Tuesday 19 November 2013
Monday 18 November 2013
In-vitro Mushroom Jars - Instructions
All new at the seed bank we have a mushroom growing technique that has proven effective, convenient, and incredibly simple. Great for the beginner and reliable for the experienced.
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The technique is simple. We blend a nutrient rich substrate and carefully place an even proportion of it in the bottom 1 & 1/2 inches of a full quart mason jar. Our lids are fixed with a red silicone innoculation port, then screwed snug (but not too tight) onto the jar. We then sterilize the jars, and after cooling they are ready to innoculate.
First thing you will need to do prior to innoculation is flame sterilize your needle. Sterility is EVERYTHING in mushroom cultivation. Wipe both the port and needs down with alcohol. Be careful when using alcohol around flame. First use the flame, then use the alcohol.
In about a week your jar(s) should be showing signs of pure white mycelium growth. At this point you may also see mold as a result of contamination. Though mold sucks and will end that jar, it is common and part of the learning curve. If you discover mold, remove the jar from your house ASAP and dispose of it outside. Mold spores will spread fast if let lose in your house. It should take anywhere from 1-4 weeks for the substrate to completely colonize. When it's done it should look like this:
Now that the jars are colonized you may choose to add a casing layer. This is optional but can help pin set. A casing layer is a thin layer (<1cm) of low nutrient 'top soil' that simply keeps moisture in and helps regulate fresh air exchange. To make this simply mix a handful of vermiculite and a handful of peat moss. Add enough water so the mix is thoroughly moist but not wet. Place the soil in a freezer ziplock bag, submerge in a pot of hot water (180 degrees f), and let sit for about an hour at this temp, then remove the sealed bag and let cool over night.
Then put the lid back on the jar(s) and shake the mix until the entire surface looks evenly covered.
Now to initiate fruiting. Once the casing layer is on, or if you chose not to case, fruiting is easy. First set the jar(s) in a spot where it/they will get light. Indirect sunlight is perfect. Next open each jar and mist with water. Any water will do, and just a couple squirts is all you'll need. Then screw the lids back on just snug, not tight. Repeat this misting process every day or two and soon you should see pin-heads (mushroom primordial) forming.
Once pins start showing continue misting every other day and watch as the mushrooms grow like magic! Once the mushroom fruit bodies have broken veil they are ready to harvest.
To harvest simply open the jars, wiggle the jars until the mycelium cake moves a bit closer to the top where u can get a good grip on the stems. Twist and pull. Harvest all that you can but leave the baby pin-heads that might be remaining as these will be your second flush.
To flush after first harvest simply pour enough water into the jars that the cake floats. Leave it soaking overnight with the lid on. Next day pour out the water and adjust so the cake is set back to how it was. Now just open the jar every other day for fresh air exchange. Mist if you need to but a simple fanning should be sufficient at this point. Second flush usually happens in about a week. The most flushes obtainable from this technique should be no more than 3. One or 2 is plenty.
Happy harvest! These per-sterilized jars are available now at our Victoria location for $15 a jar, or 4 jars + a spore syringe of your choice for $80.
.jpeg)
The technique is simple. We blend a nutrient rich substrate and carefully place an even proportion of it in the bottom 1 & 1/2 inches of a full quart mason jar. Our lids are fixed with a red silicone innoculation port, then screwed snug (but not too tight) onto the jar. We then sterilize the jars, and after cooling they are ready to innoculate.
First thing you will need to do prior to innoculation is flame sterilize your needle. Sterility is EVERYTHING in mushroom cultivation. Wipe both the port and needs down with alcohol. Be careful when using alcohol around flame. First use the flame, then use the alcohol.
STERILITY IS EVERYTHING!
After wiping everything down, innoculate the jar with about 2.5cc's of spore solution or liquid culture. Then carefully retract your needle, wipe everything off with alcohol, and place the jar(s) in a warm, dark place, like the cupboard above the fridge. The darker the better and the ideal temperature is around 80 degrees F, though temperature is not as important as darkness.
In about a week your jar(s) should be showing signs of pure white mycelium growth. At this point you may also see mold as a result of contamination. Though mold sucks and will end that jar, it is common and part of the learning curve. If you discover mold, remove the jar from your house ASAP and dispose of it outside. Mold spores will spread fast if let lose in your house. It should take anywhere from 1-4 weeks for the substrate to completely colonize. When it's done it should look like this:
Now that the jars are colonized you may choose to add a casing layer. This is optional but can help pin set. A casing layer is a thin layer (<1cm) of low nutrient 'top soil' that simply keeps moisture in and helps regulate fresh air exchange. To make this simply mix a handful of vermiculite and a handful of peat moss. Add enough water so the mix is thoroughly moist but not wet. Place the soil in a freezer ziplock bag, submerge in a pot of hot water (180 degrees f), and let sit for about an hour at this temp, then remove the sealed bag and let cool over night.
To add the casing layer simply open the In-vitro jar(s) and scoop a heaping tablespoon of mix right on top of the colonized substrate.
Now to initiate fruiting. Once the casing layer is on, or if you chose not to case, fruiting is easy. First set the jar(s) in a spot where it/they will get light. Indirect sunlight is perfect. Next open each jar and mist with water. Any water will do, and just a couple squirts is all you'll need. Then screw the lids back on just snug, not tight. Repeat this misting process every day or two and soon you should see pin-heads (mushroom primordial) forming.
Once pins start showing continue misting every other day and watch as the mushrooms grow like magic! Once the mushroom fruit bodies have broken veil they are ready to harvest.
To harvest simply open the jars, wiggle the jars until the mycelium cake moves a bit closer to the top where u can get a good grip on the stems. Twist and pull. Harvest all that you can but leave the baby pin-heads that might be remaining as these will be your second flush.
To flush after first harvest simply pour enough water into the jars that the cake floats. Leave it soaking overnight with the lid on. Next day pour out the water and adjust so the cake is set back to how it was. Now just open the jar every other day for fresh air exchange. Mist if you need to but a simple fanning should be sufficient at this point. Second flush usually happens in about a week. The most flushes obtainable from this technique should be no more than 3. One or 2 is plenty.
Happy harvest! These per-sterilized jars are available now at our Victoria location for $15 a jar, or 4 jars + a spore syringe of your choice for $80.
Friday 8 November 2013
A mushroom you should know: The Death Cap
The Death Cap - By Erik Blair
We've all heard horror stories of people eating poisonous, wild mushrooms with fatal results. The Death Cap Mushroom or Amanita phalloides, is responsible for 90% of these tragic deaths, and is the number one killer mushroom world wide. Originally from Europe, it has grown wide spread and can now be found all over the world, from Australia to North America and spreading. The species travels through its ectomycorrhiza relationship with trees such as Oak, Beeches, Chestnuts, Horse Chestnuts, Birches, Pines, and many others. When these trees are imported and planted for ornamental purposes, they can bring with them a deadly (though beneficial to the tree) stowaway.
The Death Cap is a very beautiful and charismatic looking mushroom to stumble upon. It can grow fairly large, and emerges from a thick, egg-like vulva. It has a light olive brown cap, white stalk with white veil. The cap is usually rounded but flattens out with age to allow for easy escape for it's white spores. In it's primordial form, it can appear to be a small white egg in the ground, resembling the common Puffball Mushroom, which is considered a worthy edible by some mushroom pickers. Have caution when picking Puffballs to eat. Cutting them in half should reveal a soft, smooth, marshmallow-like interior. If when you cut it in half you see the obvious form of a young mushroom eager to hatch, drop it immediately and wash your hands before handling any other mushrooms you may be considering ingesting. The poison will not transfer through your skin, but may rub off onto other surfaces including your mouth and eyes. In some rare cases where the population of Death Cap mushrooms is very concentrated and the watering of lawns is done in excess, the mushroom toxins have actually seeped into neighborhood streams and accounted for the poisoning and deaths of several dogs.
The Death Cap contains many different and potentially harmful chemicals, the one most likely responsible for the destruction of the liver, kidneys, and red blood cells is called alpha-Amanitin. It usually takes between 10 and 24 hours for the first poisoning symptoms (diarrhea & cramps) to start, long after the stomach would have digested the mushroom completely. Typically these first symptoms will pass, often making the victim to feel their health is improving. Usually by the 4th or 5th day the liver and kidneys are severely affected, and death follows usually at approximately 1 week after ingestion. If caught soon enough, and depending on the amount ingested, Death Cap poisoning can be treated at a hospital by using various drugs. In larger quantities however, usually a liver and/or kidney transplant(s) is the last resort for survival.
If you do ever find yourself in a situation where you have ingested a death cap, seek immediate medical attention. Penicillin and hyperbaric oxygen are usually quite effective as treatment and increase ones chances for survival. There is also a herb called Milk Thistle (Silybum Adans) which when administered within the first 48 hours after ingestion of said mushroom, increases not only the likelihood of survival, but can actually prevent severe liver damage from ever occurring. If Milk Thistle extract is administered within 10 minutes of ingestion, animal studies have shown that it is possible to completely counteract the toxic affects of the mushroom, and sustain no liver damage.
That being said, there are some easy precautions a person can take to avoid death-by-mushroom. First of all it is better to avoid all Amanitas until you are a master at identifying them. Amanitas are typically recognized by their egg like vulva at the very base of their stem, and their white spores. The death cap has an olive brown cap, which to the trained eye, can be spotted a great distance away. If you are brand new to identifying mushrooms always remember to spore print every wild species of mushroom as well as pick and identify a species a minimum of 2 times before ever considering eating it. Death caps can also be recognized by their foul smell in age, when the mushroom is young however it may smell mild or even pleasant.
The Death Cap Mushroom is one of the most infamous and well respected mushroom world wide. It terrifies and inspires, with a charisma that only the worlds most lethal mushroom could possess. Let not it's unrivaled beauty lure you to taste its deadly fruit. For if you do, it may be the most beautiful, delicious and last meal you ever eat. Like the Icarus moth flying towards euphoria before she busts into the very flame which only seconds earlier she coveted completely.
Milk thistle seeds are available for sale at both our Vancouver and Victoria shops. It is a beautiful and important plant, especially when it concerns the Death Cap Mushroom.
Safe Picking!
-VSB-
We've all heard horror stories of people eating poisonous, wild mushrooms with fatal results. The Death Cap Mushroom or Amanita phalloides, is responsible for 90% of these tragic deaths, and is the number one killer mushroom world wide. Originally from Europe, it has grown wide spread and can now be found all over the world, from Australia to North America and spreading. The species travels through its ectomycorrhiza relationship with trees such as Oak, Beeches, Chestnuts, Horse Chestnuts, Birches, Pines, and many others. When these trees are imported and planted for ornamental purposes, they can bring with them a deadly (though beneficial to the tree) stowaway.
The Death Cap is a very beautiful and charismatic looking mushroom to stumble upon. It can grow fairly large, and emerges from a thick, egg-like vulva. It has a light olive brown cap, white stalk with white veil. The cap is usually rounded but flattens out with age to allow for easy escape for it's white spores. In it's primordial form, it can appear to be a small white egg in the ground, resembling the common Puffball Mushroom, which is considered a worthy edible by some mushroom pickers. Have caution when picking Puffballs to eat. Cutting them in half should reveal a soft, smooth, marshmallow-like interior. If when you cut it in half you see the obvious form of a young mushroom eager to hatch, drop it immediately and wash your hands before handling any other mushrooms you may be considering ingesting. The poison will not transfer through your skin, but may rub off onto other surfaces including your mouth and eyes. In some rare cases where the population of Death Cap mushrooms is very concentrated and the watering of lawns is done in excess, the mushroom toxins have actually seeped into neighborhood streams and accounted for the poisoning and deaths of several dogs.
The Death Cap contains many different and potentially harmful chemicals, the one most likely responsible for the destruction of the liver, kidneys, and red blood cells is called alpha-Amanitin. It usually takes between 10 and 24 hours for the first poisoning symptoms (diarrhea & cramps) to start, long after the stomach would have digested the mushroom completely. Typically these first symptoms will pass, often making the victim to feel their health is improving. Usually by the 4th or 5th day the liver and kidneys are severely affected, and death follows usually at approximately 1 week after ingestion. If caught soon enough, and depending on the amount ingested, Death Cap poisoning can be treated at a hospital by using various drugs. In larger quantities however, usually a liver and/or kidney transplant(s) is the last resort for survival.
If you do ever find yourself in a situation where you have ingested a death cap, seek immediate medical attention. Penicillin and hyperbaric oxygen are usually quite effective as treatment and increase ones chances for survival. There is also a herb called Milk Thistle (Silybum Adans) which when administered within the first 48 hours after ingestion of said mushroom, increases not only the likelihood of survival, but can actually prevent severe liver damage from ever occurring. If Milk Thistle extract is administered within 10 minutes of ingestion, animal studies have shown that it is possible to completely counteract the toxic affects of the mushroom, and sustain no liver damage.
That being said, there are some easy precautions a person can take to avoid death-by-mushroom. First of all it is better to avoid all Amanitas until you are a master at identifying them. Amanitas are typically recognized by their egg like vulva at the very base of their stem, and their white spores. The death cap has an olive brown cap, which to the trained eye, can be spotted a great distance away. If you are brand new to identifying mushrooms always remember to spore print every wild species of mushroom as well as pick and identify a species a minimum of 2 times before ever considering eating it. Death caps can also be recognized by their foul smell in age, when the mushroom is young however it may smell mild or even pleasant.
Safe Picking!
-VSB-
Sunday 3 November 2013
Victoria Seed Bank now ships!
Check out the new Victoria seed bank website. Same address but new, easy to navigate layout.
http://www.victoriaseedbank.ca/
We are now shipping from both our Vancouver and Victoria locations for your convenience!
Same quality products and service, with twice the convenience.
Happy November!
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