Seeing the webbing show up on the grain I know the fungi is getting stronger, its feeding on the wild bird seed inside the jars. And as it does it grows in size. It all started by placing a chunk of Pink Oyster mushroom spawn in the jar in a mostly sterile environment. And now we are seeing them grow in the jars. Eventually they will turn completely white and look like something similar to snow balls or maybe a white cake.
It has been around two weeks since my last update on my jars, the Pink Oyster mushroom fungi growing inside has greatly increased in size. Now most of the jars are covered in mycelium and even a few solid spots are forming of pure fungi. This pink stuff may be fruiting bodies trying to form in the jar as it grows.. Or possibly its just the solid mycelium as it fills the jars.
Every jar is a little different looking, some have pink splotches growing. Others have webbing forming across the grains.
Hopefully soon it will be time to let the jars be opened and use the spawn to make five gallon buckets of these.
Hah oops I forgot to tighten down a jar lid. The mushroom noticed and is growing out of it.
These webbings are the nervous system of the fungi, allowing it to collect nutrients and communicate with other spots of fungi in the jar.
The bottoms of the jars are mostly covered in mycelium, you can almost not even see the wild bird seed anymore on some of them.
Laying it on its side we can see how its through out most of the jar now.
Looking up close we can see the webbing cross grains to fully colonize the jar.
Some are more well formed than others, seeing the webbing has large spots and small spots.
Soon we will see no more webbing, just a solid mass of mycelium forming in the jars. Not sure how soon, maybe another week or so.
Luckily we have had some warmer days and I thin the jars appreciate that. Speeding up the growth inside as they warm.
Comparing a jar on the left with no growth, to a jar on the right with successful growth of fungi.
So successful some are trying to grow out of their vent hole.. hah!
I experimented with taping one side , and it seems its best to do both sides of the lid otherwise it may grow through.
Right below where the fungi is coming out of gas vent hole we can see spider webs of mycelium.
I guess I will just leave it like that.. though I hope its not stopping gas exchange now.
Most jars are fine though, just a couple have that growing out of them.. when I take the lids off I will check and see if I double taped it.. probably not.
Growing these in wild bird seed they seem happy with this media. I do plan on moving them to hay, but for now we will use wild bird seed to grow more mycelium. Soon it will take many jars just to fill one five gallon bucket of hay. But that is the long term plan.
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