Thoughts (continued) from Dinogal

So I am going to start initiating more FAEs to try to cut down on the fuzzy feet, I thought I might not be doing enough in that department so thank you for that feedback. But when I took the top off of my tub I noticed this spot which is causing me a little bit of concern...is this contamination? If so,what to do??

I was also wondering can I harvest in stages as the growing is happening in stages? and what is the best way to do that? In regards to rehydrating to encourage subsequent flushes I thought I was just supposed to water again. Is it better to mist or pour water?

Thanks so much for any help

Hey hey! Open the tub just for 1-2 mins, 2-3 times/day. It's enough in your case!

Relax, yellowish area is a kind of metabolites. It's not a contamination. More examples and details here: Mycelium metabolites

What to do? Nothing! Let it be :-)

Yes, you can harvest mushrooms partially as they are maturing. But don't drag this process out for a week(s)... It's better to pick them ALL within 3 days – both the mature and the tiny ones.

Pro Tip! You can also make some spore prints for the future experiments – just to use them for growing or for more advanced level like agar work – and save money for genetics ;) You can make them flush by flush. Here is the guide: How to make a spore print

I prefer pouring water and soaking the cake rather than misting the top layer after the 1st flush. You can do it right in a tub. So, soak the cake in freezing cold water for 2-4 hours. Make sure to submerge the cake in water. Then remove water and... wait for the new flush ;-) Details and examples here: Rehydration
Big or small cake – it doesn't matter, the process is the same.

How are you going to dry mushrooms?
Please, don't burn them in the oven! You can find such example on this forum here :-(
So, please, read the guide first: How to dry and store mushrooms

Waiting for updates! Good luck 🤞

P.S. Let's continue our chat in this thread and not create a new one, okay?

Hi Shroomok! Updates and of course more questions!

Sorry for the multiple threads I didn't realize my browser was in some "readers" format and the "Reply" box was not showing, I have since resolved that!

Thank you for the info on the mycelium metabolites, what a relief!

Anyway, I read through everything you sent me (and more), and I just initiated my first harvest and had a few more questions on technique and processes. I went through and took the larger shrooms (tug and twist) and the ones which had torn veils.

Afterwards I tried to clean them up a bit with a knife just cutting off the substrate crust (similar to how I do when I am forgaing wild mushrooms). Is that an acceptable way to do things? Also, should I try to cut/peel off the fuzzy feet or just leave it, it's fine?

I then placed them in some airtight jars and am going to store them in the fridge for another day or two until I take my final harvest of the tub, I just wanted to give the little guys another day or two. Is there a better way to store short term or is that pretty good?

When I do take the remaining mushrooms should I leave any of the really tiny ones or is it better to be fastidious about removing every single growth visible before re-hydrating for subsequent flushes to prevent any rot or contamination?

I am planning on dehydrating the fruits in a dehydrator and then vacuum sealing in pouches, is that a good way to do it?

Ok this is so exciting thank you so much for your advice!

Hi, no problem buddy ;-)

Yes, it's fine to cut the base of the mushrooms as you already did 👍

No, you don't need to peel off the fuzzy feet, it's just airy mycelium. Let it be.

I'd dry them right after harvesting. However, storing fresh shrooms in the fridge for a couple days is not a problem.

Actually, it's time to harvest ALL your mushrooms. Big, small, tiny... ALL of them! Some (with gray-black caps) are Aborts and they won't grow anymore. I marked them with blue circles here (actually, there are much more of them):

Aborted shrooms in blue circles

Don't worry, it's not a contam, and it's fine to have some aborted shrooms on the cake.

Yes, drying in dehydrator (make sure they are completely dry) and vacuum-sealing them (or using zipbags) is a great way to store shrooms. I prefer to make small packs of 3-5-10 grams each rather than one big pack.

Air tight glass jars are also good to use for storing dry mushrooms. You can also add 1-2 silica gel packs to each jar. Or just a few tablespoons of white rice at the bottom – it works as a natural dehumidifier ;-)

Let me know if you have any questions along the way. Glad to help!

Hello again!

So this is my 3rd flush! After harvesting I have been soaking the cake for a few hours with a mixture of distilled and alkaline water. I have also continued to FAE and mist a few times a day.

Should I just continue to do this as long as pins keep coming and fruits continue to grow? I have noticed more areas of metabolite spreading but it doesn't seem to be interfering with anything... does potency decrease with each flush? is there a way to get better mycelium spread in the areas that i have clearly harvested from (where the mycelium is thinner)? Any other input/advice?

Thank you Shroomok!

Wow, your cake looks great and shrooms are so nice! Good job 👍

Yes, continue providing FAE a few times a day. Misting only once in 2-3 days is enough, especially after soaking. Metabolites aren't a problem in your case, so nothing to worry about.

Potency may vary from flush to flush and even from mushroom to mushroom within the same flush. Usually the cake may produce fewer mushrooms during the 3rd and the next 4th and 5th flushes, but it doesn't mean that the 3rd flush is weaker than the 1st or 2nd. Anyway, you won’t be able to determine potency differences just “by eye” or empirically. By the way, aborted shrooms are often more potent than fully mature fruits ;-)

If some parts of the substrate were removed while harvesting mushrooms, that's absolutely fine. You can leave the cake as is. Alternatively, next time (or for your next grow) you can cover the cake with thin casing layer (1/3 inch or about 5-10 mm) before the the very 1st flush and after each harvesting. It's optional, though.

More details about casing here: Casing

The best casing substrate recipe for shrooms:

• Peat moss (aka sphagnum) - 2 cups (Amazon)

• Vermiculite - 1 cup (Amazon)

• Hydrated lime (aka calcium hydroxide) - 1 tablespoon (Amazon)

• Water - 1 cup

All the best!