Grow Log: Texas strain...

[slackwaterfarmer]

I haven't posted in a while. Last time I tried to grow some cubies I guess I was a little sloppy, they all got contaminated. Anyways, this time, with my last print, I did a multispore using the PF Tek.

Innoculation was June 6th. The only thing a bit unusual was that I didn't get the mix quite right on account of the vermiculite being medium fine. So, I had to dump it back in the bowl and mix the sterile layer on top into the BRF/verm mix to dry it out. Then I re-packaged and put a new sterile layer on top (vermiculite only).

I covered using a double layer of aluminum foil, topped by a single layer. Then removed the single layer for the innoculation. I found that the moisture content was "just right" when I could press down on the top of the foil (slightly compressing the mix) and just a bit of water would show up. Pardon if this is rambling, I'm typing while my wife and kids are out purchasing a hamster, and just a tad rushed....

Anyway. As of 6/23 (so, it's 17 days from innoculation)... this is what I've got: 8 jars, no sign of contamination at all. Yeah!

Hope the pic shows up ok, I still haven't figured this out.

My plans are to try two jars outside on manure and straw (I'm in zone 6a by the way, perfect for psilocybe cyanescens, but much to cold, norrmally for native cubensis). Then the remaining six jars, I'll grow on coir, and maybe one with coir/straw/manure mixed.

One final note, is that one jar is 100% done, one 99%, and the rest between 60-90%. Thanks for all the helpful comments and encouragement from the old-timers.

More to follow.

[slackwaterfarmer]

This is an update. Hopefully will have some fruiting bodies to show in a couple weeks or so. This will document the experiment.

1: Outside: On 6/25, put two cakes, cut up into about 24 pieces, outside. Since this is zone 6a, don't know how this will work, for cubensis, but it's been done by others and should be interesting. Will follow up with some pics, especially when it pins (hopefully).

A 40-lb bag of composted manure was laid out in the garden for a week in the sun to "pasteurize". Then some hay purchased from the grocery store (alfalfa feed for rabbits, etc) was soaked for 36 hours in a large baggie. Put dry hay over the dirt, then manure, wet hay, chunks of PF-cakes, manure, hay, manure. On the top put a layer of dry straw to protect the patch from the direct sun. We've had temps in the 90's for the last few days with low humidity, so watered every day and kept the patch in the extra shade.

Checked yesterday and there is mycelium spreading from the chunks of the PF cakes into the composted manure and straw. It will be interesting to see how these Texan Cubes do in the Northeastern United States.

2. Indoors: Two cakes were placed in coir today. Innoculated 6/06, put in the tub (birthed) on 6/27. Photos are below. This tek has worked quite well before and is undertaken to ensure that some good spore prints are obtained. Still 4 cakes left, from 70-90 % colonized.

The pics show, in order: a. two cakes, b. the tub with perlite and vermiculite on the bottom, c. 8 chunks from the PF cakes, laying on the coir, d. the cakes covered with coir, e. the tub with top, and f. the seedling warmer.

The tub is placed on the seedling warmer with a towel between the warmer and the tub to keep it from getting too hot. This is in a room that's cool, so it has historically provided the proper range for mycelium growth and fruiting. In the past, the tubs have been alternated between being heated, and taken off every other day, which seems to help spur the development of the mycelium and the fruit.

Haven't got any comments on this post as of yet, but when I get more results I would appreciate any encouragement and/or suggestions from the experts, muah hah hah.

I'm definitely interested in seeing how that coir and cake baking pan
turns out. keep the updates comin'. the outside cakes sound interesting
as well. Good luck!

-DM-

[mycobri]

the cakes look good

lower temps are fine for fruiting,
a drop to room temps can even initiate pinning sometimes
might not need the pad anymore -not sure of your room temps

best of luck
and keep your eyes on that outdoor patch
it might suprise you!

[lost_onabbey_rd]

looking good.
personaly i hate perlite and have found that some damp cardboard will work just as well to maintain humidity in smaller enviorments
way less messy, and the mycellium can grow into it, just change it out every 2 weeks or so

[seymorebunz]

Looks good........good luck!

[slackwaterfarmer]

Thanks for the advice and comments, folks. I'm not real big on perlite either, I mixed it with the vermiculite simply to extend the vermiculite.

So, the 8 pieces of cake (2 cakes cut into four pieces each) have been in the tub for a week and the mycelium is starting to poke through and form some primoridia (sp?). In the past, this has been the precursor to pinning. They should come out in some decent clusters in a week or so. I don't know how this compares to plain cakes -- but I have a couple cakes going also (from the same experiment) and nothing much showing on the cakes after a few days. Also, the experiment outside hasn't shown any pins either after a couple weeks, but we've had a cool spell, so I haven't given up yet.

Anyway... two pics below: 1) the foil tub with the mycelium beginning to poke through the "casing" of coir laid over vermiculite and perlite mix, and 2) a close up of one of the future "clumps" where the primordium/mycelium are visible. Sorry if the pics aren't the best, but it's difficult to get the exposure and focus perfect in this particular situation.

More in a few days...

[eastwood]

interesting ..hell yeah.. hope it works out .. hell id like to try this one ...Keep us posted. where did you get that tub with the lid at ????

[slackwaterfarmer]

Hi... I think it's gonna work out. Starting to get pins. I tried this method before and it worked pretty well -- although I'm sure it's not as good as some of the teks out there...

Some more pics below. I gotta get my kids to bed so I don't have time to go into details, but you can see the mycelium and primoridum developing through the coir "casing" pretty well. Eight "clumps" will form. In the pics to the right you can see the pins (just a few) forming from the primordium (the tiny pin-like fingers of mycelium). Pardon if I'm not using the terms correctly, but this seems to be heading where I'm hoping... more in a few days.

[Cowcharmer]

GL

[CoyoteMesc]

Awesome Job!!!

"You dont need to apologize so much, your not doing nothing wrong"...H3

[garrettee]

Very nice. It's great grows I see on here like this that made me join and get started myself(I hope).

[thatballguy]

Great job man, keep us posted!