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Messages - jimboyia

#1
Cultivation / Excess liquid inoculum?
June 22, 2012, 02:22:41 AM
Howdy Shroomers!

Recently inoculated 8 small jars (about 180mm each) with Golden Teacher from a spore print.

After scraping the spores off the single print into 160mm of sterilized water I used approx 20mm of the inoculum in each jar, otherwise following the PF Tek to the letter, however according to PF Tek 1.5mm is enough.

Have I severely cocked up the inoculation or is there a chance there will still be good germination?


Any advice?
#2
Cultivation / Re: anti-biotics in agar culture?
April 14, 2012, 06:03:28 AM
OK, but why?
#3
Cultivation / anti-biotics in agar culture?
March 29, 2012, 01:28:58 AM
Howdy,

got 3 different strains of spore prints (Golden Teacher, Mazatapec & Panaeolus) from Sporeworks. Problem is they were "inspected" by customs before being released to me. My concern is that these will be quite heavily contaminated spores now.

I can go off the PF tek & instead take option of plating out spores on Petri dishes and try get a reasonably pure culture from that but was wondering if I can introduce an antibiotic to take care of any nasty bacterial contamination. 

any ideas? Comments? Advice?

ta
Jim
#4
Cultivation / Re: using soap to break up spore clumps
February 20, 2012, 08:53:07 PM
great advice, thanks!
#5
PF - Tek / chilling inoculum?
January 27, 2012, 08:19:33 PM
Hi all Shroomers,

Considering that many species of Psilocybe seem to require a "cold snap" prior to germination does it make sense to chill down one's inoculated jars for a few days in the fridge before germination?

just curious....
#6
Cultivation / Re: Bugs in my substrate
January 26, 2012, 08:00:34 PM
Well, you just don't know for sure what kind of contams those bugs will have brought into your kit. And, being a first timer, you really don't want to take the chance that instead of what you think is a Psilocybe strain ends up being something like Galerina spp etc.  The effects of toxic mushroom poisoning can include death by kidney or liver failure, usually only after several excruciating days. Simply, it ain't worth the risk.

Your grow has to be 100% uncontaminated. Bugs = contamination.

Grow kits are in any event a ripoff. I would strongly recommend you follow the Tek on this site and do it the right way, you'll learn a LOT more and it is fun.
#7
Cultivation / Re: Bugs in my substrate
January 24, 2012, 07:48:13 AM
Unless you want to risk terminal liver & kidney failure you have to throw the whole lot away. I had a similar experience - you just can't trust kits. Best is to follow the Teks on this site and D.I.Y.
#8
PF - Tek / Diurnal range?
January 16, 2012, 08:28:33 AM
Howdy,
Will a large diurnal range prevent good germination / growth? I'm planning on growing Golden Teachers & Mazatapec in a shaded area on my porch but early morning temps are typically about 5deg C (about 41F) and will climb to about 27C (say 80F).  This diurnal range is typical for the tropical high altitude area I live in. Would it be adviseable to rather keep the culture inside?
#9
Cultivation / Re: hey
January 16, 2012, 08:15:45 AM
go to the PF Tek section - it shows you exactly what to do, really simple too.

were you looking for liberty caps? Finicky shrooms, those are.
#10
Cultivation / using soap to break up spore clumps
January 16, 2012, 01:55:57 AM
Hello all,

When using spore prints to make syringes is it OK to use a tiny amount (0.01%) of a non-chlorine soap to break the surface tension of the water & ensure good spore dispersal? Would normal NaOH kill spores? 
#11
Cultivation / Buffalo poop & Panaeolus
January 12, 2012, 10:39:35 PM
Howdy and may 2012 bring you many happy flushes!

This will seem like a dumb question but it is relevant to my situation - I live in Africa, surrounded on 3 sides by game reserve. We have plenty of big aggressive buffalos around. I know from reading some of the posts here and on other forums that Panaeolus prefers cow poop to other poops and I was wondering if buffalo poop should be any different, cows and buffs both being ruminants, after all.

Also, what about antelope poop? We got plenty big antelops like Eland etc too. These, so far as I know, are ungulates and so will have a somewhat different digestive system - might that also support better Panaeolus development?

I'm asking primarily out of curiosity and also because (according to authors like Hancock etc) there might be an ancient correlation between the movement of cows / game on the African savannahs and the use of mushrooms by our ancestors to develop consciousness.

Also, where can I find a Panaeolus spore print - Earthstongue has syringes but no prints.

Any ideas??

Jim
#12
Cultivation / vermiculite vs coco-peat
January 02, 2011, 09:10:50 PM
howdy all and may 2011 bring you many great flushes..

I'm a newbie looking to start cultivating for the first time. I've read the Tek but being truly in the boonies, I realise I might not get my hands on vermiculite. Would coco-peat be a viable alternative? In terms of its airiness it seems OK...

any ideas, experience with the above?
#13
PF - Tek / vermiculite vs coco-peat
January 02, 2011, 05:07:12 AM
Howdy all Shroomers and may 2011 bring you many good flushes

Is it possible to substitute vermiculite with coco-peat? As a substrate constituent it seems as if it could provide a similar function w.r.t nice airy structure. Any comment?
#14
Cultivation / Re: Newbie - cultivating from spore print
December 27, 2010, 06:07:17 PM
Hi Dub- many thanks! So, it would seem this is entirely possible.

Assuming I go the way of importing a pretty print, would the spores survive the transit? Despite being close to the 20th century, the vagaries of the African postal system are such that I might have to wait a few weeks before my print arrives.
#15
Cultivation / Newbie - cultivating from spore print
December 27, 2010, 09:50:38 AM
Howdy all you shroomers,

I'm thinking of importing a spore print (I'm living in E Africa) as I reckon it would appear less suspicious if intercepted by customs etc. Assuming I can get my hands on a good spore print, how would I go about actually cultivating from it? Any links?
#16
General topics / Psilocybe semilanceata vs cubensis
December 26, 2010, 08:27:44 PM
Howdy shroomers -

any difference between these 2 i.t.o ease of cultivation? I'm a first-timer looking to get started but would prefer to aim for simple success.

Also, where could I order spores for either?

#17
General topics / Re: help!
September 17, 2010, 08:44:12 PM
Right.....

Have chucked the whole sorry mess onto the compost heap (wonder what will transpire...) and have checked out sporeworks for supply of spores. The rest I can get closer to home

MANY THANKS FOR THE TIMELY DISCOURAGEMENT.
#18
General topics / Re: help!
September 17, 2010, 03:02:25 AM
O, should mention that the tray was broken, and there seems to be mould on the mycelium (is that possible??) and the whole affair is decidedly suspect.
#19
General topics / Re: help!
September 17, 2010, 02:50:50 AM
tray with vermiculite, a large plastic bag with some kind of internal "supports" the tray itself has a kind of platic "zipper" on top and there does appear to be some kind of dessicated mycelium on top of the tray.

Next move?
#20
General topics / help!
September 14, 2010, 09:26:54 PM
hello all,

I recently bought a grow kit from an outfit calling themselves "Shamanic extracts"  - the kit arrived by post, basically just a tray (lower corner broken)with what seems to be vermiculite (impregnated??) and no destructions. Despite several attempts by me to contact Shamanic extracts and get the instructions sent to me I've had no response.

How should I proceed?