Re: Put Perlite in. I need a responce ASAP - Mushroom Cultivation

Hey TF:
Looks like your cakes just got bruised either from being removed from their jars or from being picked up and placed in your terrarium. No big deal. Definitely not from the light, tho.
I don't know how you plan on keeping humidity high enough for your cakes to survive and fruit without having a lid on your terrarium. Too much humidity will escape without one.
With perlite, this works: one inch deep layer of dry perlite, one inch of water added to it and then another half-inch or so layer of dry perlite. the dry perlite on top will wick a lot of moisture into the air. With a lid on your terrarium, you only have to mist when there's no water droplets on the sides of the terrarium. That's it.

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Man they are blue. It is possible for bluing to ocurr if the light source is too close. You don't need much light so there is no reason to have it too close. Yes bluing is sometime due to stress on the shroom, which is indicated here...and stress can delay or prevent pinning.

But your bluing is consistant across the side of the cakes, which to me indicates a problem with humidity. No lid on your terrerium? How do you keep the humidity up? Improper humidity can also cause bluing and prevent or delay pinning. You cakes look classic. Is the casing as dry as it appears?

Yes you continue misting the cakes till the first pinns appear. Make sure your humidity is in the mid 90s and you temp in the mid 70s till pinning. Then raise temp to low 80s and the humidity to low 90s.

Your cakes will recover. Good Luck.

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Peace, Love & Light

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Alright man, well bluing is usually an indication of damage. The spots on my cakes where they got handled the most turned a little blue. While I don't think it means the cakes are unable to fruit now, I don't think they'll be able to fruit *at* the blue spots. The blueing could be a symptom of whatever's keeping them from fruiting. First I'd move the light farther away. Shrooms don't need very much light at all.

Plus how are you keeping humidity, you have perlite, but that won't keep the entire room humid; you need to get a lid.

You should also put something on the sides of that container, I taped black (opaque) plastic to the sides, if you do that light won't hit from all directions, and when shrooms do grow they'll grow up instead of every which direction (believe me you want them to grow up). Also the lids you use will keep humidity in, but get some plastic (black) to put over the top too. The shrooms grow faster in the dark (i've found this to be true), and only need a few hours of some light (just take plastic off of top and have light in room on) cause they are phototropic.

Then I'd make sure to air out the chamber about twice a day, maybe more. I'd only mist right after you air it out, to get the humidity up quickly. Then the perlite will keep it humid.

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put the lid on, the whole idea of getting a rubbermaid container with perlite is to retain humidity inside the chamber. If you have no lid, there is nothing to keep the humid air in... then everything goes to hell. You poured some water in with that perlite too, right? If the perlite is 2 inches deep it the water should be between 1 1/4'' and 1 1/2'' up. I hope it hasn't been too long for your cakes... they look dry as hell. :frown:

I say give it another shot if these don't ever fruit, but be sure to have a humid enviroment for fruiting. Good luck

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Those cakes either look very dry or the barely have any mycelium on them. You should DEFINATELY put a lid on your terrarium, unless you're using Shroom Wizard's tek, but you're obviously not. Try doing this right away: 1. Give the whole setup a good spray-down, include the sides of the tray and the perlite. 2. As soon as you spray everything, immediately put the lid on. 3. Either torn the light off or bring it back a few feet. I hope these couple of steps help you. Good luck. :biggrin:

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My mind is corrosive...

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