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EWalter69
Stranger

Registered: 04/16/06
Posts: 57
Last seen: 15 years, 9 months
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Questions from a Beginner
#5574615 - 04/30/06 04:34 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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I was looking at the grow guide over at erowid and decided I might like to try out their basic procedure. I just have some questions. My main question is this: how long, on average, does it take to go from a spore syringe to fully cultivated, edible mushrooms? The guide gives some estimates on time for individual steps but the time for the procedure as a whole is a bit foggy.
Secondly: after reaching the terrarium phase, is there a way to "suspend" your mushroom cakes in the event that you need to leave town for a week or two... or will any lack of maintenence during that period inevitably be the end of your mushroom crop?
Thirdly, how safe is the procedure overall for a beginning grower? If the steps are followed carefully, what are the chances of me ingesting some sort of dangerous contaminant? Before I try it I'd like to know if there's a good chance of the whole thing going wrong.
Edited by EWalter69 (04/30/06 04:35 PM)
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futurewolf42o
Le Jooses!


Registered: 03/30/06
Posts: 470
Last seen: 15 years, 8 months
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Re: Questions from a Beginner [Re: EWalter69]
#5574650 - 04/30/06 04:50 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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1. you can never really know there are lots of variables. this hobby is about patience.
2. you can put them in the fridge if you have to which will slow growth considerably
3. with any tek on erowid or shroomery or any reputable site, if you follow the directions to the T, you will have very low risk of failure.
-------------------- cheese-it!
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creamcorn
mad scientist


Registered: 03/13/06
Posts: 2,962
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Re: Questions from a Beginner [Re: EWalter69]
#5574670 - 04/30/06 04:55 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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the reason exact timeframes aren't given is because theres so many variables. your experience and how well you can follow instructions being a big one. from start to finish, 5 weeks is reasonable if everything is done exceptionally well. you can tack anywhere between 1-4 weeks on to that if things aren't optimal through all the stages.
for your second question, you can't stall them once you've birthed the jars (placed in your terrarium). you can before that point by sticking them in a refrigerator, where they'll last several weeks (with some successes being reported at up to 6 months). once you're in the fruiting stage there's things you can do to automate to an extent (check out the "poor mans pod" for an easy way to get automated) but even then you don't want to leave them for more than two days or so if not absolutely necessary. a week or two will be too long.
third, its very safe if you use common sense. at the sight of a contamination in your process, don't risk it, throw it out and start again. if you follow all the instructions and are doing a pf-style grow (which the one you referenced is), the chances of being contaminated are very low in the first place. most contaminates are harmless and at worst will ruin your crop, but not make you sick. there are a few that ARE dangerous though, especially black mold, so its wise not to take risks. if a contaminate has grown to a quantity that will make you ill, it will be very easily spotted, and as long as you follow the "when in doubt, throw it out" advice (as well as start with spores from a reputible vendor, so you know exactly what it is you're growing - see the sponsors on this site for some good sources) you're totally safe. good luck!
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EWalter69
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Registered: 04/16/06
Posts: 57
Last seen: 15 years, 9 months
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Re: Questions from a Beginner [Re: creamcorn]
#5575887 - 04/30/06 11:33 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Yeah, I understand you can't be absolutely certain about the total grow time, I was just looking for a guess at the average. So is five weeks a reasonable expectation for a first time grower?
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creamcorn
mad scientist


Registered: 03/13/06
Posts: 2,962
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Re: Questions from a Beginner [Re: EWalter69]
#5575901 - 04/30/06 11:45 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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like i said 5 weeks is absolute best case - as a first timer chances are you're not gonna get everything 100% perfect prepare yourself with all the knowledge you can, don't cut corners, and with a little beginners luck its certainly attainable though. don't be discouraged if it takes more like 6-8 though.
gotta be patient though and let them do their thing. any time you try to save time, it usually ends up in a screw-up, which takes you much more time in the long run should you have to start over.
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DaveTX
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Registered: 04/01/06
Posts: 262
Last seen: 17 years, 6 months
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Re: Questions from a Beginner [Re: EWalter69]
#5575920 - 04/30/06 11:53 PM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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Yes be very careful about contamination during the first period of of colonizing your substrate... If you begin to smell mold or a puke smell but not a mushroom smell then quit immediately and start over. Dispose of the contaminate by ether behring it 3ft in the ground or flushing it down the toilet. Do not put in in a dumpster or the garbage because it will take over and cause serious problems. The first signs will show within 4 days to a week.
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creamcorn
mad scientist


Registered: 03/13/06
Posts: 2,962
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Re: Questions from a Beginner [Re: DaveTX]
#5575941 - 05/01/06 12:04 AM (17 years, 8 months ago) |
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it will take over and cause serious problems? haha. a contaminated cake is no different than moldy or rotton food. people throw that stuff out all the time last i checked, without any major toxic biohazard emergencies. 
you just want to avoid opening a contaminated jar in your work area, because the last thing you need is to spread it around in there... and you want to avoid inhaling anything since molds might give off a puff of spores, which while irritating to your lungs and throat for a little while, almost definitely aint gonna hurt you.
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