Hey guys i've been reading a lot in the forum to find some questions already answered and everything but still can't figure out the main question I have:
1: I wanna buy spores on the internet but I live in Georgia and no not the one in the US so it's pretty far with no local spore vendor. So, i wanted to know how long can the spores be good to go while in a syringe? or the spore prints? I mean if i request something from the US it takes usually 30 days to come here... so will all the spores be unusable once here ?
PS: I don't know any of you guys yet but damn you guys are like a family and I would love to be adopted in this wonderful warm family of fungifun :) you guys are great :)
drhusky,
How are you?
Let me get this straight,.... You are in Georgia,... Like near Russia? If that be the case, wouldn't it be easier, and perhaps faster to order from a supplier in Amsterdam, or the Netherlands?
I would tend to believe you would face less issues as far as Customs , and Inspections of your packages. I'm just guessing, so I could be wrong.
As for the "shelf life",.... If proper care is taken as far as storage is concerned, ( refrigeration for the LC or syringes or a dark cool place for spores ) you can be sure of at least a year of viability.
If you are just worrying about the shipping time. You are all good, unless it's going to be over 100F for the next 30 days and they are sitting in a truck or warehouse.
By the way,..... Welcome to the Forum.
GL
~Malabar
Welcome to the forum Dr. Glad you found the search function useful, some newcomers don't. Spore prints and syringes are good for many, many months I wouldn't worry about the amount of time that passes before you get them. I would worry about the level of heat that they are exposed to while en route. If it's a syringe I'd worry about it getting damaged causing it to bust or leak. If it's a print, I'd worry about the foil getting ripped and allowing contams in.
That's all I can think of. Wait for the others .02.
Later,
Deadneck
Hey Malabar and Deadneck,
thanks for the fast replies :)
I don't really think customs will be a problem, I was more worried about shipping time.
so what you are saying Deadneck is the worst case scenario right ? don't scare me like that :D :D
your answers helped me a lot thanks :)
oh and thank you both for the welcome.
Hey Dr.
I'm just trying to imagine the long journey your package will take. I guess I'd call it the worst case scenario. I'd just make sure that whoever is sending you the package put plenty of padding/cushioning for your little buddies to be comfortable on the long ride. Preventative measures would be wise to take so you only have to do this once. Patience is a great skill to have in this hobby and yours will be tested before you even get your spores. This forum will have your back though!
Best of luck,
Deadneck
hey Dn,
well here we go on for the waiting :) i'm getting happier by the minute lol,
anyways I ordered a syringe of B+, I think it will be a good start for me.
I order from spores101 and as you said, I hope they put plenty of cushioning for my little buddies :)
well anyways I'll start buying all that will be needed for when I get my syringe :)
I was thinking of making a step by step tutorial for new comers like me :) might be helpfull I'll make one big post once i harvest my last flush :) but I'll keep this thread going to tell you guys what happens :)
and thanks for the support :)
Ja ka je ze rusjak! Naroci jih v Osterreich!
http://maps.google.com/local_url?q=http://www.mrcashop.org/&dq=mushrooms+innsbruck&cid=15560954498248686049&gl=si&hl=sl&cd=1&ei=oTniSqGqCMHesgaF4sTgCQ&ved=0CA8Q5AQ&sa=X&s=ANYYN7kllATxRd1QiB6sD7WdsWiQYogBZg
Hey guys!
ok I found the heater, perlite, thermometer, water pump, air pump, now I haven't looked for the grains yet but I am sure i wanna make it with grains :) so anyways i know I will find some millets. but i couldn't find vermiculate for making the casing. anyways i searched the forum for alternate casing formulas but didn't find any topic really making clear statements. could you guys enlighten me about that please ? i mean what kind of casing is good what kind of alternate versions for casings exist ?, i have access to cow dung if needed but i'd rather have something less smelly :D but i don't care if it has to be then it has to be :)))))
thanks in advance for the answers :)
why nobody answering ? :(
Ive heard of people substituting perlite for vermiculite, but i have never done this myself. you should also check out
http://www.shroomery.org/20/Casing-Procedures
There is lots of information on there as well.
You could spawn your grains to a bulk substrate like straw. I've read that you don't have to case that (I always have though). You don't want to use Perlite in your casing though. You could case with just straight Peat Moss or coco choir. I have even heard of Worm Castings being used for casing. Look around a little harder for vermiculite. It should be available at a garden or feed store and I'm sure you could find it online easily as well.
Drhusky,
I think Dub has given you some of the best advise. A 50/50 blend of Coir/Peat should do well for a casing, and you will get good color indication, for moisture.
Back in the day, when there was the cancer scare concerning vermiculite, I had cased with pearlite, and a pearlite/peat mix. I achieved decent results, but it gets a bit tricky determining how much moisture is retained in the micro climate. Using pearlite in casing is a risky proposition, and it's very easy to suffocate or drown your grow.
~Malabar :mellow:
wow thanks guys :)
dub, could i use just peat ? instead of peatmoss ?
i'm still looking for vermiculite though someone told me it was possible to get here but kinda tricky to find. well i'll keep looking for that anyways :)
thanks for the answers guys you really help me :)
I bought the thermometer, the heater, the air pump, and tomorrow I'm going to buy my FCs ^^ I'll start with 2 FC that can hold 2 plastic container's each.
ill start with rye seeds or millet whichever I find first I think and then maybe make a 50/50 rye/millet and for casing well if peat is enough ill get that if not ill try to get peatmoss.
I'll put perlite on the bottom, and I'll make 6 holes on top to make the CO2 get the hell out of there :))) anyways I think the air pump will give enough fresh air instead of making holes on the bottom aswell. ill put the FCs inside a container of the same size that will have water in it aswell as the heater and make it to 23C and ill use another chamber and heater when incubating to make it to 28C i think the little buddies will have a good environement to grow in. :)
was also thinking of putting a little plant in front of the air pump to get some O2 boost. but not sure on that last part about the plant if anyone got an idea please tell me :)
so what do you think ? :) i think im a good mushy host :D
PS: sorry for all the smilies i just love them :D
Peat and Peat Moss are the same thing. So, yes you can use that.
Just make sure it is the brown spongy soil looking stuff and not Sphagnum sheet moss. You might want to add some hydrated lime to neutralize the PH of the casing. Peat moss is on the acidic side. If money is tight don't bother w/ it. A lot of growers don't use it. I do. It's how I learned it, so I stick to what works for me.
Do you have a pressure cooker? I didn't see that in your list.
Hey guys sorry have been a bit busy from work :S
Dub,
Nope I don't have a PC but It won't be too difficult to find I think... anyways can I get away without having to buy a PC ?
Drhusky,
If you are working with grains, the PC is one of your Primary tools. You can't even consider working with grains w/o it.
~Malabar :mellow:
Get a pressure cooker...
Even lil' ol me has a PC. I pretty much thought it a requirement of this whole process =)
You don't need a PC to do the PF tek. You can use a large pot of boiling water instead. That is the least expensive way to get started.
True MT .. but I did my very first PF TEK using the 'boiling water' and I got contaminations. I bought a pressure cooker and hardly get any contaminations. I would say its all in preferance if you put it that way. Money isn't an issue so I went with the way that made it easier and don't have to worry about throwing as much out!
Oh, that wasn't a shot at you shroomzer, I was just trying to help drhusky with some inexpensive options. I have not used the boiling water method in quite some time myself as I have started using WBS.
I used an electric food steamer for PF Tek and didn't get any contams.
Oh MT I know.. sorry if my reply made it seem like that. I was just trying to relate to my own experiences with/without a pressure cooker. No worries ;)
Thanks everyone :) I'll my PC as soon as I get paid at work :D I found a place that sells them so won't be a problem to get one :)
well I'll let you all know once I get more stuff to get started :) I'm doing it quite slowly but as you all say patience is the key for this hobby :) so I'm in a hurry just waiting for everything to be as good as possible :)
thanks to all of you guys and shroomzer ^^ you have no idea how you all are helping me making decisions for my little buddies to be as comfortable as possible :)
Ok guys spores on the way. Just bought them :) I think I'm being too calm about it but as you all say, patiente ise a virtue in this hobby so well let's see how it goes :)
I'll let you know every detail guys.
thank you again and again for all your help :)
Where did u order spores from?
spores101. heard a lot of people giving good comments for them so went with them. do you think it will be ok ?
They should be ok!
I havn't heard anything bad about spores101, I stay loyal to ralphie & the works
PW
The best source for spores is the free spore ring (fsre.nl)! I got my B+ spores there. You send them 1 Euro (or more as a donation) and you will get one spore print. When your mushrooms have grown, you send a few prints back.
A great idea! Should be supported! Free spores for everyone! :)
If you need to send a minimum of one Euro then it is far from free!
a euro... can u even buy gum with one of those
It's worth more than the dollar.
Well you pay one Euro and they have to buy the postage for 77 cent. So they earn 23 cent for opening the envelope, reading your order, making the print, putting it into the other envelope and sending it away.
Regarding all this effort, if you ask me, one Euro = for free!
And when you compare it to the prizes of other shops...
Hey guys, and ofc Shroomzer :)!! Happy New Year to everyone :) best wishes !!
well I think it's a really good idea Dave :) next time I'll get spores from them thanks for the info ;)
anyways guys, I finally heard from the post office here in Georgia, and they got my package :D
so tomorrow I'll go get my syringe :D finally here woohooo :D
I'll let you know how it goes :)