downwardsfromzero
Boundary condition
Here's a brief synopsis of a fun thing to do if you happen to have some stems of a woodlover psilocybe.
It's a small justification for picking just a few specimens with a bit of mycelium attached to the base of the stem - although even if the stems are cut off it should work. Just cut the specimens as low to the ground as possible, and transfer the stem bases to the cardboard ASAP!
You will need:
*Access to fresh, woodloving mushrooms
*Brown corrugated cardboard, preferably without printing and not from China
*A knife (or)
*A pair of sharp scissors
*A plastic tub with a lid
*Water
and then:
*More tubs
*Good quality clean woodchip, e.g. reptile bedding
*Water
*A pan to boil water and woodchips in
Here's what to do:
Soak corrugated cardboard in water (preferably but not necessarily rainwater) until very soggy and most of the glue has washed out. 2" squares will do, or whatever size your container is, alternatively. I used cold water but maybe hot water is quicker. Just make sure it's not hot when you:
Peel the layers of cardboard apart. Sandwich stem butts between layers of cardboard. Put back together in a pile.
Keep in a plastic tub with a lid but do not seal the lid. Make sure the cardboard stays moist. Ventilate the tub(s) occasionally. A couple of times a week seems sufficient.
After a time, white mycelium should have begun to colonise the cardboard. When the time feels right (don't wait too long - although I got away with over two years once) transfer bits of myceliated cardboard to small tubs of soaked woodchips or boil some suitable woodchips to save time. Suitable woodchip is sold as reptile bedding or barbecue smoking chips where I live.
The mycelium should colonise the woodchip quite readily. When the mycelium has spread throughout the tub, transfer to larger tubs of soaked woodchips. These do not need to be sterile - in fact it is better if they are not. Place a layer of carboard on top.
When these tubs are colonised, you can use them to make an outdoor bed. Or if you are clever and have used a planter, collect moss to use as a casing material. Apply to the whole surface of the woodchips minus the cardboard and wait for autumn...
Did you look at the cardboard you removed? You may have noticed that the mycelium has started to colonise it - in which case you can use it to repeat the process!
P. cyanescens likes most hardwoods including beech, birch, oak, ash and sycamore.
It's a small justification for picking just a few specimens with a bit of mycelium attached to the base of the stem - although even if the stems are cut off it should work. Just cut the specimens as low to the ground as possible, and transfer the stem bases to the cardboard ASAP!
You will need:
*Access to fresh, woodloving mushrooms
*Brown corrugated cardboard, preferably without printing and not from China
*A knife (or)
*A pair of sharp scissors
*A plastic tub with a lid
*Water
and then:
*More tubs
*Good quality clean woodchip, e.g. reptile bedding
*Water
*A pan to boil water and woodchips in
Here's what to do:
Soak corrugated cardboard in water (preferably but not necessarily rainwater) until very soggy and most of the glue has washed out. 2" squares will do, or whatever size your container is, alternatively. I used cold water but maybe hot water is quicker. Just make sure it's not hot when you:
Peel the layers of cardboard apart. Sandwich stem butts between layers of cardboard. Put back together in a pile.
Keep in a plastic tub with a lid but do not seal the lid. Make sure the cardboard stays moist. Ventilate the tub(s) occasionally. A couple of times a week seems sufficient.
After a time, white mycelium should have begun to colonise the cardboard. When the time feels right (don't wait too long - although I got away with over two years once) transfer bits of myceliated cardboard to small tubs of soaked woodchips or boil some suitable woodchips to save time. Suitable woodchip is sold as reptile bedding or barbecue smoking chips where I live.
The mycelium should colonise the woodchip quite readily. When the mycelium has spread throughout the tub, transfer to larger tubs of soaked woodchips. These do not need to be sterile - in fact it is better if they are not. Place a layer of carboard on top.
When these tubs are colonised, you can use them to make an outdoor bed. Or if you are clever and have used a planter, collect moss to use as a casing material. Apply to the whole surface of the woodchips minus the cardboard and wait for autumn...
Did you look at the cardboard you removed? You may have noticed that the mycelium has started to colonise it - in which case you can use it to repeat the process!
P. cyanescens likes most hardwoods including beech, birch, oak, ash and sycamore.
