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Messages - IndiaShroomer

#21
PF - Tek / Ideas before I get started - input please
September 30, 2004, 02:21:13 AM
QuoteI travel for a living, but when I am home I think I may be able to cultivate. If not, im disappointed! I expect to be out of town for 3 weeks. I am using an aussie strain.

So, in order for me to yeild 3 waves using pf tek method, I have some questions about automated setups.

Here is my plan:
[size=8]substrate and innoculate jars/glasses before I leave town (est 6 cakes). Setup everything for incubation in my closet - inside one of my rubbermaid storage containers.
I expect to have this environment to be tested for accuracy before I leave town using a meter. Preferrably keeping it at a medium temp so colonization does not occur too quickly. After all of this has been setup, I leave town.[/size]

[size=8]When I get home, I expect the cakes to be colonized, and pinning (or close to it).  Birth and begin the fruiting using perlite - follow the pf tek manual from then on, with only one variation - your tin foil method instead of using a cap.[/size]

This should work, the temperature should be just right, too high and there will be invitro pinning way before you get back. Either way a three week colonization will be normal for most cubensis strains.

[size=8]While I am expecting these to fruit, time is VERY important, cause I leave town 2 weeks after I get home, is it possible to get maximum flushes and yield in that amount of time after beginning the fruiting process? I read so much about it, and found it to be too variable to count on maximum yield. I really want to try this, but I want to know if I am wasting my time, or if I am going to miss one of my flushes due to my time constraint.

Will using smaller containers during substration allow for a faster fruiting process? I understand that there will be less area for the mycelium to grow, hence a faster colonization as well, but under cold temperatures I can safely be gone for 21 days and not ruin my cakes.[/size]

I would think it is about the surface area that determines the type of flush you get. In my experience (many years ago), once the cubensis cake starts to fruit, a flush will go on for about three days at most, and will be followed by another in about 5-7 days. You would safely get two flushes in a couple of weeks.  If you are going to case (i couldnt glean this from your post or because of my ignorance of the tek) then you will need to add at least a week to your growing cycle, because it would take that long for a casing to colonize. If you are looking for a single massive flush, use flat containers, give the fungus the maximum surface area for fruiting (exposed to natural light and humid air)possible.

BTW, Do you mean casing by substration?


Any tips or ways I can modify my method for me to be able to cultivate in this lifestyle? Or do I need to move to washington to pick em?
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#22
Cultivation / Cope Cyan - bulk substrate dung/straw?
September 28, 2004, 09:57:40 PM
29 September; An update on the Cope Cyan grow.

Batch 1 - dung only spawned on birdseed/verm; Saturday 18 Sept
Batch 2 -dung/straw spawned on birdseed/verm; Sunday 19 Sept

Both cased with 50/50 verm/peat moss casing, Sunday 26 Sept

At this time, the dung only substrate casing is showing mycelia peeking up through the casing.
The straw/dung casing has not completed colonization, with very spots of mycelia peeking through.

No contamination on either casing at this point.

This weekend, both casings will be going into the fruiting chamber, large glass tank 12'x4'x3' (LxWxH). Humidified with perlite and occasional use of an ultrasonic humidifier.
Fruiting conditions will be maintained at 24-26 C; 95% RH.

Hopefully, there will be some fruiting a week to ten days from now.
#23
PF - Tek / "normal" mushrooms
September 27, 2004, 11:22:10 PM
If you are trying to grow a wood loving psilocybe species, it will work till  colonization of the jars.
Unfortunately, since you will only get colonization with this method, ultimately you will have to use the colonized substrate as spawn for wood/compost.

Till date, I have not read of anyone adding wood to the jars and getting them to fruit this way.

BTW, You can grow with brown rice flour, but rye or birdseed will give better potency.
#24
Cultivation / Fungal Adaptation
September 23, 2004, 08:29:07 PM
I have been thinking about adaptation by fungi to the local environment.

In this particular case, copelandia cyanescens grows naturally for about two months of the year in this part of India. Over a couple of growing cycles with copes, i have realized that they are much more resistant to contamination than the cubensis strains I have grown.

I feel this may have something to do with their being native to this environment. The copelandia mycelium seems to be much more effective in dealing with contamination, bacterial as well as fungal. I have seen it deal with most moulds ,except trichoderma  :(

In this case it is common adaptation in most living things (in mammals termed as 'immunity'), so the copelandia fungus is adapted to dealing with the competing bacteria/moulds.

(Of course you would never want to consume any mushrooms grown on such substrates, you never what metabolic by-products the battle between the competing fungi has extruded.)

In my opinion a grower would have a greater chance of success if he/she chose to grow a local strain. The local strain of the fungus would (given a decently sterile chance) outgrow and outcompete any other competing contaminant.

Another consideration, think of the consequences of having an introduced species of fungi in a native environment. For all you know, the local strain might die out completely and their environmental niche taken over the by the invading exotic strain. This kind of invasion has been seen on a macro mammalian level in australia and new zealand. The local flora and fauna is under constant threat from exotics.
#25
Cultivation / Cope Cyan - bulk substrate dung/straw?
September 23, 2004, 08:22:05 PM
24 September; An update on the Cope Cyan grow.

Batch 1 - dung only spawned on birdseed/verm; Saturday 18 Sept

Batch 2 -dung/straw spawned on birdseed/verm; Sunday 19 Sept

Batch 1 and 2 are now almost completely colonized with the typical copelandia/panaeolus fragile mycelium.This is only five complete days since the run.  At this time there is no contamination.
Both will be cased with a 50/50 peat/verm casing and will incubate again. Three days after casing they will go into the fruiting chamber.

At this time, there is no obvious difference in the speed of colonization on either bulk substrate. Both dung and dung/straw colonize evenly, and the speed of the copelandias always surprises me compared to cubensis.

#26
PF - Tek / what should i use instead vermiculite
September 23, 2004, 01:47:56 AM
But actually, to answer your original question.

It is possible to grow without vermiculite, but you will have to use a method other than PF tek.

You might want to try modifications of the method, here is one that works for me. (for cubensis) Of course, this is all in sterile technique, so I wont get into that.

1. boil up a few cups of birdseed... at least for 1.5 hrs. Each seed should crack open, and expose the kernel, sort of like popcorn. Drain excess water, then rinse with cold water, each seed will have absorbed a substantial amount of water.

2. Load up your typical PF tech jar with drained/rinsed birdseed, only 2/3 way up to the top. (typically I sterilize the jars before use, thats the best practice, but swiping with alcohol will work as well). At this point you might want to look at the bottom of the jar, if it is showing a watery sludge then you still have too much water in the seed. You will want to drain it some more.

3. After putting on the lids (with 4 holes in them), cover the lid and mouth with a double layer of aluminium foil. You now need to sterilize these jars. You could either autoclave, pressure cook, or plain slow boil/steam them. depending on the method you use, you need to ensure sterilization. Typically if you use a presssure cooker, this is a good 60 mins after the pressure has been reached.

4. After the cooker/clave has cooled to room temperature (as much as 12 hours), the jars are ready for innoculation with your favourite strain of cubensis. (i prefer the PC orissa, native like I am:) During innoculation, follow sterile techniques (very important). Lift the foil at the location where you intend to innoculate and quickly innoculate all sites with a minimum of exposure (if you have a flowhood, no problems) !close the foil over the hole as soon as possible! Once all jars are ready place them in a clean (read sterile) shoe box (or something like that) and store for incubation.

The seeds have enough water in them to support a healthy mycelial growth by themselves. The colonized seed can be used as spawn for a plain dung or dung/straw bulk substrate. You could finally case with a mix of potting soil and coco-peat.

No need for the vermiculite.
But then again, vermiculite is god's gift to cubie growing... why would you want to do without?
#27
PF - Tek / what should i use instead vermiculite
September 23, 2004, 01:03:03 AM
Nice question :blink:
I have never heard of anyone ever growing with any other water retentive medium other than vermiculite using PF-Tek.
The wool might work if it has properties that are similar to that of vermiculite.
You should give it a try and let us know.

I have experimented with using polymer crystals that absorb water, in most of my attempts I did not get any colonization at all. In some cases there was some germination, but complete colonization did not take place.

I am curious, dont you have access to vermiculite? It should be available at a gardening store near you.
#28
Cultivation / Cope Cyan - bulk substrate dung/straw?
September 22, 2004, 04:53:23 AM
Thanks Anno.
I took your advice, i went out and found some old 'leached' dung; there's lots of that around.

have done a batch of cope.cyan with dung only and a batch with a combination of dung and straw; both times the bulk substrate was sterilized, since I am not doing a large grow.

I am especially interested in seeing the difference between the one with straw and the one without; all other growing conditions remaining the same.

Will keep you posted.



Anyone want some of these Copelandia Cyanescens prints? I have a few to give away.

BTW, I posted this in the wrong forum, could this be moved to cultivation?
#29
Cultivation / Cope Cyan - bulk substrate dung/straw?
September 15, 2004, 12:52:25 AM
How old should dung be for use?  I intend to use a straw/dung bulk substrate for a new multispore Copelandia Cyanescens spawn run.(after pasteurizing).

The CopeCyan is a ridiculously common mushroom here in my part of India... it has been the trippiest monsoon ever :)
Also, I am still not so certain about the pasteurizing bit, I live in a hot steamy tropical land, and am almost certain to get contamination soon. If I do a small quantity can I sterilize?


Anno: BTW, if you remember a little bird sent me a psilocybe azurescens (1999, Austria) print in early 2000... I am still maintaining and cloning cultures, will these still be viable?
Or should I try another multispore innoculation?  I am going to try and get them to fruit this winter, I have alder chips for the wood based substrate when needed.