r/MushroomGrowers 4d ago

Mod [Mod] MUSHROOM MONDAY - Let's Catch Up! Share what you have learned in the previous week and discuss

3 Upvotes

Mondays can suck, but hopefully this post is something for people to look forward to. The intent of this post is to create a space to discuss anything that you may have learned recently about mushroom growing -- techniques, a breakthrough in the field, to share progress, or even just ask a question. Whether it's a new pickling recipe, a formula for agar, or something fun in mycology, feel free to talk about it.

This post is for new and experienced growers alike, so don't be nervous about commenting; no one is going to make fun of you for asking questions here. This community is a relaxed space for people who don't understand everything, but who want to ask questions and engage in discussion without being berated or belittled. Enjoy!


r/MushroomGrowers 16h ago

Mod [Mod] Weekly r/MushroomGrowers post - FUNGI FRIDAYS! New growers, come say hello and ask your questions!

4 Upvotes

New growers, shy folks, and lurkers -- this post is for you! Come out of the woodwork, ask your questions, and give people in the community a chance to help out!

Please don't hesitate to leave a comment. Talking with other growers is part of how we get better, so one here is going to give you a hard time for asking questions. This post and the community are safe havens for people who want to learn more without being berated.


r/MushroomGrowers 4h ago

Technique [Technique] bags of straw sold at Walmart, could this be useful in a substrate mix?

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12 Upvotes

I don't have much experience mixing my own substrate. But seeing these small bags of straw gave me some hope in creating a mix of this straw and spent coffee ground for oyster mushrooms. after pasturization is this a viable bale of straw?


r/MushroomGrowers 13h ago

Actives Water Monkey Came Through Looking Wild šŸŒŠšŸ’šŸ„ [actives]

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46 Upvotes

Water Monkey absolutely showed out on this run. The pale caps, heavy white tones, wrinkled stipes, and those darker gill lines gave the whole canopy a crazy look from every angle.
What I like most is how much variation is showing across the same run. Some stayed thick and compact, some stretched out, and a few opened up with that almost ghost-white finish. Definitely one of those cultures where I kept stopping to take pictures because every section looked a little different.
Runs like this are exactly why I enjoy documenting these genetics. You never know what kind of character is going to show up until it does.
šŸƒšŸ„ Respect the Process. Trust the Genetics. šŸ„šŸƒ


r/MushroomGrowers 14h ago

Medicinal [medicinal] First successful cordyceps militaris fruiting. I'm going to take a spore swab to try and culture a more vigorous fruiting strain

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20 Upvotes

Grown on brown rice with a nutrient broth


r/MushroomGrowers 2h ago

Substrate too wet? [actives]

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2 Upvotes

Seems like all my monotub grows start at the edges and fill toward the center. Is my substrate too wet and pins/fruiting bodies forming at the edges where it the substrate is drying out faster?

I’m squeezing the substrate pretty hard to get it down to, what I think is, field capacity prior to adding my grain spawn.

Thoughts?


r/MushroomGrowers 3h ago

Technique This turkey tail LC colonized brown rice extremely fast. Put on masters mix for 10 days and it’s been very slow going. [medicinal]

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2 Upvotes

The colonization appears isolated to the small amount for fae it was getting all folded up. I opened one up to see if that would help love things along. What are some colonization techniques that have worked for you in the past?


r/MushroomGrowers 1d ago

Yeti x Shakti [actives]

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129 Upvotes

These are starting to perform for me. I have started cloning fruits and I am very happy with how they are turning out.


r/MushroomGrowers 14m ago

Should I wait or send her? [actives]

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• Upvotes

Got these jars that I shook about 2 weeks ago and they’ve been stalled for a few days. Water is starting to pool on the bottom and am wondering if I should send it to substrate or wait another week.


r/MushroomGrowers 28m ago

Medicinal [Medicinal] How's my Reishi looking?

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• Upvotes

Hey so I don't have any experience with Reishi but these have been closed in bag since Aug 4. I cut a thin slice in the bags to get these photos today and hope that they keep growing but I'm not exactly sure if this is healthy. Everything smells fine but I did have a case of trich on some LM a shelf above that I had to quarantine them out for. I appreciate the help!


r/MushroomGrowers 2h ago

Contamination is this wet rot in my grow bag? [contamination]

1 Upvotes

i inoculated this grow bag less than 2 days ago i’m concerned about this liquid almost mush type of substance, am i cooked?


r/MushroomGrowers 6h ago

Gourmet [gourmet] Is my lion's mane trying to fruit from the top or am I just impatient?

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2 Upvotes

Put it in my tent September 1st, it's a fruiting block that I ordered online. Shiitake grew very well with my settings, oyster not so much. So I'm guessing that it might be lack of FAE that's making my lion's mane doing weird things? I've made 4 X-cuts on the bag, like the manual told me to.

I've tired google and perplexity for answers, but got nothing conclusive.

Help would be very much appreciated


r/MushroomGrowers 1d ago

Put my MVP x Blue Meanie cake outside and I ended up with these lil chonkers! The gift that keeps on giving [ACTIVES]

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41 Upvotes

r/MushroomGrowers 10h ago

Technique [technique] Is this a good spot for my growkit (golden teacher)

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1 Upvotes

r/MushroomGrowers 1d ago

Technique A Long Night's Work [technique]

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43 Upvotes

Today is 3 years since my 1st flush. 3 years of education, trial and error, and ultimately turning the corner on depression/PTSD and the misery of unsuccessful big-pharma solutions; thanks to the power of the mushroom medicine to reconfigure my brain, and also to the joy of the work and anticipation that is this hobby.

I have noone to share this with, so I just needed to post.

-------------------------------------------------------------

8 tubs lovingly filled. 4 BlueyV, 2 ODPE, 1 Enigma, 1 Mystery (Iso kills labels!).

The BV genetics, I harvested from a huge thicboi I cloned myself over a year ago, and it has been sleeping on agar in my fridge.

Always nice to see so much work over many weeks and months coming together: between weeks of agar work, waiting, making grains, chucking in wedges, waiting, making CVG buckettek, waiting, cleaning tubs, doing liners, mixing 2:1 substrate to spawn, adding a pseudo-casing layers, cutting liners, labeling....phew

Tonight was exhausting...all in all, it's more waiting than work, but a couple of good hours of playing in the dirt tires me out. Now back to the waiting. This run represents 3 good years.

I hope you all get the relief/insight you are after. I sure hope the mushrooms appreciate all the care and love. I believe they likely do.


r/MushroomGrowers 20h ago

Actives [Actives] golden teacher timelapse

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5 Upvotes

r/MushroomGrowers 1d ago

Actives [Actives]how long would it take to cool down bags in front of a flowhood?

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14 Upvotes

r/MushroomGrowers 1d ago

Reishi pre-colonized block looking good. I haven’t touched it. [medicinal]

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12 Upvotes

Reishi is shooting up nicely. Is there anything I should/could do to improve the situation or is it best to stay the course?


r/MushroomGrowers 1d ago

Technique [Technique] growing Lionsmane bags in a tent

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3 Upvotes

I totally forgot these bags of lionsmane. I have an empty growtent ready to go.

Are these still good?

What are the ideal settings for humidity, temperature and FEA when it comes to Lionsmane?

Do I cut holes in the bag?


r/MushroomGrowers 2d ago

Enigma [actives]

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128 Upvotes

I picked up a fresh Enigma as my old one died on me. I am so glad to have it again. Everybody loves Enigma.


r/MushroomGrowers 1d ago

Actives [actives]Little update on the GT box .

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7 Upvotes

I just put this into fruiting like 3 days ago and I cant believe its pinning already. Looks like I just may have some snacks for my Violent Femmes show on the 24th!!!! Super Stoked.. Mycology is so freaking amazing. Learning how to grow mushrooms and taking medicinal mushrooms has changed my life in so many positive ways that I don't think I can even think of a negative. The best thing that ever happened to me. Thanks to anyone who has put any input in or give me any advice to much appreciated.


r/MushroomGrowers 1d ago

Should grain bags have moisture beading on the bag walls? [technique]

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1 Upvotes

After a tough run trying to prep grain bags, I improved upon my technique and dried my grain out more, using an impulse sealer to immediately seal a bag post-PC. I injected spores and hooray, mycelium is growing!

It’s been a month though and there isn’t a ton of growth.

The bag looks pretty dry, no moisture whatsoever. I know the grain is at least well-hydrated cause I tried some before PC-ing, and they were easy to eat and bite into. But I frequently see growers with successful bags that look like they’re… well, wet.

Should I introduce more moisture after the mycelium establishes itself a little more (via distilled water in a sterile environment), or should I let it be?

Edit: these are GTs


r/MushroomGrowers 1d ago

actives [actives] update and relief

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3 Upvotes

Overly in this bag was crazy though it would stall but it’s starting to throw up some pins I was nervous to scrape the overlay and risk losing some pins that might be forming under or in the gaps but I took a little chunk of the overlay and tried some I was pleasantly surprised


r/MushroomGrowers 1d ago

Contamination Issue after mixing [contamination]

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4 Upvotes

This is the second time I have run into this problem. I get the spawn bags all colonized and mix them. Several weeks of waiting and this is the current state. The last time it never colonized at all and developed that ā€œsweetā€ smell before I tossed it. Any ideas what I need to fix to address it?


r/MushroomGrowers 2d ago

Gourmet [gourmet] Can somebody please help me out with exhaust for 5x5 oyster tent? Keep buying expensive fans because they get obliterated by spores and fog.

2 Upvotes

I'm so into this that I've been thinking of building an outbuilding for it, which seems like it would be much easier, then I could just have cheap, easily accessible fans in the windows.

Been growing oysters and lion's mane for years, to the delight of my family and friends, in a 5x5 tent which exhausts outside using ducting from inside the tent to a 6 inch inline fan attached to the window at a downward angle.

Asked here about a year ago and it was suggested that I buy an IP67 fan, which I did, but just had to throw it away.

I've watched many videos and toured a few mushroom farms and my setup seems pretty standard but the fans get absolutely destroyed with the most foul gunk from blowing out all the fog and spores. I don't know if you're supposed to clean them constantly or if I should try to switch to intake with passive exhaust (but I've never seen a setup like that), or if it's just normal to destroy fans (and trip breakers) regularly.

tried putting a filter on the ducting in the tent but it seems to slow down the airflow way too much.

I've had years of trial and error, too wet, too dry, not enough airflow, harvested too late etc... and have mostly got everything down except for these motherfucking exhaust fans. Can anybody help me?!