215 replies to this topic

[MushLuvR]

Thank you @Arathu... been going through a rough patch, usually I update more frequently it's just been hectic lately.  All good, I'm a firm believer that if life hands you lemons, embrace the sour face and make lemonade.  I need me a trip to the woods very soon to spot some specimens.  I always feel like I'm grounded in the forest, bird watching, foraging, whatever, we need to get back to our ROOTS.  

[rockyfungus]

I just re-tuned with the solstice. Need to venture deeper into the woods myself though.

Hope all is well, days are getting brighter my friend. 

[MushLuvR]

Wow, this thread is in need of a BLOW UP session with photo's, I have clearly neglected this one the worst along with my Cannabis thread.  All good, I've slacked on taking pictures, but I still have plenty to share... and I can't wait.  I have a guest coming over soon, but weekend goals... get ALL my shit straight.  

 

Be Back Soon with the Goods!

[MushLuvR]

I promised backed in February. and I didn't deliver.  Well, I'll make good on that promise sometime this weekend.  I've been through so much, but I'm here and I'm going to unload on ya'll a photo bomb session hopefully tomorrow, or Sunday.  I missed yawl and I look forward to sharing.  

Edited by MushLuvR, 04 August 2023 - 10:07 AM.

[MushLuvR]

Alright folks, getting my life in order, been doing much better and.... well... I'm just going to blow up the spot with photos... LET'S GO!!

 

 

12.10.22  Pink Oysters

 

 

 

 

12.13.22 Second Flush... Not to bad 

 

 

 

 

 

12.11.22 LM and Conifer Coral

 

 

 

12.13.22  

 

 

 

 

12.14.22

 

Slight Yellowing, Time to PICk

 

 

 

12.20.22  Shiitake Bowl

 

 

 

 

12.26.22 LM Filter Patch Fruit

 

 

1.2.23

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.4.23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.7.23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.9.23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's a good start, I'll be back it's break time.  

Edited by MushLuvR, 22 August 2023 - 02:10 PM.

[MushLuvR]

Back to IT...  Check out these lil' guys/gals.  Always cool when you catch them at the beginning stage with oysters.  Happens SO Fast.

 

1.7.23

 

King Blue Cross

 

A few KO pins poppin' thru the casing.

 

 

1.9.23

 

 

 

 

Turkey Tail

 

Oh man, LATE AF shout out to Yoshi, Garbage Can fruit (slight... slight mold contamination, nothing major) first pic.  My old Rack there is just used mainly for my cactus seedlings among other things and still pics in this case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always nice when a contamination turns into some Big Outdoor fruits... Mush Luv @YoshiTrainer and @Arathu... I was experimenting with straw blocks at the time, this one was a little too moist. 

 

 

1.13.23 Another beautiful Bears Head... addicting growing these to see what sort of faces pop up... and Delicious!

 

 

 

 

Long Gap with no pics in between for the King Blue Straw block that didn't go Outside. Did way better on pellets, but that wasn't the reason for the experimentation.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not the greatest KO flush, but tasty nonetheless  The big fruit was almost a QB by itself

 

 

 

 

 

1.19.23 Another Big Late KO fruit

 

 

 

 

King Blue block pellets and Bran my Goto

 

 

 

1.20.23 King Blue HWFP

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good Size comparison pic from KB to KO

 

1.20.23 later that Night

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.7.23 Conifer Coral Block just kickin' In

 

 

And the other KiB Block

 

 

 

 

 

2.11.23 No inbetween pics unfortunately

 

 

 

I went a bit too far with these, eaten all the same.  :)

 

 

2.13.23  Conifer Coral

 

 

 

 

Hey there's some Shiitake Pics

 

 

 

2.15.23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A good place to stop for a bit.  Decent haul of shiitakes, well over a pound but CAN do better.  Alright.... 1-2-3.... BREAK!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MushLuvR]

2.18.23 Conifer Coral

 

 

 

 

 

2.23.23 The Contaminated King Blue block of straw still paying dividends in my almost 3-year-old compost pile.

 

A different color, but when I picked them there was definitely straw attached to base.  Doesn't take much of a chunk either to get some freebies.  A more brownish color as well.  Mother Nature fruits are the best.

 

 

 

2.28.23, I had to move the tent to the Garage since we had a really wet season which isn't the norm for us, anyway, it was causing a little PM to my other projects and that's NO Bueno.  It's never a problem, UNTIL it IS. So off to the garage we go for some cold species fun guy stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are by far the biggest I have ever grown to date.  I didn't even know they were capable of this size.  I cloned the 200g fruit and it's currently colonized on grain waiting for G2G (PC rockin' as I type).  I grew a ton of Shiitake blocks this year, and the first blocks were average to below, but towards the end, they were putting out respectable flushes.  I quit going 2 flushes, I send em' outside and if they are good enough I'll keep em' or back to the earth.  The previous season I went more LM crazy, I'll probably go more KO crazy this upcoming season  

 

Big Gap (break from tent), then another Shiitake block in April, the last of them.

 

4.7.23

 

 

 

 

 

Nice block, the last one was weak, same environment everything so that's how she goes sometimes.  

 

 

 

Some Beech Mushrooms that weren't fruiting in my house (previous attempts, 65F wasn't doing it) and with the Garage being colder, I had to put these blocks out there.  Glad I did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.12.23

 

 

 

Last Shiitake Block

 

 

 

4.15.23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really enjoyed these Beech Clam mushrooms, my wife is a vegetarian, so I eat vegetarian food here and there and they taste like a veggie scallop almost.  Crunchy no sort of weird mushroom taste, a great cold species that were great deep fried or sauteed in a skillet whatever your pleasure.  Excellent Edible. 

 

Alrightie... Another Break for me, I feel like I'm catching up to my life, ALMOST there.  

 

P.S  Purrrfect timing... the PC is ready to be turned off.  A round of Milo Anyone?  

Edited by MushLuvR, 22 August 2023 - 05:10 PM.

[Arathu]

Beautiful!

 

A

[MushLuvR]

Thank you @Arathu... I'm just getting back in the swing of things, but I need to finish up what I originally started So HERE WEE GO!!

 

 

4-17-23 a few last Shiitake Blocks that did very well

 

 

 

 

 

It's hard to tell but that says 549g

 

 

 

 

Not as good as the block above, but still a decent haul

 

 

 

 

 

 

4-22-23 Check out the freebie Tree Oyster cluster chillin' under my straw mulch for my Maters

 

 

 

A couple freebie Shiitakes 

 

 

and 2 days later 4-24-23

 

 

 

 

 

 

4-26-23 The last few blocks of Shiitakes did excellent

 

 

 

 

4-29-23, shiitake blocks just covered with compost

 

 

 

Awww Twins!

 

Alrightie, April finished, have some pics in May, but breaktime is IN order!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MushLuvR]

Back from break....

 

Another Cluster of Tree Oysters 5-4-23  Check out the wheat straw seedling    I didn't 

take pics of the finished cluster, but another LUVly specimen No doubt.  I ate the first cluster fresh that morning for breakfast and this bouquet later that day.

 

 

5-11-23 Starting to get a handle on these KO's, I'm just about to get those back in business soon (just pulled the LC from fridge).  I've tried all sorts of ways and cased blocks with a two inch or so bag shield cut a bit high seems to be what works for me... at this stage of playing with them anyway.  I've went shiitake and LM crazy, it's just TIME for these KINGs... to RULE!  

 

 

These babies are photogenic!

 

 

 

 

Top View 

 

 

 

 

5-15-23 OH Boy... What do we have here

 

 

 

 

FAT Pins Poppin'

 

 

 

 

6-2-23

 

 

 

A few more Pins coming IN  6-4-23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ink Cap... they come and GO so quickly!

 

 

 

 

6-5-23  A few shots of the best fruits, Wine Caps are delicious!

 

 

 

 

 

6-10-23 still getting some free shiitakes here and there

 

 

 

6-12-23 LM jars that have went too long (4-25-23 LC) and growing right on Grain 

 

 

 

 

6-15-23 And a few more Random Shiitakes

 

 

 

 

 

 

6-16-23 Them Tree Oysters just keep on popping up, I didn't catch this one in time

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh yeah... Juliet tomatoes just starting to cluster up 

 

 

 

Deer or Fawn Mushroom loves Straw too  6-18-23

 

 

 

HUGE Fast Fwd jump to 8-1-23, I don't normally run much during this time, but some Summer Pinks, just too enticing.  

 

 

 

8-2-23

 

 

 

8-3-23 Happens Fast Folks

 

 

 

 

 

8-4-23 

 

 

 

 

 

8-22-23 HT Lions Mane, wanted to see how it went in warmer weather.  Awesome looking fruits

 

 

 

 

And... Another Pink Block

 

 

 

A little late to the party, but starting to fruit

 

 

 

A good stopping point for now, and then I'll wrap this baby up in Bow and SEND IT!!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Baphom3t]

Damn bro, that all looks great. 
Very nice job.

Baph

[MushLuvR]

Thank you so much @Baphom3t, I feel like growing edible/med blocks has changed my life in a positive way no doubt.  Edible blocks were my second step from Cubes so, really thankful for pushing me in a new direction and I absolutely love eating them.  There is something about growing your own food that is so satisfying.  All the Best... Broseph!  

[Coopdog]

I loved the Pink Oysters over just about everything!

[MushLuvR]

Yup... @Coopdog, Pinks and King Trumpets are my favorites NO doubt!  Shiitakes and LM also make my Top 5, just something about those Pinks tho', it's like fake bacon flavored or something(I make a fake BLT style sandwich sometimes, SO damn flavorful), just be sure to eat them fairly quickly, they don't have a good shelf life.  Since you mentioned @Coopdog the Pink Oysters, it's time to finish this bad boy UP!  

Edited by MushLuvR, 11 November 2023 - 10:55 AM.

[MushLuvR]

8-23-23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8-26-23  LM

 

 

 

 

 

2nd Flush Pinks, you can see how much smaller/thinner they are, but still worth the effort for these tasty MFer's.  

 

 

 

 

8-28-23

 

 

 

 

 

This last picture looks like a big Cumulus Cloud or similar

 

 

 

 

 

And the last Pink Block that lagged pinning, but turned out wonderful when she finally decided to join the party!

 

 

8-29-23 Some Final HT Lions Mane shots

 

 

 

The above two pics were very dense fruits, hard to tell from photo's, but I enjoyed growing these in the Peak season of Summer

 

8-31-23 I think this is the last LM block that lagged like the Pink block did, but fruited All the same.

 

 

Some late 3rd Flush fruits, Not much to speak on, but you can go further if hasn't contaminated yet

 

 

 

That's pretty much up to date other than the 8 blocks I have in the cabinet.  Here is 4 of them on 10-29-23 right after inoculation.

 

 

I've been saving a few seeds after inoculation for G2G transfers, I have 6 Shiitake (200g Clone Culture) and 2 Tree Oyster Blocks (Originally LC then G2G) currently

 

 

I currently have another Shiitake G2G jar going along with another Tree Oyster.  Shiitakes take forever to colonize so I wanted to get most of those going first(I usually do these in the late Summer, but needed a break and was too busy anyway since business was picking up).  Tree Oysters are a typical oyster, and fast to the finish.  I also have a couple KO jars, 3 Bears head, and the last of the King Blue LC.  I'll probably take a clone, or drop a seed to agar of the KB, I have a ton of KO LC so I'm good on that one for a stint, and I'll be doing G2G transfers anyway, it's SO fast.  Alrightie Folks... ya'll be good and Stay UP Fungus Friends!  

 

 

11-11-23 this morning

 

 

 

 

 

P.S I am not a Commercial grower (maybe one day); these are all home grown in a cheap Martha/GH setup with a Vicks humidifier (that finally took a dump on me).  The blocks are HWFP mostly with some of them cut with a little bit of softwood to offload some cheap pellets I still have.  I just resurrected the Conifer Coral LC, so I'll be using up the rest of those cheap pellets soon, but I also want to grow the CC on HWFP since the fruits are definitely smaller on softwood.  That being said, cheap pellets/blocks are MY JAM!!  ALL blocks are supplemented with Rice Bran (that I finally finished up the bag, NEVER thought I would) and the shiitakes are half the amount of Bran since they get morphed looking and don't need that much comparatively.  All blocks are right around 4.8lbs consistently lately, I'm not doing 10lb blocks to get these, I've ran 7lb'ers before when I first started (only 2 per cook cycle tho) and the flushes are WILD AF.  Anyway, point being, these blocks are small in size, and I cram 4 of them in a tiny 16qt Presto.  Works like a charm.  Alright yawl, kicks over soap box... I'm Done! 

Edited by MushLuvR, 11 November 2023 - 11:08 AM.

[MushLuvR]

Still just setting the stage, I knocked up 4 more blocks the other day, two Shiitakes from a G2G 200g Clone, and two more Tree Oyster blocks from G2G transfer.  I may stagger two more Shiitake blocks later this month, but I have 8 currently, I think I did 16 last year and it was too much.  So, I'm sitting on 8 shiitake blocks and 4 Tree Oysters.  I really like the flavor of the wild tree oyster, and a giver in the spring/early summer planted in my tomato bed under the straw/leaves mulch.  4 is fine for the Tree oyster, alright yawl... I'm about to go spawn two Bears Head and 2 KO blocks (sterilized last night at 2hrs).  Ya'll be good and ALWAYS... be ONE with the fungus!  

Edited by MushLuvR, 20 November 2023 - 12:24 PM.