’s a great ideal !
|
DeckardCain
Stay a while and listen



Registered: 09/22/12
Posts: 236
|
Re: My very first mushroom grow! [Re: Bsfixit]
#26618507 - 04/21/20 07:16 PM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Bsfixit said: Congrats ! How are you able to sterilize those little ketchup containers?
if your spawn is fully colonized, and your substrate is properly pasturized you dont need to worry about a sterile container. Do we sterilize your 55 quart tubs in a pressure cooker? We probably just wash them out with soapy water right?
Edited by DeckardCain (04/21/20 07:17 PM)
|
Bsfixit


Registered: 10/23/19
Posts: 132
Last seen: 2 months, 18 days
|
Re: My very first mushroom grow! [Re: DeckardCain]
#26622111 - 04/23/20 11:20 AM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
DeckardCain said:
Quote:
Bsfixit said: Congrats ! How are you able to sterilize those little ketchup containers?
if your spawn is fully colonized, and your substrate is properly pasturized you dont need to worry about a sterile container. Do we sterilize your 55 quart tubs in a pressure cooker? We probably just wash them out with soapy water right?
Obviously I was talking about the agar plates not the tub
|
DeckardCain
Stay a while and listen



Registered: 09/22/12
Posts: 236
|
Re: My very first mushroom grow! [Re: Bsfixit] 1
#26622116 - 04/23/20 11:25 AM (3 years, 9 months ago) |
|
|
Oh lol my bad the top tubs look like condiment holders I’ve used cooking in fast food lol
|
|