Thoughts?

Hey so this is my first time trying to grow in a mono tub. I got this ODPE strain and I don't have very uniform growth in the tub, basically just around one side. The thing is the mushrooms have a soft white fuzz kind of all over them but mostly around the base and I am wondering what it is? are they contaminated?

When I mixed the substrate and grains I added some extra water and I think I may have gone overboard. I have taken the top off the bin a couple times to get some FAE but I really have no idea what I am doing and am just looking for any insight. Also when do I harvest these things?

They started pinning at around 16 days after I planted and right now I am at 21 days out from planting.

Thanks again any info appreciated!

Hey Dinogal! Great result for the first monotub ;-)

If you used multispore culture (spore syringe), then it's absolutely normal to have shrooms with different size, shape, speed of growth and bald areas on the cake etc.

Let me show you a clear example. For instance, here is multispore GT fruiting:

Uniform growth (the kind you probably see in ad photos) is possible only with an isolated culture. For example, here is the same GT strain, but this time from an isolated culture (isolated on agar):

Same strain, but the difference is obvious, isn't it?

Fruiting conditions and environmental fluctuations also influence growth significantly, but genetic isolation play the major role. Not the strain name itself...

The ODPE strain also can look different, depending on the genetics. Take a look: ODPE

Regarding the soft white fuzz (mostly around the base), we call it "fuzzy feet". It's not a contamination – it's actually mycelium growth! It usually appears due to lack of fresh air exchange (FAE) or combination of low FAE and high humidity. More info and photo examples here: Fuzzy feet, fuzzy caps, leggy shrooms

Your mushrooms look good overall. You don't need anything extra. I'd just open the tub for introducing some additional fresh air 2-3 times per day. That's it!

When to harvest? Right after the veil tears or just before it tears. I assume they'll be ready within 3-5 days or so... Here is the guide with examples: Harvesting time

I hope this makes things clearer. Excited to see your updates :-)

P.S. Do you know what to do next? How to initiate a new flush after harvesting this one?