Hello! I'd like to preface by saying that this is my "first" time ever growing any sort of mushroom. I am sure I have made mistakes by some, while still figuring it out as I go. I would consider this grow incredibly successful just by the amount of information I have learned.
Most of the information / tek that I am following is from a combination of several youtube videos I have watched, and this really detailed mycology text book that I had scored at half priced books. This thing is a mushroom bible in my eyes. Someone had previously owned the book obviously, but had highlighted key points directly regarding the production of psylosibin mushrooms. As I've been going along; I have been also writing in its margins, and a separate note book. In hopes of potentially helping someone else in the future.
I inoculated 2 lbs of pre-sterilized rye grain on Mon, Dec 28th 2020 with amazonian cubensis spores; and had a pretty hard time with this step of the process. I was incredibly impatient but began to see growth in the bag on Jan 3rd, 2021 after adding a reptile heating pad to the bottom of a shoebox container. I placed a few paper towels down in the base and then let them colinate.
I believe that this did dry out some of the grain at the bottom; later in colonization. As I noticed that there was a dry area in which no mycelium would grow.
On the 6th, I reported high humidity and rapid growth inside of the bag. Still reading around 86-87 f which seemed okay to me. Within a day, I saw rapid growth and hinted towards complete colonization in a few days.
On the 9th I cased them into three seperate shoebox totes. Equally giving each several layers w/ some pre-sanitized horse manure substrate and let them sit for 5-10 days. I simply closed the lids on each, and stacked them inside the larger tote, with the same heater inside to promote some warmth. As I am unable to heat the entire closet yet.
2-14-21 I pulled a bit of the tape down and saw great colonization across the substrate, but the ambient air of the bin was only around 79-77 f which was about 10 degrees cooler than I would have preferred at this point. At this point I am now putting a blanket on the tote to keep it as warm as possible. Still incubating in total darkness, with no FAE
On Tues Jan 19th; day 9 of their 10 day incubation I removed the lid to look at them.
There was quite a lot of growth on the substrate; but not nearly as much as I would have hoped.
Understanding that this was probably related to the conditions of the closet I invested in some simple products that have really boosted this grow forward.
I've bought a humidifier, humidity controller, and a small space heater.
After putting a small shelf in the closet, I hooked everything up to the larger mono tub, and opened the smallers lids.
I placed the heater on the lower shelf where there was only some items being stored. To warm up the entire closet, and to provide raising lower heat to the mycelium.
I've set up their humidity to run at 90% and 92.2% to stop at. Still with 0 fresh air exchange. Besides the few moments it gets from me opening for daily photos.
2-20-21 Ambient temp is 93 with a low of 92 and high of 95 degrees in the closet with perfect humidity.
The growth has increased and seems to be really taking a hold of the substrate now.
2-24-21 I believe I will have fully colonized substrate quite soon. Jan 31st will be 21 days of incubation for these guys; and I'm really hopeful that they will be done before that.
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