44 replies to this topic

[FunnyFarmer]

Things are becoming clearer with the micro grows, the PE6 and GWM continue to colonize while the TW was slow out of the gate but picked up the pace during the day so there's some hope for it yet. The PE6 and GWM are close to 70% colonized and the TW maybe 10%.

 

The McKennai is about 90% colonized and I'd like to get some kind of consensus on when to put it to FC. Usually I wait until I see primordia but with the tomentose mycelia would I better off putting it to FC when the surface gets fully colonized or wait the extra time? I'm concerned with the possibility of getting overlay development on it with the attendant problems it brings to the party.

[FunnyFarmer]

For being such old jars the micro grows are doing better than expected. Both the PE and GWM are fully colonized on the surface so can't complain. The TW is slowly gaining on the others, maybe another three days and it will be fully colonized. All three are exhibiting rhizome mycelia which I prefer. Maybe in another week I'll see pins on everything except the TW.

[FunnyFarmer]

I decided to put the Mckennai and GWM to FC this morning. Lots of beads of perspiration on the surface of both and a couple days ago the mycelia that was standing up on the GWM decided to lay down. I took that as an indication it was ready or really water logged, I'm banking on the former. I could probably put the PE to FC but I'm gonna hold off for a couple more days unless anyone thinks it's ready... Interesting little observation here, I have the Mckennai on a seedling mat set to 75 F but the readout was showing 82 this morning,

The pics in order of appearance: Mckennai, PE6, and GWM. The pic of the TW was a meaningless blob of moisture so no point in showing it plus it's not ready for prime time so to speak, still too sparse on colonization. All three jars were inoculated at the same time, maybe that speaks to the vitality of the TW over long term in the fridge compared to the other two.



Considering how well these are doing I'm kinda regretting tossing the PB grain...

Edited by FunnyFarmer, 07 August 2022 - 09:32 AM.

[Uncle G]

Ever thought of doing a hard scrap?   I would.   Like a with a mist.   Looks great btw.   Your going to be a poppa. 

[FunnyFarmer]

Ever thought of doing a hard scrap? I would. Like a with a mist. Looks great btw. Your going to be a poppa.

I've never done that, can you describe the process? I don't want to ruin what I've got going here through ignorance! Thanks for the suggestion! One other thing I usually do is put bubble wrap on top to simulate a micro climate, I forgot to do it this time.

I decided to put the PE to FC, the mycelia fronds kept getting longer/higher like it was searching for something. The TW on the other hand continues to be on the wimpy side so I'm leaving alone for the time being.

Edited by FunnyFarmer, 08 August 2022 - 08:47 AM.

[Arathu]

 

like it was searching for something

 

Think about that......you and me, all of us........ too? Searching for something.....

 

Right on, first and foremost I would say additional foods, that's a necessity for survival.....what will happen when it doesn't find it? Air, moisture, instead....

 

Those subs look awesome....can't wait to see this......

 

A

[FunnyFarmer]

 

 

like it was searching for something

 

Think about that......you and me, all of us........ too? Searching for something.....

 

Right on, first and foremost I would say additional foods, that's a necessity for survival.....what will happen when it doesn't find it? Air, moisture, instead....

 

Those subs look awesome....can't wait to see this......

 

A

 

What you said is why I put it to FC! Put it to fruiting before it wastes all its energy looking for something. Some of that mycelia was well over an inch long and forming pom poms on the ends.

 

I've been growing for a couple years so far and learned a lot during that time from several sources. I won't name them but I'm sure you can surmise the vast majority. Two major steps was learning to use agar (of course) and LC (the next logical step). Another lesser but important step was cleaning the manure of foreign detritus, sticks, stones and the odd feed bag remnants.

 

So when you say the subs look awesome that reassures me I'm headed in the right direction. I'll make sure to post pics as things change with the grows. I'm still concerned with the TW and don't hold much hope for it to survive, the vitality isn't very good compared to the others. But I do have some LC of it for future grows and that is vigorous.
 

[FunnyFarmer]

I put the final micro grow to FC this morning, it too was rising to the occasion. The Mckennai and GWM are showing early signs of developing primordia and it shouldn't be long before the PE joins in the fun. Of all the grows only the Mckennai is tomentose mycelia except for a little patch in one corner of the tub, I'm not sure what it might be, it might be rhizomes mycelia.

 

 

The Mckennai has developed a sheen over the whole surface and I'm not sure what it is either, might it be overlay or is it something else? Or am I worrying about nothing...

 

[FunnyFarmer]

Every time I opened the Mckennai to fan it no smell greeted my nose even after putting my nose right up to the sub. I'm attributing that to the coating I mentioned on an earlier post here. I remembered a post elsewhere where the person tried lightly raking the surface with a fork. I got less than half way through the process and the strong smell of shrooms drifted up. Much better!

[FunnyFarmer]

I found some tiny shrooms on two of the micro grows, PE and GWM, but nothing on the Mckennai or TW yet. No primordia on the Mckennai either so I'm kinda worried about that, enough so that I scraped It again. Got the familiar smell, time will tell if it's a bust or just being stubborn.

 

Edit: and they are growing...

Edited by FunnyFarmer, 14 August 2022 - 04:32 PM.

[FunnyFarmer]

Latest update on the grows in order left to right: Mckennai, PE, GWM finally TW.

 

        

 

I'm really disappointed with the Mckennia considering how well it colonized the sub. There's some bluing of the sub on the PE and GWM so I'm cutting back on the misting/fogging and increasing the fanning on all the tubs. Nice primordia development on both the PE and GWM and the TW is slowly catching up.

[FunnyFarmer]

At last the Mckennai finally makes an appearance!

 

 

and the TW is getting it on with primordia and a few pins.

 

 

and a big improvement with the GWM and PE

 

  

 

For a few days I fanned for a minute or so with a small personal fan, no additional misting except for the sides and lids. Then switched back to my usual routine of misting the sides and lid of the tubs, a quick fogging of the sub and a quick fan. The bluing of the sub is subsiding with this short change of routine.

[FunnyFarmer]

I started harvesting yesterday from the GWM and PE and so far the GWM is ahead slightly, 90.5 gm compared to 87.66 g and the GWM isn't done yet. The PE is pretty much done with the first flush and there are a little more than half dozen left on the GWM to be harvested. First round goes to the GWM.

The Mckennai is doing well, I was starting to wonder if it was a bust. The TW is struggling to put up pins so the jury is still out on that one.

 

I think I'm finally past the old bug-a-boo of contams during the summer!

Edited by FunnyFarmer, 19 August 2022 - 09:37 PM.

[FunnyFarmer]

I've pulled the plug on the latest grows, they are done. The final wet tally, 188.4 of the PE (I managed to misplace 87g somewhere in the house), 267.6 for the TW, 169 of the GWM and finally 812.7 of the Mckennaii. This gives me a grand total of 1435.7 wet grams. For once I kept a running record of the harvests.

Yesterday I nocked 2 qts of rye with a problem child, Ban Phang Ka. It's failed due to trich contam at least twice in the past but this time I'm using tested LC. Here's to hoping it's successful this time.

[FunnyFarmer]

It's been a while since my last visit to this thread. As it stands now the BPK was put to FC a few days ago with it exhibiting strong tomentos mycelia instead of the rhyzomatic that I put to LC earlier this year. I'm hoping to see pins in another week or so.

 

I'm gonna try establishing a different routine where when I put a tub to FC I start another round of grain colonization. With that in mind the newest is A+ Albino LC that I administered a few days ago. Hopefully as the present tub runs out the next will be ready to spawn to sub.

 

That could change depending on a shroom Reddit I came across a few days ago, the grower tried a concoction of water, flour and honey that he used as a sort of dunk to a sub that was played out. The sub started throwing up new shrooms akin to a second flush worth of shrooms. That one sounds like a promising idea, I'm keeping an eye on it.

[Severian]

Super interesting that bit about the flour/honey and water dunk- I was just thinking this morning about what effects supplementation with a more simple type of sugar would have on mycellial growth. Can you link me to that thread?

[FunnyFarmer]

Super interesting that bit about the flour/honey and water dunk- I was just thinking this morning about what effects supplementation with a more simple type of sugar would have on mycellial growth. Can you link me to that thread?

 

Here you go
https://www.reddit.c...tinuous_fruits/

 

 It seems to me that this is only the early stage of fine tuning a " nutrient soup" (for lack of better term) for the mycelia when it comes to feeding the sub. He uses wheat flour instead of rye flour... mycelia does better on rye. How about making a tea from composted cow manure, filter out the water and use it as a base for the soup. I've been using an additive called Azomite that's essentially trace elements for plants when I mix up the sub, that could be beneficial too. He did a follow up post where he included crushed multivitamins in the mix. That maybe to help the shrooms with needed elements to build the shroom structure. It's like trying to get into the mind of a shroom, what do you need to grow...

 

I have my suspicion that refeeding the sub is only short term at best. It's like putting it on an IV drip to keep a terminal patient alive. I hope I'm wrong about that. He reports he's on the 11th flush and getting 75 gm thereabouts. The question was asked was it wet or dry, huge difference. Impressive if dry, otherwise... He didn't answer the question.

Edited by FunnyFarmer, 19 October 2022 - 10:06 PM.

[FunnyFarmer]

The first flush yield from the BPK was a bit of a let down, 6 total (a little over 80g wet) from a 50 something quart tub, I usually do a 30qt tub so imagine my disappointment. The only thing I'm thinking is neglect tek at this point.... It's been a slow grower in the first place compared to others.

 

Speaking of others when I put this to FC I started preparing some more  rye for the next grow hoping to time it for the end of the PBK. Things haven't worked as planned, a few days ago I spawned some A+ albino to sub. The sub is a recipe from Willy Myco on Youtube. It turned out too much like mud so added and additional qt each of verm and coir, it's better but still a little on the dense side. The good thing is the mycelia seems to like it, so far... I changed another aspect to the spawning this time, I didn't top it with a layer of sub like I always do to cover the rye berries. Might be too many changes but I like to experiment, even if it comes back to bite me in the ass. I'm somewhat used to that.

[FunnyFarmer]

I'm wondering if anyone else has experience with Ban Phang Ka shrooms as in characteristics of them. First off they didn't develop primordia as I'm used to seeing. Secondly I haven't observed an attached veil on any of them and then the cap really doesn't fully open. It just kinda gaps open at the bottom similar to PE but never "blooms" like most shrooms even after a couple days. They do have a distinctive point to the cap that I've occasionally observed on other shroom varieties.

 

  

[FunnyFarmer]

I took a closer look at the BPK shrooms, they seem to have some characteristics in common with PE. They do have a veil but it separates before the cap starts to open and the cap really doesn't open like the PE. I'm having to keep a closer eye on where the cap is in its phase so I don't let them continue growing.