4492 replies to this topic

[Arathu]

Thank you for the nice reply!

 

Was actually thinking that cyan mycelium could win the fight, but I saw many chips starting to mold, will try to pick'em up

 

I have another spawn of popcorn and also agar so I dont need to save this one. 

And then you have that of course.....hahahaha.....yes completely clean spawn and new substrate done the way you just did it.....you'll be golden.

 

If you don't "need" this one I dare you to transfer it "contaminated" to a nice shady, moist, and humid location outside. Is that tray still water tight or do you have some drainage holes in the bottom? Case that with about an inch deep over the chips of new potting soil, mist the soil fairly heavily (NOT MUD just wetted and again there needs to be drainage in the bottom so it not a pond) and then case the soil with another two inches of grass clippings and also mist that heavily.....stash deep in/under the dark thick foliage and leave it until fall......peek fairly regularly and keep the grass moist. Don't worry if it looks like it's rotting down......because it's infected with a fungus and rotting down.......

 

If you are able to do that, locations and circumstances obviously vary.......I look forward to seeing your progress. Woodies are a lifetime of work and results.....but WAY worth it.....IMHO

 

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[Rac3k]

Today I scratched some colonized chips from the center and spread them around the tray to help it colonize faster,

and transfered some colonized chips to another small tray that has the same chips but were only bleach soaked without boiling.

 

No, the tray doesnt have holes, that is not a problem to do,..isnt too early to do that tho?

 

I live near a forest, so I already have some place checked out, under maple trees.

 

Lets say i get chips colonized by mid june,...is it to late to make bed outdoor and expect fruits this year? I live in mediterranean climate so we have quite warm october,..so lets say they will have 4-5 months to clonize? 

 

Shoudl i just do one layer of spawn and 1 layer of chips to get fruits this year?

[Arathu]

Today I scratched some colonized chips from the center and spread them around the tray to help it colonize faster,

and transfered some colonized chips to another small tray that has the same chips but were only bleach soaked without boiling.

 

No, the tray doesnt have holes, that is not a problem to do,..isnt too early to do that tho?

 

I live near a forest, so I already have some place checked out, under maple trees.

 

Lets say i get chips colonized by mid june,...is it to late to make bed outdoor and expect fruits this year? I live in mediterranean climate so we have quite warm october,..so lets say they will have 4-5 months to clonize? 

 

Shoudl i just do one layer of spawn and 1 layer of chips to get fruits this year?

No, the tray doesnt have holes, that is not a problem to do,..isnt too early to do that tho?   Ahhhh to clarify, and I was not clear there so I am sorry, ONLY if you were going to ditch the tray. If it's a spawn run then you are absolutely correct......my bad. But if you decide to "set one out" so to speak then make sure to provide drainage.  

 

Lets say i get chips colonized by mid june,...is it to late to make bed outdoor and expect fruits this year? I live in mediterranean climate so we have quite warm october,..so lets say they will have 4-5 months to clonize? Generally speaking counting on first year fruiting is wishful, but not unheard of......

 

Single layers may very well fruit faster and one is probably worth a try but at reduced mycelial mass, maybe smaller fruits as result? Certainly shorter lived. But for certain a multiple layer bed should be made. The bed described at the beginning of this thread is a good example of that and it worked.

 

I think one of the most important things to do is to establish a deep bed that fruits (second season usually), once these fruit they will again......so too then new colonies made from them....and from there you can probably expect first year fruiting. That's certainly not any kind of mushroom "law" just passing observations..... 

 

A

Edited by Arathu, 26 May 2020 - 07:04 PM.

[bezevo]

 Some kind of mushroom "law"

Edited by bezevo, 26 May 2020 - 10:51 PM.

[Arathu]

Chipmunks and squirrels are evil little ratlike creatures that will fuck your work up.......cute is only a mask that they wear.....

 

Modified rat traps can help........a good pellet gun too....the damage is already done though.....bastards!

 

That is all for now.....

 

A

[UnHeisenbug]

Some kind of mushroom "law"

Hi I am Braden Mersch,
Practicing attorney in mushroom law. Get reliable representation for your mushroom related growing problems today.

That name again is Braden Mersch.

Edited by UnHeisenbug, 30 May 2020 - 01:48 PM.

[UnHeisenbug]

@Arathu can I pressure cook or boil the "eggar" prior to use? I read some teks for regular cardboard and everyone is microwave. I don't got one of those though. Should I just give it a good soak and pressure cook according to how sterile I want it?

[Arathu]

@Arathu can I pressure cook or boil the "eggar" prior to use? I read some teks for regular cardboard and everyone is microwave. I don't got one of those though. Should I just give it a good soak and pressure cook according to how sterile I want it?

Cut the eggar to the shape you want/need it......like this for example

 

Without microwave hydrate the eggar disk with clean boiling water and a teaspoon/pipette/dropper carefully just a little at a time until it's saturated....allow to cool....

 

Wick up any excess water with paper towel.......drop chips or stem butts right on the eggar.....put a vented cover over it, small plastic containers work well too, drill a small vent hole in the lid and put micropore tape over the hole (poly fill works too), and stick it in a zip-lock bag and incubate it......peek in about a week or two......

 

 

Also stem buts and pasteurized chips of wood/paper/mulch are added on top of the hydrated eggar and incubated.....this is in a 150mm pitri plate.....

 

We'll see what happens....

 

More than one way to skin a cat eh?

 

A

 

 

 

[Arathu]

 

There's a very few around this year.....kinda strange weather....

 

Slugs having at them.....hope it keeps raining...

 

A few ovoids popped up....

 

A

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Edited by Arathu, 30 May 2020 - 04:01 PM.

[UnHeisenbug]

It's been usually dry and hot here. My partner was saying that the jet stream is shifting north. Driest spring on record. Last year had the hotest day on record. It's very worrisome.

About Psilo cyan @Arathu @ItBeBasidia I find it interesting that Psilo cyan are creature of human landscapes. In that guide book they mention the may be "aliens" to the landscape. Perhaps the fungaphile spread them throughout. They are likely from the North Western US, right?

I wonder how much is there affinity for human landscapes a human domestication of the mushroom? Like how much of this is nature's doing and how much is it those damned mushroom freaks!? :D

I hear they have been found patches of thousands locally. Is any other Wood lover this widespread?

[Arathu]

 

About Psilo cyan @Arathu @ItBeBasidia I find it interesting that Psilo cyan are creature of human landscapes. In that guide book they mention the may be "aliens" to the landscape. Perhaps the fungaphile spread them throughout. They are likely from the North Western US, right?

Indeed and I bet it's not alone either. There is surely a spectrum of fungi that we are in symbiotic and other relationships with. Crossing the line from a scientific view/explanation to a more esoteric one (the scientist will call this primitive superstitious beliefs I'm sure) I find it quite possible that they are indeed following the human mess and debris makers that we are, us, around so to speak. (I'd call that intelligent but it of course "crosses the line")

 

I think logging activity, clearing of the tree's/forests for human exploitation of the land (and seas via ship building) and then using some of the those materials all ground up as mulches and construction materials, then WATERING landscaping plants and shrubs by sprinkler heads and hoses and even redirection due to roofing and gutters (also roads and parking lots), makes it a perfect environment.

Obviously it does and I think they are sentient personally. Of course I am animist in my own beliefs so I might be biased that direction. In fact I find there is a layer of camouflage involved, how many landscaped yards and buildings can you find? There isn't even a remote chance that they could all be found let alone stopped from growing now.....smart little creatures they are......

 

I see among the earliest descriptions of the species P. cyanescens, (the formal description Wakfield 1946), it's Europe, the UK in particular, where she was apparently collecting and studying them since about 1910.......my gut tells me that they've been with US for quite some time......they AND their cousins......

 

Eating our ligneous "waste" products...........

 

The cousins doing exactly the same thing................

 

For a really great trip down the rabbit hole dig into the etymology of the word mold, moulde.................. seems to refer to very rich soils, and FUNGUS.......from ancient times.......

 

Waiting for some of us to actually "get it" perhaps.......and unlike governments they're actually here to help........

 

Or maybe I'm just a primitive in blue jeans......hell I don't know.....hahahaha

 

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[Nicked]

Some advice from the wood lover growing community on here would be greatly appreciated! I have a few PF tek jars of P. ovoideocystidiata and P. alleni that are just about finished colonising and I'm wondering if anyone could point me to a simple method of expanding this to wood chips. I have a tote of Oak chips at hand..

[Arathu]

@Nicked there are multiple routes to follow.....let those jars consolidate really well too before spawning with them.

 

Still check this out.....(start HERE.....there is so much information available here it's crazy)

 

https://mycotopia.ne...wood-lover-tek/

 

and then perhaps go exploring here for all kinds of idea's.........(down the rabbit hole we go)

 

https://mycotopia.ne...exotic-roundup/

 

Basically:

• Germinate, isolate, and grow out spores of choice then used
• To make grain or cake spawn, colonize 100%, then use it
• To make pasteurized wood chip spawn, colonize 100%, then use it
• To make fruiting substrate/bed and keep damp/moist until fruiting conditions happen

In a nutshell so to speak.....Good luck and happy reading and woodies......

 

A

Edited by Arathu, 31 May 2020 - 01:13 PM.

[Nicked]

Thanks so much @Arathu
This thread is amazing but I've gotten so lost in it at times. I'll check out those links you posted.
Very excited to go down the wood lovers rabbit hole.
Have a tub of foraged P. cyanescens stem butts colonising some egg crates and wood chips too which seems to have taken quite well.

[Arathu]

Thanks so much @Arathu
This thread is amazing but I've gotten so lost in it at times. I'll check out those links you posted.
Very excited to go down the wood lovers rabbit hole.
Have a tub of foraged P. cyanescens stem butts colonising some egg crates and wood chips too which seems to have taken quite well.

Indeed.. The thread is quite huge...hahaha...but a very handy technique that can and will allow those without "all of the gear" to establish beds just as you describe. Stem butts and cardboard of some type to chips.....It requires staying away from bran and grains but soft woody stem plants like Burdock and Japanese Knotweed can definitely take their places in the creation of spawn. From that to hardwood chips to beds/tubs.....Once the principals are understood and experienced it's actually quite flexible....these are some smart and adaptable fungi IMHO.

 

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[Ferather]

@Arathu

Lignicolous (wood decay) fungi that we cultivate, such as cyans and azures, absolutely love cellulose and open structures (not solid, compact).
Egg carton, or the card you are using, are ideal, they absorb large amounts of water and allow mycelium to fully penetrate.

 

Personally I use recycled paper pellets (kitty littler), which is much the same, and highly absorbent.

 

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The open structure, as mentioned, not only allows the mycelium to penetrate and populate more surface area, it also increases the decay rate.
Usually the secondary compounds in wood, such as lignin, are not only acidic, but also restrict mycelial growth to various degrees.

Solid wood (such as chips), will be harder to penetrate, full of secondary compounds, less absorbent, and slow to decay.

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Note: Wood is deficient is key amounts of nitrogen (about 0.1% present), mycelium need about 1-1.5% nitrogen.

 

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The Carbon:Nitrogen Ratio (C:N)

 

 

Paper, dry, average, 100g  |  Carbon: 42g (42%)  |  Nitrogen: 0.24g (0.24%)  |  42 / 0.24 = 175:1.

Wood, dry, average, 100g  |  Carbon: 50g (50%)  |  Nitrogen: 0.10g (0.10%)  |  50 / 0.10 = 500:1.

Coir, dry, average, 100g  |  Carbon: 45g (45%)  |  Nitrogen: 0.40g (0.40%)  |  45 / 0.40 = 113:1.

 

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What bran composition (per 100g)  |  Carbon: 28g (28%)  |  Nitrogen: 2.56g (2.56%).

 

 

Paper + bran:

 

100g coir + 100g bran = 200g  |  42 + 28 = 70, / 2.00 = [35% carbon]  |  0.24 + 2.56 = 2.80, / 2.00 = [1.40% nitrogen]  |  35 / 1.40 = [25:1].

100g coir + 75g bran = 175g  |  42 + 21 = 63, / 1.75 =  [36% carbon]  |  0.24 + 1.92 = 2.16, / 1.75 = [1.23% nitrogen]  |  36 / 1.23 = [29:1].

100g coir + 50g bran = 150g  |  42 + 14 = 56, / 1.50 = [37% carbon]  |  0.24 + 1.28 = 1.52, / 1.50 = [1.01% nitrogen]  |  37 / 1.01 = [37:1].

100g coir + 25g bran = 125g  |  42 + 7 = 49, / 1.25 = [39% carbon]  |  0.24 + 0.64 = 0.88, / 1.25 = [0.70% nitrogen]  |  39 / 0.70 = [56:1].

 

Wood + bran:

 

100g wood + 100g bran = 200g  |  50 + 28 = 78, / 2.00 = [39% carbon]  |  0.1 + 2.56 = 2.66, / 2.00 = [1.33% nitrogen]  |  39 / 1.33 = [29:1].

100g wood + 75g bran = 175g  |  50 + 21 = 71, / 1.75 =  [41% carbon]  |  0.1 + 1.92 = 2.02, / 1.75 = [1.15% nitrogen]  |  41 / 1.15 = [36:1].

100g wood + 50g bran = 150g  |  50 + 14 = 64, / 1.50 = [43% carbon]  |  0.1 + 1.28 = 1.38, / 1.50 = [0.92% nitrogen]  |  43 / 0.92 = [47:1].

100g wood + 25g bran = 125g  |  50 + 7 = 57, / 1.25 = [46% carbon]  |  0.1 + 0.64 = 0.74, / 1.25 = [0.59% nitrogen]  |  46 / 0.59 = [78:1].

 

Coir + bran:

 

100g coir + 100g bran = 200g  |  45 + 28 = 73, / 2.00 = [37% carbon]  |  0.4 + 2.56 = 2.96, / 2.00 = [1.48% nitrogen]  |  37 / 1.48 = [25:1].

100g coir + 75g bran = 175g  |  45 + 21 = 66, / 1.75 =  [38% carbon]  |  0.4 + 1.92 = 2.32, / 1.75 = [1.33% nitrogen]  |  38 / 1.33 = [29:1].

100g coir + 50g bran = 150g  |  45 + 14 = 59, / 1.50 = [39% carbon]  |  0.4 + 1.28 = 1.68, / 1.50 = [1.12% nitrogen]  |  39 / 1.12 = [35:1].

100g coir + 25g bran = 125g  |  45 + 7 = 52, / 1.25 = [42% carbon]  |  0.4 + 0.64 = 1.04, / 1.25 = [0.83% nitrogen]  |  42 / 0.83 = [51:1].

 

 

Carbon note: For cellulose and starch it's total amount - 56%, Example: 64g - 56%. Both are made from glucose.

 

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BBC The Magic of Mushrooms | Google the video title if the link is not suitable.

Edited by Ferather, 01 June 2020 - 10:47 AM.

[Arathu]

Bad ass link Ferather!

 

Thank you.......as usual very good information......

 

A

[Arathu]

 

Mycelium and cellulose......massive recycling............ into piles of black dirt....

 

Lightning and rain bring nitrogen into the ground.......I like lightning.....

 

And mushrooms.....

 

A

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[YoshiTrainer]

Never one to let agar go to waste, MS on agar into HWF block, verm, worm castings, grain or BRF and a little gypsum. P. Allenii and P. Ovoideocystidiata, it'll be interesting to see what happens.

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[Arathu]

Those are probably going to grow out just fine. Of course it will prove that to us all on it's own.....

 

I love a good "It's a shame to waste that, I wonder what will happen if?"

 

I'm classic for throwing woody stems into the spawn jars with the leftovers and putting a lid back on it...

 

It's wild how a vigorous and expanding fungus does not need much to start with....

 

It only really takes a few spores, given the advantage, in the right environment and away we go.....beauty Yoshi!

 

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