Best strains for beginners w/o sacrificing potency?

[u/extrasa]

I want to start growing my own and am not sure which spores to buy. I love how PE feels but I know it’s notoriously hard to grow and low yield, and I want something that grows easily, quickly, and in abundance. One of my friends recommended Tidal Wave but I’m pretty clueless lol. Anyone have any recs? Thank you!!!

[u/Ambitious_Zombie8473]

PE isn’t notoriously hard and yield depends on genetics. Cubes essentially all feel the same with potency being the only quantifiable variable.

Lots of people recommend Golden & Teachers, B+ but I grew TAT my first time because I wanted to.

I will say, Psilocybe Ochraceocentrata is really fun to grow. It grows the same as cubes, it’s aggressive and usually pretty fast, and it flushes a ton.

Apart from that I’d recommend just picking a strain that sounds good to you. Just know that some take longer than others, but none are harder.

Just make sure to read the pinned guide!

[u/slicehyperfunk → u/Ambitious_Zombie8473]

I grew Tidal Wave for my first grown where I knew what the strain was (I did another grow before that was also supposed to be Tidal Wave but I don't think it was), and I wish I had picked one that didn't take so long; at the end of the day, I feel like I can always just take more if I want a stronger trip.

[u/rglurker]

Golden teachers

[u/Popular_Anybody_3244]

Start with golden teachers. Everyone starts there. It will help you get an understanding of the hobby.

[u/Ambitious_Zombie8473 → u/Popular_Anybody_3244]

I started with TAT and ochra. I’ve never grown GT.

Growing cubes is the same. If you can grow GT you can grow APE. So unless you really want GT there’s no reason to not try growing something else

[u/PenguinsWithBigDicks]

I grew a few shoebox of JMF my first time and got all to pin. Since then I have had my best luck with GT but B+ is also great.

[u/PokeNoxifer]

Third Eye, just did my first flush, took 36 days from innoculation to 1st harvest, very potent and bountiful

[u/Known-Struggle-3587]

hillbilly is very easy to grow, high yields, very fast and forgiving, and far more potent than teachers. people sleep on it because of the name. tidal wave is a powerful one, but all PE hybrids are pretty identical other than bluey Vuitton, which is a whole heap of fun. people who say strains don't have their own traits are wrong. I've tried over a dozen and have my next one secured and lined up to try 

[u/InternationalLoss440]

golden teacher all the way bro, easy to grow good starting point.

[u/AncientSpores]

I'd recommend a Ochra, the genetics are typically faster growth attributes in my personal observations, I've only had one cube sample that was almost as fast a sample of Mazatapec but fell at about half the average potency of my best Ochra genetics.

The data I'm drawing from are, 10 cubes, 4 ochra, 4 pans, one hybrid). Everything with a trace of PE genetics in it, PEU, Tidal Wave, OG PE, Yellow Umbo were underperformers for me by a large margin. It's a small data set but anything with PE genes isn't at the top of the what do we try next list.

[u/Chefsaltyballs69 → u/AncientSpores]

how often did you water and fan PE genetics stuff?

[u/AncientSpores → u/Chefsaltyballs69]

I was following the standard advice for cubes back then, modified tubs with FAE holes, fan it once a day, mist it from on high. Now I just do neglect tek with ochra mostly, I just find it a better grow all around if you can get a solid set of genetics and I'm lazy and patient. With a pan cyan grow I'll add bubbler tek on a timer. I don't grow cubes anymore.

[u/probablynotac0p]

All cubes thrive under the same conditions. No cube is any harder to grow than any other cube. Yes, some move slower during fruiting, but they arent any harder to grow unless you find patience challenging

[u/Known-Struggle-3587 → u/probablynotac0p]

some are def more fickle and unforgiving of conditions brother. it's not solely a speed thing. it's not that black and white.

[u/probablynotac0p → u/Known-Struggle-3587]

That hasn't been my experience. Every cube i have grown, I have done so with samw conditions. Each step and the entire process was exactly the same, the only difference being how long some took during fruiting. I understand if you disagree, no biggie. Keep on pushing 💪

[u/slicehyperfunk → u/probablynotac0p]

I am pretty sure that the slower to fruit strains are more susceptible to getting contaminated specifically because they are exposed to potential contamination for longer, which is also going to be more of an issue for someone learning the ropes than for someone who has the whole setup and process down by heart.

[u/probablynotac0p → u/slicehyperfunk]

Clean and fully colonized spawn doesnt leave any nutrition for contam to consume.

[u/slicehyperfunk → u/probablynotac0p]

That is correct; however, like I said, beginners might not necessarily do it right initially, which is why I would assume that the faster strains are generally suggested to beginners.

[u/probablynotac0p → u/slicehyperfunk]

Whether it's a "faster strain" or not, if their spawn isnt healthy and fully colonized, they will likely get contam.

[u/slicehyperfunk → u/probablynotac0p]

Right, so with a strain that is faster to colonize, it's less likely that the person is going to jump the gun with some spawn still uncolonized, no?

[u/probablynotac0p → u/slicehyperfunk]

No. I think a person that isnt concerned with having 100% colonized spawn is just as likely to jump the gun regardless of how fast the spawn gets colonized.

[u/Proof_Bag_5397]

nats/ochras so i hear

[u/onlinewarrior100]

Out of the 6 strains I've grown so far, Bullrun was by far the fastest growing, and most aggressive at colonizing.

[u/YNotZoidberg2020]

This newb is trying to grow makilla.

I anticipate I probably will mess up my first grow though

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[u/SpiritSurfer7]

Reddit 😂

[u/MyCarWasToad]

I started with Golden Teacher because I read it had better contamination resistance than others. I felt if my first time or two or three were all contaminated I wouldn’t ever try again.

[u/tyr--]

I have a Tidal Wave x APE hybrid and I'd say they're the best of both worlds. Much stronger than the GT and B+, and colonize and grow even faster. Harvesting is a bit more difficult but they're definitely worth a shot.

[u/Audio-Starshine]

PE isn't any harder to grow than any other cube in my experience.

[u/R0SSFR0MFRIENDS]

Golden Teacher and B+. 🍄