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WWorker
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Registered: 09/09/07
Posts: 395
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What sort of grower should I be?
#7417044 - 09/16/07 04:19 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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I haven't found an answer to this question yet. I have a well respected book on the way, and the info is probably in it, but I am anxious while it makes its way to me.
Anyway, it seems to me that most people here like to produce a good bit at one time. The methods and amounts that people are using seem to produce a lot more shrooms than I could use myself.
In fact, I will probably not use them more than a handful of times per year, with no more than 1 or 2 friends at a time. A medium dosage will usually be fine, and I am not interested in experimenting with a lot different strains.
So what type of grower should I be? I am thinking just a couple of cakes at a time....should I just stick with PF cakes? Or should I go to grain and case? Or maybe learn to grow ALOT in a small area at one time, and then have big breaks of time between growing? I have no idea.....
I was thinking about an outdoor grow next year for the most convenience, and I have heard that I should venture away from PK cakes to have a decent outdoor grow. But once again, I do not need much. A very small, lazily attended patch might suffice. Is that possible?
Thanks...
I feel post is wordy....sorry,
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juris1
Esquire



Registered: 08/08/07
Posts: 288
Loc: The South
Last seen: 10 years, 23 days
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: WWorker]
#7417186 - 09/16/07 04:55 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Hello again...Well, i'm certainly no expert as I've only geen growing for a little over a month. However, only doing a few cakes at a time isn't probably going to yield a very large amount. If a by a few you mean about three cakes or so. But, i've seen some cakes do fairly well and produce several flushes. But, if you are gonna do cakes, then you may be better off just doing a crumble and case method. You're likely to get much better results and larger yields than you would by just doing cakes alone.
I just put the first five of my 12 1/2 pt brf/verm jars in my FC today. The rest will go in about a week or so. I also did some wbs in qt sized jars and they colonized (100%) much faster than my 1/2 pt jars did! So, you might want to consider doing wbs next time. You don't have to go bulk just because you are using grain. You can still spawn it to whatever substrate (hpoo, 50/50, coir) in smaller type trays. That's what I am gonna do with my wbs. I've got 12 qts of it now and will do a couple of diff methods. Some casings and gonna try a monotub just for the fun of it.
I can say though that i'll probably not do anymore pf cakes. Compared to the wbs, it's just more work and you get more spawn out of the wbs! Check out this post that I put up last week. It talks about doing wbs compared to pf cakes. Hope this helps....good luck
https://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/7402913/an/0/page/0
-------------------- "In Vino Veritas" Mycology (from the Greek μύκης, meaning "fungus") is the study of fungi, their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy, and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals (e.g., penicillin), food (e.g., beer, wine, cheese, edible mushrooms) and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or infection.
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Blutjager
Inhuman


Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 9,220
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: WWorker]
#7417191 - 09/16/07 04:56 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
mbmcewen said: Learn to grow ALOT in a small area at one time, and then have big breaks of time between growing?
Im a greenhouse grower and that is exactly what I do
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jeetered
Stranger



Registered: 07/07/06
Posts: 3,055
Loc: no clue
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: Blutjager]
#7417214 - 09/16/07 05:02 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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sounds like you'd be well suited to just do a few cakes at a time. No reason to get real high tech if you just want a handful at a time.
Here's a first, i can't believe it,
maybe you should check out rogerrabbits videos on youtube about how to do pftek style cakes, if that's what you find you want to do, possibly purchase his DVD that explains things a LOT more in depth. It's simple, but i find it to be too much trouble for too little, however, that's me, and probably suits you better.
i'd say go with cakes, maybe as many at one time that would fill your pressure cooker...
if you don't have a pressure cooker?
Quote:
So what type of grower should I be? I am thinking just a couple of cakes at a time....should I just stick with PF cakes? Or should I go to grain and case? Or maybe learn to grow ALOT in a small area at one time, and then have big breaks of time between growing? I have no idea.....
my answer:
without a pressure cooker you shouldn't be a grower at all.
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juris1
Esquire



Registered: 08/08/07
Posts: 288
Loc: The South
Last seen: 10 years, 23 days
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: Blutjager]
#7417224 - 09/16/07 05:05 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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I agree with ya blut....I don't use a green house, but I am growing a lot right now so I can take a break for a while.
-------------------- "In Vino Veritas" Mycology (from the Greek μύκης, meaning "fungus") is the study of fungi, their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy, and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals (e.g., penicillin), food (e.g., beer, wine, cheese, edible mushrooms) and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or infection.
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WWorker
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Registered: 09/09/07
Posts: 395
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: juris1]
#7417279 - 09/16/07 05:20 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Thanks everyone.
Juris, your photos are impressive.
Yeah I think that may be the way to go. Fast and plenty....
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Edited by mbmcewen (09/16/07 05:41 PM)
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WWorker
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Registered: 09/09/07
Posts: 395
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: WWorker]
#7417306 - 09/16/07 05:30 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Jeetered, is it not possible to use a pressure cooker to make PF cakes?
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jeetered
Stranger



Registered: 07/07/06
Posts: 3,055
Loc: no clue
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: WWorker]
#7417372 - 09/16/07 05:56 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
mbmcewen said: Jeetered, is it not possible to use a pressure cooker to make PF cakes?
im saying...
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PRESSURE COOKER... you should NOT be growing.
fractional sterilization through steaming is just hit or miss, way too many contaminates.
I think you missunderstood me, if you DO NOT have a pressure cooker, again, you shouldn't be growing.
so yes, if you have one, pf tek cakes are possible.... as is grains, and seeds... etc..
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Blutjager
Inhuman


Registered: 06/11/06
Posts: 9,220
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: jeetered]
#7417415 - 09/16/07 06:09 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
jeetered said:
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PRESSURE COOKER... you should NOT be growing.
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kirix
Stranger



Registered: 03/14/07
Posts: 228
Last seen: 7 years, 7 months
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: Blutjager]
#7417538 - 09/16/07 06:54 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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You can buy presterilized cakes you don't necessarily need a pressure cooker.
Edited by kirix (09/16/07 06:59 PM)
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ChesterCopperpot
Stranger


Registered: 01/04/07
Posts: 30
Last seen: 12 years, 5 months
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: Blutjager]
#7417602 - 09/16/07 07:17 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Considering your situation, there are positives and negatives for doing cakes or a casing, but both could satisfy your needs. Cakes are very simple, the misting and fanning do not take up as much time as one would believe. I could mist and fan three tubs in about three minutes. Cakes do provide less weight than casing but when properly cared for (dunking, light, fanning, misting) will create some pretty massive shrooms and good recreational yields. Probably about the most time consuming part of cakes is the re-dunking of cakes for second and third flushes. If you are lazy it can be easy to lose track of which/when cakes you have/or need to redunk because they are ready for harvest at varying times. I do a very basic 50/50 casing from crumbled brf cakes but even with such a simple technique the yields are awesome (I think I almost cried I was so surprised by the weight of my first casing yield). Casings have the advantage of very large yields. Yes casing are more time consuming, use a bit more equipment, and are messier than cakes, but that extra time pays off big. My advice for you though it to just stick with the cakes, they are fun and easy to grow, especially if you just want to occasionally trip with friends. I give my friend a free cake every few months and he nurtures it in a mini ice cream tub terrarium, he may not yield much but he really appreciates his trip once his prized cake it flushed. I think the most important thing for you to do though is learn how to make quality spore syringes/prints from your batches, that way you have long term independence for occasional grows.
-------------------- This goes out to The Bearded Men of Space Station 11.
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roquet
Expat tippler


Registered: 05/29/07
Posts: 1,195
Loc: Dubai بجدية عربي...
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: Blutjager]
#7417614 - 09/16/07 07:20 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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I'd suggest cased grain but add some poo to the jars before sterilizing. This will give you nice big mushrooms without the extra time/effort of spawning a substrate. You can make your own trays by cutting a cardboard box as required and lining it with a supermarket carrier bag. This allows you to make it deep (4" is good) but narrow.
Casings seem to be more forgiving than cakes (eg. no need for very high humidity) so easier to grow, especially if you're not doing it very often. Bulk gives the best yield but isn't practical to do on a really small scale. So grain/poo jars combines the best of both worlds if you don't need a huge amount of mushrooms.
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Dr_T
Random Dude




Registered: 06/03/07
Posts: 1,839
Loc: Colorado
Last seen: 16 years, 4 months
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: roquet]
#7418145 - 09/16/07 10:04 PM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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It's a fun hobby, even if you grow more than you need. I got a multi-year supply without too much work- I dried them and put them in the freezer. It's enough that I can give a generous bag away to anybody without shorting myself.
For best yield with lowest work, I have to say that WBS cased with MGMC is a powerful combination. Cakes are small, don't yield much (on average) and seem like a lot of work.
-------------------- Roger Rabbit said: Growing mushrooms is part art, and part science, but it's not magic.
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WWorker
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Registered: 09/09/07
Posts: 395
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: Dr_T]
#7418835 - 09/17/07 04:34 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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Thanks everyone. I think casing WBS is the way to go. I also think that I need to receive and read my book(s) before I post anymore. I am sure I am asking simple questions that I can answer myself with a bit more research.
Thanks for the help and advice. Expect more questions in the weeks to come!
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moon_glue
Orwell's Post9/11 Era



Registered: 01/20/07
Posts: 2,264
Loc: Earth, today...
Last seen: 8 years, 10 months
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Re: What sort of grower should I be? [Re: WWorker]
#7419177 - 09/17/07 09:47 AM (16 years, 4 months ago) |
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do a few 6 quart double tub casings. spawn your cakes to some coir. and you'l have your stash for the year. you can also fill these 6 quart tubs halfway, and just use saran wrap for the lid. this should yeild you on average about an ounce or more. it's best to get all your stash at once, it isnt safe to grow year round.
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