On the weekend I made the final improvement to the fruiting chamber to improve yield - a 12 v fan, both intake and one that circulates air around the chamber. To be honest, I gave up - my head wasn't in the right space and I think that complicated wiring would have taken me all day. I mean, it wasn't that complicated - it was just following a simple circuit diagram and anyone could have done it, it's just it took the hubs probably a tenth of the time it would have taken me.
The chamber has to sit neatly in my yoga room, which has a heater on a timer to 12 degrees C. Our house gets cold in the winter and I dont like to heat rooms unnecessary, so the door is usually shut to this room. Currently I'm growing white oyster mushrooms so they dont mind lower temperatures. In the death of winter this room can get down to 6 degrees but really most of the time it's above that, so the heater isn't on ALL the time, just when it gets super cold at night. Vive la timer!
The other timers I have are for the humidifier - it probably uses a litre of water every five days or so, max. The other timer is for the fan to come on for the fresh air exchange - it comes on about six times an hour, according to some settings I worked out via the course information I had. If you want a good yield from mushrooms, temperature, fresh air and light are key. Hopefully the yield off these babies will be better than the last lot.
What I was thrilled about was the big tub I bought from Bunnings that sits PERFECTLY under the chamber to stop water getting on the floor had a lid in two sections, which fit perfectly on either side of the top of the chamber, one for the fan, and one for the humidier. Couldn't have planned it better!
These mushrooms mycelliated the buckets in a week - much faster than the last grow I did. All mushrooms are different, and the temperature etc makes a difference too. It's pretty exciting seeing the white mycellium move its way through the substrate.
That's exacdtly what fungi is doing in the soil under your feet. And exactly why all the chemicals they put in agriculture are fucked - they're killing the mycellium which actually helps crops. Let's hope a little more awareness is coming into this area as it might just save our lives. I hope to watch this doco on Netflix soon - you might be interested if you're into growing your own food and saving the planet!
They're already starting to pin, see those little dots and the white mass? I give it 24 hours and I'll maybe be eating these babies!
Much love, @riverflows 💕
I can see you really , really I mean you really , really love your mushrooms ... lol ... and why not I love eating them also no matter how they are cooked.
I don't think you understand. I really really really really REALLy really really really really REALLy really really really really REALLy really really really really REALLy like my mushrooms. And I hope some people find it at least a little interesting 🍄🍄🍄😘😘
Haha ... alright you have made your point I should have added a few more really's. I must do a post next time I go out mushroom picking in my girlfriends village up in the mountains I can tell you these are the best mushrooms I have ever tasted I even eat them raw they taste that good :)
Wow really!? So many mushrooms you can't eat raw, would love to know what they are! Do post!
I will be going to the village early next month and we will do a mushroom hunt then I will do a post will let you know when I do it :)
Nice work! Such a handy skill to have - growing mushys. Where do you get your original spores from? I don't really understand how you get started. Nice work on the setup by the way.
Thanks! So there are companies that carefully inoculate (or infect) usually a grain with mycellium. I buy them online, and mix a percentage of that with a mix of pasteurized substrate or blend of straw and sawdust.
Then you leave them in the dark for a week or two til the mycellium spreads through the substrate, then into the fruiting chamber where the humidity air and light forces them to fruit.
Does that make sense?
You don't need the chamber, but you have to spray every day a couple of times to create the humidity.
Automation makes it easy.
Please ask if none of that makes sense, it was hard for me at first!
Ok, step one. Order grain with mycellium.
Can you re-use mycellium after you have grown a batch from that batch? Or do you need to keep ordering?
OIt depends on the mushroom. Oysters are easy for first timers and buckets and you can shock them into going again by immersing in cold water overnight and resting again.
Have your buckets ready, and your straw and hard wood sawdust ready to go.
DM me via Discord as I have a few easy PDF that walk you through everything.
Sounds great! Will get back on this Discord thing again...
Thanks for the tips.
I have to work out a way to do this on very low power in an off-grid preferably 12v situation. I bought a heater for a 12v application but it runs at 10 amps. lol
This is not doable. Electric heating is not really possible on an off-grid situation unless you have a thousand batteries.
I have two... will do more research and get back to you.
In the meantime! I will complete the other things I need to get done... there is no shortage of things to do on a homestead! I'm sure you can relate.
You don't need to heat. Just get mushrooms for the temp of the room. Fans are 12v but I didn't use them for first chamber grow... It's just meant to increase yield. But you can leave a gap at top and bottom for flow. As for humidity I guess there must be a 12v system? I guess you need one with a humidistat that auto turns on or off according to level. Everything is do able.
Ok will do some research on the matter and get back to you. Even a candle underneath an earthenware pot would keep a small chamber like that heated well.
Winter is here and well, it's fucking cold!
Where are you again? That's a good idea. I hear enoki likes it fucking cold 😂🥶🥶 but I'm not sure how to grow that yet! Next mission.
I can send via email if you like too.
I WANT TO DO THIS!!! I've never heard of this before. Looking forward to your journey.
Oh I can guide you with some PDF how to's and links to the products. THe whole set up probs cost me about 300 bucks but automation makes it so much easier!!!! Otherwise you just do the buckets and spray every day with a spray bottle, or thrice a day! Thanks for showing an interest. The hardest thing was the fan for me, i could have got there in the end but glad hubs is circuit and wire minded.
If you just do the buckets, you don't need a fan? I'd probably start there. I don't eat a ton of mushrooms. But growing my own food, whatever and however I can, has become an obsession.
That's right! You just put in a place that gets natural light and some air.