Probably failed grow?

I did multiple mistakes, starting with using AI for advice. I made a perfect substrate, mixed it with cococoir inside fruiting chambers, and double bagged them using trash bag, because AI told me it will keep higher temps, humidity and co2. This resulted in too high temps, way too much humidity and eventually - smothered and drowned mycelium. I only noticed it on day 8 and unbagged them. Then I spent 5 days drying them, which made them look bruised, dried, and yellow.

Then I decided to fork them and cover with bubble wrap, but now it kinda looks rough, and coir looks dry beneath (not brown, but a bit gray). I am misting the sides of the tub, around the bubble wrap, and venting every few hours, but it doesnt seem to be enough.

There are two chambers, the photos are in order - right after unbagging. Then after drying. Then after forking, and finally latest ones, made just now (with bubble wrap).

I don't see clear signs of contamination yet, and the smell remains the same, but not sure.

I am also using blue light led 12 hours a day. The chambers also got in built fans/misting/lights, but I decided to do it manually, because misting was making them too dry and it seems to be better used when the fruiting starts for real.

Anything I can do to save the mycelium or is it over?

Fixing mistakes is trickier, but we'll try. Looks like this is your very first attempt in growing, am I right?

I wouldn't rely on AI in questions of mushroom cultivation at all. It's hard to tell whether this is AI or your misinterpretation. Anyway, let's make a work on mistakes, fill some gaps in your knowledge and what have been done good as well :-)

TL;DR: The main possible issues are too wet coco coir substrate, imbalanced fruiting conditions, harsh drying. 'Unbagging' wasn't needed.

1. You mentioned you mixed 'perfect substrate' (which means grain spawn) with coco coir (bulk substrate) – this is the proper 'Spawn to Bulk (S2B)' step.

Q: The question is, how did you check the field capacity (moisture level) of your coco coir? It should be around 60%. Very wet bulk is the first possible mistake.

A good way to check field capacity (the moisture level in the bulk substrate) without soil moisture meter is to take a handful of substrate and squeeze it in your hand. If you cannot squeeze out any water, it is too dry. If a stream of water flows out when you squeeze it lightly, it is too wet. You should be able to squeeze the mixture as hard as you can and only have a few drops come out to get the field moisture capacity moisture level– this is ideal!

2. Although, at the very beginning your both cakes looked good and seemed like everything was fine.

3. After S2B mycelium needs time to colonize coco coir and the top layer of the cake. This required the same conditions as for grain colonization: no FAE (high CO2), no light, air temp. around 20-25C or 68-77F. Depending on the temperature and ratio of Spawn to Bulk it takes 3-14 days for bulk colonization. Once the top layer is colonized (~90%), it's time for providing fruiting conditions: FAE, light, humidity ~90%.

Q: How long did it take in your case for bulk colonization before providing fruiting conditions?

4. Using trash bag as a liner is not about creating higher temp. etc. It's more about preventing side and bottom pinning for even growth on the top. Check it here: Side and bottom pins. Also using a liner is helpful for mushroom cake rehydration (soaking cake in water for flushing), especially if you have average/big size cake: Rehydration

So, 'unbagging' wasn't required and this actually didn't cause the issues.

5. 'This resulted in too high temps, way too much humidity' - it's not due to using a liner. Most likely it's a problem with your fruiting conditions in the fruiting chamber. Also there may be excessive evaporation, condensation, that created high humidity due high field capacity in your bulk substrate - see #1.

Q: What was your air temp. in the fruiting chamber? What was the humidity? Did you use humidifier/spray at this point additionally?

Note: Automated fruiting chamber like yours is not a guarantee of proper fruiting conditions. And they won't be able to compensate for mistakes made in previous steps.

6. Some water drops on the cake is fine (photos 1 & 3), but excessive moisture/pooling creates more fluffy overgrowth. Then in combination with further drying we have overlay (photos 2 & 4): Overlay

7. You're right, your cakes don't have any symptoms of contamination and that's a good sign.

8. Fork tek - okay, bubble wrap - okay. But some adjustments are needed here!

Q: How long since forking and using a bubble wrap?

Enough for now.

Answer all my questions and I'll tell you what to do next

0. This is kinda my first grow? I bought all-in-one bags just before that - one bag fruited prematurely, but I managed to collect something out of it. Second bag I accidentally cut, released too much moisture and it spend 2 months doing nothing, then tried to fruit, then got moldy and slimy, so I threw it away.

1. I bought pre-made jars of coir and grain, pasteurized and at field capacity. I used a glovebox, sterilized everything very thoroughly with ethanol and flames, inoculated myself. Grain colonized in week or so, and jars looked amazing. 8 out of 8 grain jars very white and pristine.

2. I washed the chambers, mixed the coir and grain 1:1 (2 jars coir, 2 jars grain).

3. I put the chambers inside big trash double bags (AI told me it will help to prevent light, collect co2 and increase temps), and tied the ends with rubbers.

4. I checked on day 3 and 6, and then removed the bags on day 8. The temperatures were too high - thermoteters showed anywhere from 25c to 27c, I overdid it with the heating pads, I should've just used room temp (21-22c in my room). I did not use any additional spray or humidifier at all, according to hydrometer - it was 92-98%% humidity.

5. There was a lot of moisture on top of the mycelium, huge puddles and droplets, so I decided (AI and reddit told me) to ventilate them. I spent 5 days using fans and opening the door, so they ended up looking bruised, yellowing, dry.

6. I decided to fork them, the layer below the mycelium looked brown and very dry, then I covered it with bubble wrap. It has been less than 2 days. I checked them today - nothing has changed, coir appeared a bit dry, but not brown anymore - just gray/black. I misted the edges around the bubble wrap. I also put blue led lamps, and vented them 3 times for a few minutes during the day.

7. There are two more chambers, which I just put into fruiting, and trying to avoid the same mistakes. I removed bags earlier, venting them, not misting them because they appear very moist, and they share the same blue led lamps. I've included the photos, in case I am making a mistake there as well.

8. Right now all 4 chambers are at 21-22c, just room temperature, and 90-98%% humidity.

Oh, heating pad – you didn't mention it before. Although, even at 25-30°C, during bulk colonization, mycelium can deal with it. But heat pad might create excessive evaporation.

Don't panic, it's not failed yet!

Let's do the following for your forked cakes:

1. You need clean drinking water (or chilled boiled water) and a syringe. Fill the syringe and drip-by-drip rehydrate the cake. Squeeze water out of the syringe in trenches created by fork, but try to avoid pooling water on mycelium areas that weren't removed by fork. Just to give you a general idea:

   

   ~50-100 ml of water should be absorbed. Let the cake absorbing water and sit for 10-15 minutes uncovered.

2. Spray water on bubble wrap – just a few sprays.

3. Cover the cake with bubble wrap. The film can come in contact and touch mycelium, don't worry about it!
   

   

4. Remove bubble wrap twice a day to introduce fresh air and check the mycelium.

5. Hopefully in 4-7 days we'll see pins 🤞

If that doesn't work, we'll go with plan B ;-)

Regarding your 2 new cakes:
They both look good! Try to reduce humidity to 90-92% – very-very slowly, within a few days. Use fan gently (about 10% of the power), but for longer and/or more frequent. Don't use it in full power mode. Or keep it opened for 10-15 mins 3-4 times/day without using the fan at all.

Mushrooms do need humidity, but they also need some evaporation from the top layer – such condition triggers fruiting and prevents overlay on the areas with fluffy-puffy (tomentose) mycelium.

Do you know what type of fan in your chamber (diameter, CPU)? Is there any kind of protective filter in the box for filtering the incoming air? Or it works as exhaust fan?

I believe we'll make your cakes fruit! Keep me updated, please :-)
Let me know if you have any questions

I used heating pads on a lowest setting, just trying to keep 25c air, but sometimes it would go higher, if the room got heated because of PC.

There are 2 fans in chambers - one pulls air, another push it out. They are 4cm in diameter, and they have flaps to prevent dust going in. When you switch the chamber on - it starts misting if internal hydrometer is below 80% and the fans work every minute, then stop, then work again. It tries to keep the 90% moisture level, I think. It's a cheap Chinese "shroombox", a bit shoddy, but it does have in built lights, mister and fans, its made for fruiting, but I wanted to try to use it as a monotub as well. Ill try hydrating the coir with the syringe. I am not sure how moist it is on the inside honestly, right now hydrometer says 97% in one chamber and 93% in another, but it could be just top air level, after I misted the insides.

The overall look with fans.

I've checked underneath the bubble wrap - one chamber was a bit dry, so I added like 10ml water, but the second one was flooded from me misting it earlier around the edges. I actually removed the water on top with the syringe. It was literally a puddle. I think both chambers are wet now, after misting earlier. Water just doesnt want to go inside the coir. Not sure if its because its still wet, or the top layer is too dense.

One of the fresh chambers, seems to have started yellowing a bit. Anything I should do about it? I still haven't started misting them, because I see a lot of droplets on top. I have been venting it few for a few minutes. Also - I noticed that my room has very high co2 levels, when I close the window, around 3000ppm. Should I buy oxygen in a can and use it when venting to help the shrooms?

Some yellowish or metabolites are fine. You can read and check photo examples here: Mycelium metabolites But after drying water drops/pools the mycelium can turn to overlay. Check this guide: Overlay

Let's quit using your automated setup for pinning period and switch to manual adjustments, okay? I don't have enough info on your setup, I haven't tested it and I have no idea about its outcome.

I trust my visual assessment without sensors (water drops on the mycelium and the walls of the tub, room temp., mycelium quality and its changes etc.)

What should you do next:

1. open the tub 3-4 times/day for 5-10 mins and just leave it opened. Don't use fans or smth else for fanning!

2. don't mist the tub, don't spray water on the mycelium directly, don't use humidifier

3. room temp 20-25C is fine

4. you can use light 12/12 hrs

NOTHING MORE!

Regarding your CO2 question – see the next post below ⬇️

Room CO2, CO2 level for mushroom growing and CO2 sensor calibration

Check my previous post ⬆️

Regarding your question about CO2:

1. 3000 ppm is an extremely high CO2 concentration for YOUR health! You should ventilate your room before sleep, after sleep and at least 1-2 times more if you stay in the room during the day. YOU do need oxygen even more than your mushrooms!

2. Normally outdoor CO2 is about 400-500 ppm. Your room CO2 should be up to 1200 ppm. Above 1000-1200 ppm you can feel drowsiness, yawning, poor concentration. It doesn't matter whether you have a sensor or not. Even if it's cold outside, ventilate the room!

3. CO2 level for mushrooms within 800-1500 ppm is fine.

You don't need to buy oxygen, you have plenty of it for free!

3. What type of sensor do you use? Have you calibrated it? Cheap ones are extremely inaccurate, especially CO2 sensors.

4. How to calibrate your sensor and how to know if it works +/- okay?

• Take the sensor outside. After 5-10 mins the readings should be around 400-450 ppm.

• Then bring it back into the room.

• Slowly exhale air from your mouth directly into the sensor.

• A few seconds after exhaling the air, the sensor readings will gradually change: 6500–> 9000–> 10500–> 13700 ppm – this is a normal reaction for a high-quality sensor. If the reading is significantly lower, your sensor is inaccurate.

• After a few seconds of reaching the maximum value of ~13700 ppm, the readings will gradually decrease: 13700–> 10000–> 6500–> to the CO2 level in the room.

Here is a video example provided by TechGuru @mrZimm – this helped me a lot while we tested my sensor.

Note: room CO2 level is 1500 ppm

I am not using automated anything for those fluffy chambers at all, just opening them like you said - 10 minutes, every few hours, and letting them dry. Just worried they might dry too much and I will have to fork them as well. Not misting them, not adding water, not touching them at all, apart from venting.

I have a decent air purifier think it's pretty accurate. Double pane windows and thick lining basically turn the room into a sealed chamber. But yeah - I opened a window a bit again, its down to 1100ppm, its just that I am also a bit worried about my succulents, don't want them to get cold air.

But also good news, I think - the worst looking chamber started pinning. Small shrooms and dots appeared, so I removed the bubble wrap and using constant fae/misting built in chamber, its the only one where I am using automation right now. I am not even using in built white light, just manually added blue light lamp for all 4 chambers.

Second forked chamber seems more dormant, so I hydrated it like you suggested, with a syringe and keep it covered with bubble wrap.

Now open new cakes 3 times/day for 5-10 mins, okay?

Could you pls show me that cake with pins and knots?

CO2 in air purifiers is not the main sensor. It requires initial calibration and it should be calibrated from time to time anyway!

I am opening them 3 times a day. Basically - when I wake up, every 3-4 hours, 5-10 mins. Humidity on hydrometers goes down to 70%, then I closed them again and it goes back up to 95-97%%, but it seems to be slowly drying droplets at least.

Air purifier has a separate base with a sensor, it was calibrated, I can recalibrate it now again.

I can already guess those side pins are going to be an issue, there is probably more on the other side. I didnt even see them before making a pic, hopefully I didnt drown them with the syringe.

Great! Some rehydration and blanket-tek with bubble wrap works. Don't do anything extra right now and please, try to be more patient ;-)

Your mushrooms are fine, you didn't drown them and side pins is not a problem. Take a look: Side and bottom pins

Yes, recalibrate your CO2 sensor

Just to update. The mushrooms are growing, though not a lot of them, most are side pins. Other forked chamber seems dormant, I keep spraying around the edges and venting under the bubble wrap.

The fluffy ones are slowly drying, but nothing else so far.

Thanks for the update!

1) Fruiting cake. Do you complain? You have side pins, moreover–pins on the top, which is a great success after so much stress. It could have produced no mushrooms at all, but you have them ;-) I'd be grateful to get at least such fruiting.

2) Dormant cake. Only 2 or 3 days passed. It needs more time. As I said in one of the prev. posts we need about 4-7 days. If nothing happens, then plab B. Don't spray it and cover the cake completely with film - even from the edges, okay?

3) New cakes. Cover the fluffy ones with bubble wrap as well (on top and sides) as I described and showed in the prev. post here

Waiting for updates 🤞

1. Just obsessing and worried. The white dots on their caps I assume are just leftover mycelium?

2. I just cut out larger bubble wraps and covered all 3 chambers completely. Will update in 2-3 more days, hopefully something happens.

Whenever I learn a new thing, I keep obsessing about details, I am sure next grow I will know enough to stop worrying. Especially if this one succeeds. Thanks for your patience and help.

1. Yes, you're right, it's just mycelium on the caps.

2. Nice! Waiting for the news, hopefully good one(s)🤞

Look! Even if something doesn't go as you expected, it doesn't mean that everything is going wrong. It's a living organism and it can develop in its own way.

You shouldn't act immediately, especially if there is no signs of contamination. If there is nothing green, gray, yellow, pink, red – there is nothing to worry about. Although, even with contam cases you have time...

If something questionable you have plenty of time to figure out the issue and after all, you can ask me BEFORE doing anything.

It's easier to prevent mistakes (i.e. guide you) rather then troubleshoot already progressing issues due to your overthinking and unnecessary actions.

Keep calm –> think –> ask –> clarify if needed –> act –> profit... or repeat :-)

Mushrooms don't need extra! Very often neglect approach and simplicity is much better than hypercare. Take it as a fun journey and don't waste your energy worrying. Hurry-scurry is counterproductive. Mushrooms love patience ;-)

Exactly one mushroom showed up lol

Do I remove the bubble wrap anyway and start fans/misting?

Not yet! There will be much more soon ;-)

Keep it closed under bubble wrap and let's check it again in 24 hours, okay?

Sure. The other chamber now showing a decent amount (around a hundred) of shrooms as well of various stages. A bit worried that the misting thing isn't powerful enough to keep the humidity, but otherwise - not bad for a small tub.

Nice! Could you show me, please? Eager to see :-)

There are a lot of smaller ones, difficult to see. Now they appear to grow more consistently, if unevenly. Guess I just needed to wait a bit more.

Good fruiting, beautiful mushrooms! Well done, buddy!

Some of them will be ready for harvesting in ~3 days or so. Just let them do their job...

Btw, what's strain?

P.S. Try to focus not only on your problems and fails, but also notice and share your successes ;-)

I marked the jars with X and O, and forgot which ones were which. It's Mexicana and Thai, I also made 3 jars of LC with Golden Teacher, which I will never use in my lifetime, it was an insurance in case everything fails.

Also - all 4 chambers are now fruiting.

I'll keep the fluffy ones covered, and remove the bubble wrap from forked one?

Hooray, great news! All your tubs look much better and they are all fruiting now!

Let's keep them all covered for 1 more day, okay?

I'll keep them covered for a day longer. Some of the bigger shrooms got their veil torn today. Bit smaller than I hoped, I'll harvest them tomorrow morning, so they dont drop spores. The first time I did grown mushrooms in bags - they ended up being like 20cm tall, theses ones are 10, but they do look less mushy, sturdier.

Decided to get some of them, the gills were getting suspiciously darker, I've seen what happens when they spore everywhere.

Most likely you had tall and spongy mushrooms due to lack of oxygen and high CO2 in the bag. Check out this write up and photo examples here: Leggy shrooms & Fuzzy Feet

Bigger mushrooms doesn't mean they are better or more potent. Different strains and different genetics have different features.

Moreover, from flush to flush they slightly different in shape and color, they may become bigger, but produce less mushrooms. Just compare the same grow – flush by flush – shared in the guide:

Flush 1
Flush 2
Flush 3
Flush 4
Flush 5
Flush 6

Yes, you can pick mushrooms as they mature.

I'd like to hear about your previous grow :-) was it smooth experience? Was it a growkit or all-in-one bag?

It was all-in-one bag, but it had a confusing manual - it said not to shake it at all... which was wrong. It was way too packed, so the bottom never completely colonized and the top started fruiting early. It was also too expensive for no reason - just coconut coir, a bit of grain (probably 20% grain) and I think some hay, $30 for 2kg bag. A port for inoculation and a port for breathing. I also inoculated it from the top, instead of the coir, so might have played a role in how it didn't completely colonize.

It was fast though, clean, relatively easy. 20g total dry Golden Teacher mushrooms in 3 flushes, before the bag died (I probably didn't soak it long enough), wasn't really worth it. Maybe if it colonized completely it would've been more. But it was a learning experience. I bought two of them. Second one I accidentally cut while unpacking, so I think it dried out too much and just stopped colonizing at 30%. I tried to fruit it anyway, it even produced a single patch of tiny pins, but then got contaminated with slime/mold.

I am not going to do 4 more chambers, just 2 more next time, and 2 edible ones, maybe lions mane. I want to use some of the LC I made at least. Also probably was a bad idea to use 1:1 grain and coir, maybe less grain next time, so its less fluffy and less moist, and not cover it completely with trash bags.

I think its safe to uncover the first two and start growing? I'll keep the last one for a day or two more?

Yes, open the first two and provide FAE 2-4 times/day for 5 mins. Don't use fans! Mist the walls of the tub if they are dry (once in 2-3 days will be enough), but don't mist the mycelium! I don't see any water drops on the walls, so mist them today.

The third one I'd keep covered for the next 2 days for sure, maybe longer. Let's check it later.

Regarding your prev. experience, I'd say it was a successful first attempt in mushroom cultivation. Although, you still have some gaps about causes and effects.

Have you read the guide? Mushroom growing in 20 steps

Also check out Contamination, Troubleshooting, Q&A sections and pass available (so far!) quizzes after each write up to test your knowledge or here Quizzes

There were drops on the walls of the tub, I switched on the fans and the misting, it basically tries to keep 80-90%% humidity in there, I guess I could switch it off?

This is how it looks:

https://youtu.be/sASML17eukI

https://youtu.be/AjIhkLpukNw

One fan is taking in air, another pushing it out. The ultrasonic mister tries to spread the water vapor on top of the tub.

I also add a bit of misting manually in a growing chamber, seems like its a bit dry?

I completely understand that you wanted to make the whole process smoother, but 'automation' has more cons than pros. Simple monotub or bottle-tek with air vents for light natural air flow would be more efficient and way cheaper. Btw, how much is your setup roughly?

Issues I see with your configuration:

1) The most important! From what I noticed in this thread, based on rough calculations – fans over-drying the cake and this is the main problem.

For such small volume box (I don't know exact dimensions, let's say 50cm x 40cm x 30cm inside, V = 0.06m3 = 2.1ft3) and 40mm fans (let's say they are 4–10 CFM depending on model and RPM) even at the lowest-end (4 CFM) only one fan delivers ~20× more airflow than required for your volume. At the max speed and max 10CFM it delivers ~50x more airflow than needed.

You need 2 mins for 5 exchanges for 4CFM fan. But if it's 10CFM you need less than a minute to run it. BUT! Harsh airflow ALWAYS dry out the top layer of the cake and it's worse then slow flow for longer or just opening the tub for a few mins without fanning at all.

Two fans create even more harsh airflow!

If you are curios about calculations and you know the exact params of your setup, here is an example in another thread I made for grow tent: Fan Speed & Runtime calculations based on grow tent volume & fan output – you can do your own calculations.

2. Therefore, the fog and humidity overall removes with harsh fanning right away.

3. The fog may spread uneven. It would be better to place humidifier higher to push fog from the top. It will spread to the bottom layers evenly due to the gravity – fog is heavy.

4. The hygrometer's output depends on how close its sensor was placed to the humidifier. It may provide inaccurate data. It may also provide false data due to poor quality of its sensor.

5. As I understand, you can either ON or OFF the whole setup. For instance, you can't use fans for 1 min and use humidifier for 10 mins more after turning off the fans. Correct me if I'm wrong. Also, would be great, if the box had at least a speed controller for fans so you could adjust the air flow in any way.

6. I'm not sure if there is a synchronization between all devices to get proper coincide fruiting parameters.

I'd stop using installed fans and humidifier and simply switch to manual care. Open it twice a day for 5 mins and spray the walls once in 2-3 days. That's it! Otherwise you'll get dry cake again and related issues. Anyway, the choice is yours...

P.S. Such automation is like growing with AI. You have to understand what are you doing, what do you use and why; and don't rely completely on ready solutions

Each chamber is $45. I guess you are right, they are janky. The misting isn't spreading correctly and drying too fast, the fans work too much. I will finish this grow, and sell two of them at least, maybe buy a proper monotub. Meanwhile - I think I can fix it a bit with a timed outlet. I will simply make them switch on for a few minutes and switch off during the day, so I don't even need to open all 4 manually.

I think the way it works is fans are on a timer - one works for a minute, pause, another works for a minute, pause and so on.

Mister works when humidity drops below 70%, and switches off above 80%. In the manual they recommend using finished mycelium bricks, maybe it's literally made for something very specific. There is nothing else, besides the light controls, it's all automated :/

I checked what fans are in the chamber - unfortunately they are generic ones 5v, probably around 3-5cfm, according to similar sized ones. I've set them to run twice a day for a 1 minute, using smart plugs. Should be okay?

The box even smaller than I thought. You need humidity about 85-90%; below 80 and especially below 70% is too low.

Even if the FAE is not ideal, it's definitely better than before. Let's test it (twice a day for 1 min), and we'll see ;-)

How are your fruiting cakes? Any progress? What about the last one covered with bubble wrap?

I've set the timers for 3 times a day (every 8 hours), for 1 minute venting. Seems okay, since hydrometers say all chambers are a bit too humid - over 94-97%%. I removed water from misters and stopped misting myself, will do it like you said - every 2-3 days.

First chamber is basically done, just a few big shrooms left, lots of smaller ones, but I think they will dry out, I will re-hydrate the block in a couple of days and raise it, so its easier to collect sidepins next flush.

Second forked chamber seems okay, was a bit wet, but now better. Fluffy chamber 1 seems perfect, fluffy chamber 2 is a bit barren, I will keep the bubble wrap one last day, but it's already growing shrooms and they are starting to bend beneath it.

Collected around 120g wet shrooms, which ended up being 11g very dry ones. Seems okay for the first flush on the first chamber? And its not even done yet.

FAE 3 times a day (every 8 hours) also fine. Yes, misting once in 2-3 days is more than enough. But look, if the walls of the fruiting chamber is wet, you can see many water drops and 94-97%% on your hygrometer –> skip misting.

Great! Pick all big, small and side mushrooms before rehydration and soak the cake in cold water for ~2-4 hours. Make sure to submerge the cake in water completely. Here is the guide with examples: Rehydration

Your fluffy chamber 2 is ready! It's time to remove the bubble wrap, let them breath and straighten up ;-)

Good job, buddy! I'm glad to watch them grow :-) Pretty good harvest for the first flush 👍 We'll see how the next flush goes, maybe it will be even better...

Yeah, I've read the rehydration manual. Going to wash/soak them, and also use pumice or perlite with tinfoil bottom to raise it, so it's easier to collect, and will open last chamber. Thanks for continuing to help. At least I get the gist now. Don't really see any difference between thai or mexicans though yet. They all look like generic golden teachers.

You're welcome!

Just put the cake on a wire rack or plastic box and that's it. You don't need pumice or perlite like for PF-tek

Yep, landrace cubensis strains look quite similar

Should have forked those fluffy chambers as well. I think matting prevented some from growing. Maybe next flush will be better though. Still - quite a lot of shrooms.

Cool shroom bloom! Thanks for sharing the beauty 👍

I wouldn't fork those fluffy chambers. There are many knots, that will continue to grow on the next flushes. Easy to scrap off and ruin them. So just soak the cake after harvesting and let it be ;-)

Chamber 1 is on the third flush, I've used the honey water you mentioned in the hydrating manual. Fluffy chambers 3 and 4 and perfect and growing a second flush. But the forked chamber 2 is a bit weird - it keeps getting fluffy and airy mycelium, and eating aborted shrooms. It has been only a couple of days, so I will wait more, just weird. It's also the only chamber where I used perlite below the block, instead of the pumice. Perlite seems to be worse than pumice - bottom is more swampy, top is more dry. Anything I should do or just wait?

Forgot to mention - AI wants me to... mist the top of that block, but I stopped misting everything completely, since humidity is 95-98%% in every chamber and there are droplets on walls.

Hey, could you share some photos of the 2nd flush (chamber 1) and other cakes that are fruiting now?

Here are all 4. I am thinking - maybe flip the 1 and 2 cakes? The bottoms look nice, and theres even a good shroom growing (just one) on the bottom of the 2.

1. Always remove aborts, they are literally dead mushrooms and may cause contamination.

2. New fluffy and airy mycelium growth after rehydration is absolutely normal. It's new phase of growth, nothing wrong!

3. Once rehydrated, you don't need to spray the cakes at all.

4. If the walls of the fruiting chamber are wet and the RH is 95%, then there is no need to spray the chamber either.

5. I wouldn't use neither perlite, nor pumice and I've told about it before, in prev. reply here. Why do you use it? Is it wet or dry? What are the benefits?

6. If you don't have many bottom pins, there's no point in flipping the cake(s). If you want you can put them on a wire rack or smth like that – in this way pins can grow in different directions – from all the sides, top and bottom. Anyway, the cake efficiency is limited, you won't get more than they are able to produce.

Do you have photos of the cakes with mushrooms on them right before you've harvested them? I'd like to see their best blooming stage and compare them flush by flush :-)

I removed as many aborted shrooms as I could without destroying the blocks. Some of them literally appeared after dunking, before being absorbed.

The tubs aren't very convenient to collect sidepins from, thats why I put pumice and perlite, for height. Soaked it in water so it retains moisture. There is nothing else realistically that would fit in there to raise them up. There tinfoil lining between them and pumice. I also saw a picture on your discord of someone using perlite around the blocks.

I will flip the cakes on the last flush, if they survive this one. Seems like all 4 are growing, but only 2 of them properly. Will be 1-2 days more before they ready to harvest.

Second flushes from fluffy chambers. Missed one by a few hours and it dropped spores.

Wow, beautiful mushrooms! And so many side pins, nice. Thanks for sharing ❤️

Yes, sporulation begins quite quickly, right after opening the caps. In your case such sporulation is fine, they haven't made a mess yet.

Did you make some spore prints? Or are you going to make them? ;-)

Regarding your prev. post.

1. Some aborts appeared after soaking is absolutely normal. Good to remove them in time.

2. Just keep in mind that using wet perlite in this way increase humidity, which actually could be useful, but you don't need extra humidity. And overwatered pumice (or exclay) may become slimy.

Previously I meant you can put the cake on a plastic box that fit your cake size and that slot in your chamber. Like here:

Or use a wire rack –> you can put it inside the chamber to cover that slot and put a cake on it. Smth like this on amazon https://amzn.to/3KqyFYd or wire rack like in a microwave, or DIY wire rack.

This way you don't need to fill the slot in your fruiting chamber and mushrooms will be able to grow from all the sides. Just for the future ;-)

3. After soaking it takes 3-15 days for the new round of fruiting. Let's give them time ;-)

Waiting for new updates 🤞
Cheers!

Rack would've been smart honestly, but too late. I did make 2 prints - one more or less sterile (I tried), one less neat (I was lazy). Honestly - I don't need THAT many shrooms. I just want to try it once, now I have enough for microdosing and many trips, plus I just inoculated 3 jars with golden teacher (very sloppy, I ordered wrong jars without the air filter, and had to improvise my own with a needle and syringe filter). This should be more than enough for a year or two. And there are still 2 full jars of mycelium.

Another chamber is almost ready for the third flush and it looks good, I wouldn't be surprised if it does #4 as well, I will send a pic. I decided to turn the fluffy blocks for third flushes as well, and use honey water on all of them. Seems to be working fine, and no contamination (so far).

Overall - AI says its a good, medium, amount of shrooms, but could've been better, just small mistakes that added up. I am doing lions mane next, for those steaks I saw on youtube. And thanks again for everything!

Third flush, should've turned the block before, but still okay. I used honey+distilled water. Might try 4th flush, just to see what happens when its turned.

Seems like the title of your thread is no longer relevant. This became "probably one of the most successful grows" ;-)

It's been 3 good flushes already 🔥🔥🔥

My inner grower is waiting for the 4th flush update, but you're absolutely right – you have more than enough already!

P.S. Growing other medicinal, edibles and Lion's Mane in particular is a wonderful experience that is definitely worth trying (some of them require even more patience)