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Author Topic: help me compile a down to earth beginners guide to mycology?  (Read 7568 times)

Mr. seeds

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if there is already a guide then i apologize for making a wasteful post BUT

this was the things i was wondering about
Chapters:
1) where can i get a good equiptment (microscope, ID manuals, mycology language/literature, etc)

2) a clear, down to earth dictionary of Mycology cultivation and Identification. where to begin.

3) further introspection into ID and cultivation. teaching more advanced mycology.

4) a more interesting discussion of mycellium; such as their reasons for living. i know some mycellium are like traders in a way; transporting nutrients to different tree's and what not.

these are the four Chapters/sections. it needs to be clear, down to earth, and not only easy to understand but easy to convert a normal joe into a mycologist who understands the type of language, ID techniques, cultivation techniques, and other such things.

the more easier it is to understand mycology the better :)
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happyconcacti

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Re: help me compile a down to earth beginners guide to mycology?
« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2015, 08:31:00 PM »

Are you planning on writing this? Or are you asking for resources?

 
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Roze

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Re: help me compile a down to earth beginners guide to mycology?
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2015, 01:23:36 AM »

Wild Mycology is complex and tricky world! 

My advice for you is that you find a mycology group or association on your region/country and try to learn the basics with them. Picking wild mushrooms sounds funny but is a serious task and could be very dangerous. Even experienced collectors have doubts with some species that are very identical but with different properties.

Please dont go alone with a ID manual to the field!!

Real story: 2 years ago, 4 experienced colleagues of mine, from the same family that all his life collected edible mushrooms were severely poisoned and 2 of them died after eating a soup of wild mushrooms..one hour after eating the soup their liver just collapse when they arrive to the hospital was to late .. the other 2 receive a liver transplant.. They had more than 40 years of experience and one simple mistake was fatal..  in the Agaricus campestris and Macrolepiota procera soup was found a couple of Amanita verna very similar  and deadly poisonous..

I've learned something with this sad story..   
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ONandONandON

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Re: help me compile a down to earth beginners guide to mycology?
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2015, 05:25:44 PM »

Shroomery has an identification forum where you can usually get a positive id within an hour. Really, might not get much here
because the vast amount of information you're looking for is already compiled on other forums like shroomery, mycotopia, ect.
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isaak

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Re: help me compile a down to earth beginners guide to mycology?
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2015, 05:42:01 PM »

Radical Mycology are releasing a book that will cover all the topics you listed and many more. I believe it's due to be released before the end of the year. Here is the link to their successful crowdfunding campaign: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/radical-mycology

Their home site: http://radicalmycology.com/

They've put out a great booklet on cultivation for the layperson/beginner: http://radicalmycology.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/mushroom-cultivation-for-remediation-computer-read.pdf

And a thorough zine: http://radicalmycology.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/slf-final-1-1.pdf

Plus a trilogy of 'Cultivation for Remediation' videos that cover all the basics of home cultivation, from spore print to fruit.

1:
2:
3:

Joining a forum such as Shroomery and becoming a regular reader and contributor will wire you into a vast network of resources and also accelerate your learning and experience rapidly. Plus it's fun :)

I think a simple, elegant poster/infographic depicting home cultivation would be a super useful tool for introducing people to the practice and dispelling the notion that mushrooms are terribly difficult to grow yourself.
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Mr. seeds

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Re: help me compile a down to earth beginners guide to mycology?
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2015, 10:29:48 PM »

thank you so much for all the feedback; sorry for the late reply guys. but this is for you guys to create; i'ma newbie. the main thing i'm looking for is stuff like what language is used. like what such and such word means in easier to understand words. posting visual diagrams might help too if anyone has any.
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BubbleCat

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Re: help me compile a down to earth beginners guide to mycology?
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2015, 07:41:14 PM »

I have meanwhile decided to help myself and found this:

Quote from: Mod
Video Removed: Please refer to the FAQ Section 1.6 "Some users may be interested in discussing or trading other mushroom related materials, particularly the psycho-active species containing psilocybin and psilocin. Sadly, growing these types of fungi is illegal almost everywhere, so trading live fungi tissue or discussion about them, including growing questions and grow logs, is not allowed in STS."

Edit: Sorry about the video, as I looked it it was more "general" altho it reffered to Cubensis in particular, the process described should work for a wide array of mushrooms, and the growers of this kind seem to have the information readily available and are experienced. I will make sure theres nothing related to psychoactive mushrooms at all next time :)

I liked that. Sadly it doesnt seem to apply to my beloved Tuber sp. and my older dog who is just awesome at finding Tubers is getting old and doesnt enjoy hubting Tuber much anymore, whilst the younger dog doesnt care for them, he only likes what has fur or feathers :)

Does anyone know how I grow tuber ? Must I simply inoculate some trees ? Can I do it in vitro ?

I must say I really wondered about the ... fuzzy (?) ... sterilisation techniques in the video, no wonder its reported that there is a lot of contamination. I mean theres so many things that could be done slightly different from what is shown in the videos to achieve much greater safety in terms of sterility, for instance, two holes, injection and venting, okay, if I for example placed a "on syringe filter" on the venting hole and covered the injection hole with a piece of rubber that I can poke through with a needle, knowing is will close again as soon as the needle is retracted ... just asking :D But I do understand 100% sterility might not be required because only some infections have the strength to mess with our mycellium, especially if its already developed. Modify again ... :D I have found the person with the hat does something along theese lines with his injection holes in the video, good stuff. I'll get myself the ebook.

And the thing I really dont get, no matter if I watch videos or read the description someone posted in a link list here: How do the spores get sterile ?! Honestly, wether I suck them up in a syringe under sterile environment or scrape them of a sheet of paper under sterile conditions, if I was going outside collecting that Amanita for example, and made a spore print out of it, it would be full of everything, mold yeast ... So it doesnt matter how sterile I work if the spores are covered in goo stuff. Anyone ? :/
« Last Edit: April 09, 2015, 05:21:06 PM by BubbleCat »
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sporehead

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Re: help me compile a down to earth beginners guide to mycology?
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2015, 10:51:38 PM »

I actually have a mostly written cultivation book I've been writing for a while. It doesn't go into identifying or anything but is more of a catch all spore to spawn to fruit type manual. Lots of diy and cost saving tips for maximum or minimum interest in sterility. I've studied fungi for the last four years so I have a pretty good understanding of this stuff now.

Radical mycology is good people! They have a Radical mycology convergence every year in a different location. I went to one a few years ago. Lots to learn an a lot of fun and cool people. I heard about it through a good friend of mine and co organizer of radical mycology, Ja schindler out of Eugene Oregon. Fungi for the people is his business name. He founded a community mycology lab. Check it out if you're down there.
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BubbleCat

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Re: help me compile a down to earth beginners guide to mycology?
« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2015, 05:20:35 PM »

I have given this many thoughts and its always the same thing that comes to my mind, maybe someone can confirm: Must I find a fruit body that is mostly mature, but has not opened yet, in order to make a sterile spore print or a sterile spore syringe ? Like if I collected one that still has its spores enclosed inside, sterilize it and bring it into an sterile environment, maybe let it ripen a bit further, or just open it and extract the spores ?
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dEEcor

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Re: help me compile a down to earth beginners guide to mycology?
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2015, 09:21:56 PM »

I think you can take a piece of aluminium foil, maybe smaller than the hat of the mushroom, to place this on top of it when it´s ready to release spores naturally. Cut it with sterile equipment, use alcohol and wear one way gloves.

Likely that mushrooms can protect their spores until they´re released so it can be open and still very sterile.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2015, 09:24:33 PM by dEEcor »
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sporehead

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Re: help me compile a down to earth beginners guide to mycology?
« Reply #10 on: May 24, 2015, 10:16:28 PM »

Since this species cannot be cultivated in a lab environment, the best that can be done is to take a spore print. You can germinate the spores on agar but it will require a lot of transfers to clean up. You can also make a spore slurry. Just get a mature specimen and throw it in a five gallon bucket of water, pinch of salt and 50 ml molasses. Blend well and let sit for a day or two. Pour this at the base of a young Douglas fir or other host tree. You can also dip bare root seedlings and plant them. You're looking at 5 years before the mycelium should colonize the roots. It may fruit in a couple years.
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