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hello_from_helen
Stranger
Registered: 04/28/20
Posts: 4
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First Timer w/ PF Tek, Problem Fruiting 1
#27120583 - 01/01/21 02:59 PM (3 years, 27 days ago) |
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Happy New Year. First Timer seeking guidance as to why cakes have not fruited using PFTek. Thought I was following all steps correctly, but birthed the cakes 11 days ago and still no fruits. Apologies in advance for any mistakes in verbiage or inclusion / exclusion of relevant info.
- Inoculated 12 shoulderless half-pint jars using vermiculite / brf after using pressure cooker to steam sterlize. Allowed jars to cool before inoculating w/ spore syringes (Golden Teacher for 6 jars, PES Amazonian for 6 others).
- Left 12 jars to colonize in temps ranging from 64 - 68 degrees. From what I read, a higher temp would be optimal, but it's winter and house is colder than usual. Also read it would just take longer to colonize in lower temps. The jars weren't fully colonized at 3 weeks, so patiently waited. What they looked like after 3 weeks:
 
- Read that fully colonized jars should be left for 1 week before birthing. Ended up birthing after 6 total weeks from inoculation. What they looked like before dunking:
 
- Rinsed then dunked / rehydrated the cakes for 24 hours in cold water before rolling in dry vermiculite and placing in FC on top of aluminum foil squares.

- FC was filled with 4" of well-rinsed perlite. Holes drilled every 2" or so on all sides.
 
- Misted and fanned 3 - 5x / day for the first 4 days. Temp was 62 - 68 degrees. Again, temp was probably lower than optimal, but didn't think it was too cold...Could be wrong here. FC was in a room with some ambient, natural light, but no fluorescent lighting as most things I read said those were optional and that fruits didn't 'need' the artificial 12 on /12 off light schedule. RH was > 90% for almost entire time. Usually sat at 95%. Seemed like some minor pinning was happening. Cakes after 4 days in FC:
 
- After 4 days, had to move the entire FC from parents to my house, so they were in the car for 2 hours. Transport was made carefully but I know this was not optimal.
- At my house after the transport, I impatiently tried to induce more pinning / fruiting by setting up 12 on / 12 off schedule w/ artificial light. Light is an Ikea under-cabinet kitchen light, not exactly sure what color spectrum, but it does seem more bluish / daylight to me. Still misting at least 4x / day and fanning at least 5 - 6x / day. Temp is 65 - 70. RH usually sits at 95%, but I do notice having to mist more during the day when light is on. I think the perlite might be starting to dry out too given its now been 11 days since starting the fruiting process. There seemed to be some increase in pinning in the 24 - 48 hours after introducing the artificial light but no actual fruits yet after 7 days on the light schedule (and 11 total days in FC). There is some light bluish coloration on the top of a few of the cakes, which I'm hoping is not contamination. It does not smell foul or anything like that. Here's what the cakes look like now:
   
Any suggestions for next steps? Is 11 days too long for fruiting to start? Should I keep misting / fanning and just be patient? Did the transport of the SGFC 4 days into the fruiting process screw everything up? Is the bluish coloration mold? Or caused by deyhdration or overhydration of the cakes? Do I need to get a 'proper' light fixture / bulb for the 12 on / off cycle?
I'm going to be trying another PF Tek round, so would love any and all feedback. Thanks for reading this far. The forums have been so helpful.
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hazyhorse
scoobin



Registered: 03/19/19
Posts: 3,820
Last seen: 17 hours, 8 minutes
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hi! never grown cakes so hopefully someone can help you out with those specifics, but to me it looks like you’re doing mostly fine. don’t worry about fanning, you can do it if you want but it’s kinda pointless. shrooms will get everything they need from air exchange alone. the bluing on your cakes looks like bruising to me & i would assume it was either from drying out or handling during transport/inspection. don’t worry about pinning & fruits, it’ll happen when it happens. i don’t think 11 days is too long, especially with the colder temps. i grow in conditions between 60-70 during the winter & growth is a bit slower but that’s just the nature of it. just focus on keeping your surface conditions properly moist & you’ll have fruits before you know it!
https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/21595437#21595437 this thread may be useful for helping to learn when your cakes are wet/dry!
-------------------- you're not the first to set foot here, just another =================================== i love glass petris & you can too!! posts i constantly refer back to new to mushroom cultivation?? read this!! ===================================
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hello_from_helen
Stranger
Registered: 04/28/20
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Re: First Timer w/ PF Tek, Problem Fruiting [Re: hazyhorse]
#27121054 - 01/01/21 08:04 PM (3 years, 27 days ago) |
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Thanks so much. Will continue on and pray for fruits!
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LtLurker
Lost Sailor



Registered: 01/03/18
Posts: 7,535
Loc: Borderlands
Last seen: 5 days, 4 hours
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Yea you're doing ok. Just a few points for you.
Car trip didn't hurt anything.
Your light should have a "warmth" or spectrum rating on the box. You wanna be around 6500k. You get them from the regular bulb section, not a grow light.
You shouldn't need to mist multiple times a day, only when the verm looks dry. Fanning isn't needed at all.
11 days is not long. Cold makes it longer. Just stay patient and work on the next round if you need to do something.
With the extra time and dry heat during winter, i really like to add a bottom water dish. Helps keep the cake hydrated. Trick is just don't let them sit in water for days, give it a few days to absorb then sit dry a day or 2 before refilling. https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/23709670
Cakes like to be close together. You can trim the foil(or bottom dish), and get them much closer together without covering all the perlite. Kinda like this.
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hello_from_helen
Stranger
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Re: First Timer w/ PF Tek, Problem Fruiting [Re: LtLurker]
#27122609 - 01/02/21 06:26 PM (3 years, 26 days ago) |
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Alright sweet. Really appreciate these tips. Gonna get em closer together, check the spectrum rating on the light, and try the bottom water approach.
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tiptrippy
The Mechanic



Registered: 09/09/20
Posts: 1,131
Loc: United States
Last seen: 1 year, 6 months
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You could also try upping the temp in the grow room to about 75 if you have a small space heater.
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Ballzagna
Carb Daddy



Registered: 10/09/19
Posts: 619
Last seen: 13 days, 14 hours
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Re: First Timer w/ PF Tek, Problem Fruiting [Re: tiptrippy]
#27122735 - 01/02/21 07:35 PM (3 years, 26 days ago) |
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never done pf tek but another common tip I see given is to trim the foil closer to the bottom of the cakes, circles the same diameter instead of squares. otherwise looks great, most pf teks first tries are pretty haggard attempts but those are some nice looking cakes.
-------------------- No one likes a naysayer It's probably fine. Even if it's not fine, it'll eventually be fine. So it's fine. PE Adventure
Photosynthesis: A Morning Ritual Ballzagna's Tek Compendium and Notes for Noobs 
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tiptrippy
The Mechanic



Registered: 09/09/20
Posts: 1,131
Loc: United States
Last seen: 1 year, 6 months
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Re: First Timer w/ PF Tek, Problem Fruiting [Re: Ballzagna]
#27122753 - 01/02/21 07:43 PM (3 years, 26 days ago) |
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I agree the cakes look pretty healthy for the most part. Try to limit your handling of them and be a little more patient. They should fruit
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hello_from_helen
Stranger
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Re: First Timer w/ PF Tek, Problem Fruiting [Re: tiptrippy]
#27134116 - 01/07/21 09:19 PM (3 years, 21 days ago) |
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You guys all kick ass. Changed out the light to get it to the 6500k spectrum and cut the foil to be smaller. They started fruiting a couple days ago. Stoked!
 
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