waterboy 2.0

Was waiting to pick my boy up from school I can crap on sometimes.... Lol...

I'm presuming it's a domesticated agaricus sp (bisporus?) . If so they are a shroom with a fairly demanding "diet" as a secondary decomposer (different than most edible fungi as primary decomposers which can breakdown cellulose and lignin etc). Typically compost from herbivore crap as a substrate that has had other organisms break it down initially("mushroom compost" that gets sold is spent agaricus substrate) . In part this may explain the slow colonization as the substrate may be limiting. Disturbance would probably be best avoided unless trying to get onto another substrate. Agaricus are not the best at recovery and not really rapid to colonize compared to other species like oysters, reishi... Compaction defo not good for agaricus. Best grown out in tray/open tub with a casing layer placed when set up to fruit, due to high fresh air exchange required. Once colonized the casing sets the mycellium up for initiation and best conditions for fruiting. You maybe could of cased the top of the bag to fruit, but fruiting off the sides like oysters wouldn't be overly productive. However the substrate would still be lacking a bit. Best way I've found has been the basic old mushroom box kit. Colonized compost substrate, supplied with a casing layer. I've never scratch grown them, only primary decomposers like oysters, reishi, Shittake.... Give a bit more time I reckon and keep watch. You didn't mention temperature and such, so no idea if you are anywhere near the window for good to optimum growth. Dunno if you that helps, I wouldn't expect a booming crop off a substrate not compost though.

Not often I've read any animal angled material here or elsewhere. I will slowly add to this thread, link some references and my approach, and how things are panning out. The only "issues" I have come across is the claim in one study of ataxia in male wistar rats with extract, with antidepressant activity. The second is using unfermented raw material with wistar rats which displayed a reduced physiological stress response but produced inflammatory responses. Cats and dogs have been examined at dosage ranges of 100mg/kg and 10mg/kg twice daily of milled material respectively with no adverse effects. Wistar rats in another oral toxicity study at 14 and 90 day durations have been observed to have no adverse effects with extract at levels up to 5000mg/kg daily(14 dys) and 600mg/kg daily (90 dys). Why am I looking at this? Many dogs can suffer from anxiety, separation anxiety is one common facet with some breeds being more prone. After the death of our older dog, the "pup" has really amplified her separation anxiety... Lol... Particularly with me... Yeah I be numba one. Examples include making sure I'm breathing when I've gone down with fatigue on the couch(are you dead?) and getting up in my face. If asleep I'll get a light paw tap on my face to get a response. Manically barking at me on returns home.... Even short periods. ("berating" bark). The others in the family get this to a lesser degree. Highly territorial, strong guarding instinct .. Lol... I'll pity the fool that may poke around unannounced come nightfall. Very keen hunting instinct. Constant "sooking" when I'm outside the house yard doing something and have left her inside it. Previously she would break out and find me in the scrub, but now has established that that is not OK. Occasionally digging, not often buy when it does occur its a decent excavation. Gets a heap of exercise, lots of room, heaps of things to chew on ect... Loads of stimulation. Less socialized than desirable though, obedient but strong willed. Would happily be a lap dog... Lol She's a crossbreed and currently entire, German short-haired pointer x border collie.... (some are laughing... Yeah WB that might do it) . So I have a dog capable of running down and taking down a deer, with the intelligence to do it in the most efficient manner. But if I'm not about.. Lol... She stresses out. When the family is home and I'm out, she is pining and constantly alert for my return . It's quite manic at times. Interesting enough the smell of fermented skelly is extremely attractive to her. I'll presume it's the "salty" smell it has. If I have any in my pocket /backpack she is at it. So a few days back I pulled out a tin to chew on a bit and the dog is up on it.... Hmm.... So I dabbed my thumb in an held it out, and the stuff was gone... Lol... Just a dusting on my thumbprint. Few hours later the already energetic dog has established a new personal best for laps around the house... Lol.. Later in the evening much more settled, rather than the constant vigilance to guarding. Following day... Less needy, less noise, anxiety appears to be reduced. Rinse and repeat for three more days, and there appears to be some difference to the severity of the separation anxiety. So.... Ima gunna drug her... Lol I'll start establishing a weighted dose and do 30 days and assess again. Fermented material, ground, sprinkled onto the morning feed. Initially I was thinking morning dosed as the initial increase in activity is quite noticeable.. Lol.... I am reading that 10mg/Kg milled dry kanna twice daily in food is well tolerated by canines with no identified adverse effects* (very comprehensive testing and monitoring). This is where I will be starting this trial.... I'm hoping it can be used for a period to break some behaviors, but currently i am not adverse to ongoing maintenance use if well tolerated. * Hirabayashi, M., Ichikawa, K., Fukushima, R., Uchino, T., Shimada, H., 2002. Clinical application of South African tea on dementia dog. Japanese Journal of Small Animal Practice 21, 109–113(in Japanese)

Has reduced separation anxiety greatly in this case... Depending on the nature of the "psycho" it could help or hinder though. The fretting and "sooking" has really reduced considerably, and she has reduced in vigilance and the verging on extreme guarding instinct. Will relax now when I'm about doing something else but can't physically touch me (over a fence etc) , which was the greatest period of anxiety. Still gets up in my face... Lol... But I can live with that as part of her charm. The only side effect of note was the amped up effect, which was initially noticeable and have dialed it back. There was no sedation effect (and wanted to avoid it) . Typically for me I get a bit amped, and then chillaxed to sedated. I still would advise caution though, as dogs just can't Scooby doo tells us what's going on it's worth a trial for anxiety, dunno about bitey dogs and such though.

'Tis HD.... But sadly it legacy pollution from the old tin mining days (this spot via bucket dredge) , high free copper levels in the water giving the eye pleasing hue. Devoid of aquatic life.

I presumed they were perennial.... And the cold and.. Lol.. Previously neglect ended them. The red headed stepson of encyclopedias tells me annual in temperate, potentially up a 2 year perennial in tropics. Learnt something new And that might change my tactics.

Lol... I have fond memories of kero heaters eth. You know I would if I could, I come out of recluse now.

Yep they won't run off here.. Well until the averages warm up a bit not much I can't grow if I set my mind to it... Lol I've had them growing in some pretty poor potting mixes before and they do OK during the warmer times, outdoor here at least ends them. Wasn't sure if anyone that has put them in pots pampered them. The seed certainly holds its viability, I threw down some ancient seed and had most if not all take. I reckon I might just bump them to the along under supplementary lighting when I rotate them out to recover after I make a bit of room to work with.

2 days before heart surgery Wasn't because of it... But it wasn't helping. After having the chest cracked open I really want to avoid that shit again. My resolve was bolstered after being taken offline during that event. I'd been on and off a few times, of prolonged and at times pretty heavy death stick use. Kicking off when I could just walk in and buy them in my school uniform of a morning. I never was a user of "spin", I still don't understand that. Spin users I've noticed Really struggle to kick the things. I at one stage had two bowls on the go mine and another for my brothers from other mothers as most wouldn't tackle my bowl. Still use tobacco on occasion in other forms smokeless, but ciggies can just F off as far as I'm concerned ... Ciggies are the lowest form of baccy IMO served up to us here - if at all, with some principally just being made mostly of "sheet".... Substituted sheet alright. FFS I found Indonesian ciggies as an example of being better quality than what we were, and now served up. Do I want one.... Yes, yes I do for I am an addict because the things did what they were designed to do. They smell like shit to me now though, decent pipe and some cigars still smell really good though and tempting as all hell. Having as much time away from second hand smoke helps a lot, and hide /remove ashtrays

Leptecophylla juniperina - cheeseberry (sub/Alpine var ) Was Cyathodes sp.

This is going really well, better than I anticipated I have reduced the dose to miniscule maintenence. I'll put some words together when I can keep my thoughts coherent.

Something different while I'm bedding things down for winter. Lol.. FFS... I actually think I have more cacti than when I started cleaning up

Another small TBM $35+post ..

I missed this event, during a push em hard phase... Lol... Has healed sweet though.

Curing is colour cured to end point In case of tobac. Yep you want to get it brown in presuming, that can take a month + hang, but if the humidity got to low during it will hold green. Heat with low/no humidity is not desirable at all whilst chasing colour. Month + hang is typical, and a fluctuation in day/night humidity is really beneficial. Even after its not unusual for extended hanging, Stage 1 get it to final colour (air, sun, flue, heap ferment ect) , step 2 age (natural, kiln, ferment). Rust will hold green into the veins hard to the last point , but if the humidity gets to low it will stop curing and hold green. No fix once it dries off, it's dead as such and the processes stopped. When heat gets used such as flue curing for commercial baccy it's a high heat and humidity operation with a decent air exchange. Used to speed up and provide a uniform product that can be planned for In production. Regularly pull it apart and turn it/restack it needs daily, sometimes twice attention . It can cure it in a much quicker time. Molds love the higher heat and humidity.... Typically you can first spot on the end of the leaf stem for most, but a few prefer the leaf surface. Keep a spray bottle handy, it's unlikely down here but may need a little mist if heat producing advances fast. It's a warm/moist process, the heat as such internal driven. If exploring a pile cure/ferment after getting it to Colour, hang and age a bit whilst bringing the moisture content back a little (reduce mold risk) , then age on in storage which should be at a lower humidity than at least Tassie ambient. Hope that's of some assist bro Time for an early pharma breakky.... Lol Note - this is for getting the most out of your personal organic pesticide production

Boom

They only go dormant if it's cold enough Edit - I'm not sure of the exact point, but it's defo under 8 degrees. It has to hold under the point, or they'll try to jump off again.

After Colour curing, it really depends on what the intended end use is and how much time you plan for.... Stuff up the Colour cure and you will battle with subpar material. Although I have read of dry green rustica being used in a traditional snuff mixture. I'd imagine that's pretty rough... Lol... I'd still presume it's aged though. You need to keep the humidity up whilst Colour curing, if it dries it will kill off the process and it'll hold green. Its lost from the cells, you can't get that back in. You can let it dry after Colour curing. Ideally you want them "primed" at least which is starting into yellowing /browning before twisting free of the stem. If you can't get them primed, then a quick stack ferment helps set them off. Rustica tends to cure straight to brown, skipping yellow, often holding green vein in for a while. A few months hang is not unusual, and an alternating day/night humidity helps a lot. If heap curing need to be vigilant with Rustica due to the nature of the leaf or it'll run to basically compost if neglected. It does speed up the process, but note it will have a higher sugar content than air dry. If you were to flue cure with heat, more sugars retained again. Sugars are worth noting but no need to dive into it here. Several ways to skin the cat....each to their own. I've been an air and sun cure man on occasion when deemed the go, with long aging myself. Aging is your friend... 12 months plus, the longer it goes the better the outcome. Every year brings out flavour and odor in most baccy varieties. It gets better with age pretty much with most methodologies though, part of its mystery. Cardboard box and a lower humidity than out in the shed once Colour cured.. spray a little moisture on when you need to work with it to make pliable again. It's a fascinating thing to see at work... Something that could be crushed to dust become like a thin pliable leather quite quickly. Fermenting basically is sped up aging..... Although some subtle flavour/odor can develop with some techniques like "perique" method. Aging is important.... That's the part that's similar to bud curing. Rustica is more frost resistant BTW as well, so it should tick over a bit longer than you think Humbolt. Lol... Topping rustica I've found just makes it really angry and it'll make you work hard keeping upbut it can produce a few larger leaves. There's no single way though... And that's worth noting.