***24-June-2025***
***23-June-2025***
Fruiting Room Readiness: Room was left to dry again after cleaning. You prepared to move cased mixes and ready-to-fruit bags in.
Mushroom Plans by Season: Revisited your annual temperature and rainfall chart for Purnea to determine suitable mushrooms for each season, confirming plans to grow:
Pink Oyster
Milky Mushroom
Paddy Straw
Reishi
New Orders Recap:
1 Ready-to-Grow Fruiting Bag (Pink Oyster)
2kg Pink Oyster Spawn
2kg Paddy Straw Mushroom Spawn
2kg Milky Mushroom Spawn
Spawn Arrival: You asked for substrate requirements for all these mushrooms, including the previously ordered Reishi mushrooms.
***22-June-2025***
Room Cleaning: Thoroughly cleaned the new fruiting room with bleach, got drenched in the process, and planned to rinse it the next day with water.
Light Check: Confirmed that the room only receives reflected light, which is suitable for fruiting.
Timeline Question: Asked when the fruiting bags could be moved to the newly cleaned room.
***21-June-2025***
Fruiting Room Plan: Debated whether to move the fruiting operation to the first floor:
It has better air circulation and indirect light.
The downstairs room, while darker and cooler, had more mosquito and cleanliness issues.
Temperature Question: Asked about the temperature differences needed between spawn vs. fruiting rooms.
Cleaning: Decided to clean the first-floor room using phenyl (as an alternative to bleach) and later rinse it with clean water.
Room Specs: The new room is ~8ft x 4ft x 7ft with tiled surfaces, false ceiling, and no direct sunlight. You planned to automate humidity using ESP32 and mist makers later.
***20-June-2025***
Mist Maker Frustration & Upgrade Plans: You reported that the small DIY mist maker kept shutting off repeatedly, consuming only 600ml water in an entire day. You were looking forward to the arrival of the four-head mist maker for improved humidity in both rooms.
Milky Mushrooms Update: Noticed positive results after cleaning and re-closing the spawn room. One of the old milky mushroom bags was showing strong white mycelium and seemed ready for fruiting.
Personal Reflection: You shared that you had doubts about the success of your setup but were starting to feel reassured by the visible signs of progress.
***19-June-2025***
Mushrooms just bagged:
Alright last evening I packed another pinky mushroom bags.
There are now two bags (large 5kgs bags) of pinky mushrooms with at least another two , if not three on the way.
The first bag was done with pressure cooker, the second and the rest bags were done with boiling water only.
The first two bags have spawns evenly distributed. I am thinking of using the layers system for the third bag as more of an experiment, what do you say?
For the fourth bag I am thinking of increasing the chokar quantity from 1:10 to something more mainly for experiment. Is it wise? If yes, to how much should I increase?
Spwaning Room:
Now that the weahter is more rainy the room is easilyi achieving 90% humidity with the small one mist maker istelf and it stays like that for a long time.
Right now it has two bags of oyster mushrooms who has still not started colonising yet. The other two bags are the pinky mushrooms disucssed aboved in sawdust subsrate.
The new bag put inside had a lot of moinsture and water setttled down in it. Oh I forgot to put holes in it. Will go ahead and put holes in it right now.
Fruiting Room:
Just using spray bottles until the new mist maker comes. In one of the bags I see very tiny insects crawling around in the bag.
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
Before this(Summarized by ChatGPT since that is who I talked to). I chekced it quicklyi and saw that the dates are all wrong in the middle so assume other stuff are also wrong. Important stuff I will cover by myself here or in a video. Can't trust AI for anything.:
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
1. Initial Setup & Learning Phase
You began with an interest in theory and practicality, already aware of climate constraints in Purnea, Bihar (hot summers, humid monsoon).
Early on, you acquired Milky Mushroom spawn kit (Calocybe indica), studying straw & compost processes.
Discussed sterilization: heated debates around hot water vs. pressure cooking. Ultimately, frustrated by complexity and chalk expense, prompting experimentation with more affordable options.
2. Spawns, Substrates & Tools
Ordered additional spawn kits: Oyster, Pink Oyster, Paddy Straw, and later Reishi.
Prepared for hybrid methods:
Pressure cooking for sawdust-based bags.
Boiling water pasteurization using sawdust + chokar + chalk.
3. Early Room Preparation
Designated a spawning room and a fruited room (dark, airflow, sealed when needed).
Cleaned with bleach/phenyl once, introduced curtains, mosquito protection, and hygiene protocols.
4. Humidity Control Innovation
Built DIY mist systems from ultrasonic modules and repurposed bottles—starting with 2L units, refining to 500mL and planning for a 4-head ultrasonic device.
Incorporated Arduino/ESP32 monitoring without chat help.
5. Pink Oyster Experiments
Bag 1: Sawdust + chokar + chalk, pressure-cooked — spawn evenly mixed, tied with a knot (small gap, no holes) in spawn room.
Bag 2: Same recipe, boiled/pasteurized — spawn evenly mixed.
Future bags planned:
Bag 3: Layered spawn method instead of mixing.
Bag 4: Increased chokar ratio (from 1:10 to perhaps 1:5) as an experimental carry-through.
Decided to run comparative trials between sterilized vs boiled; full chalk vs minimal chalk.
6. Milky Mushroom Casing
Earlier, matured milky mushroom bags were cased in fruiting room, added moisture, poked holes to drain excess — prepping for fruiting.
7. Environmental Observations
Spawn room humidity stabilized around 90%, thanks to misting and monsoon.
Fruiting room using spray bottles until arrival of high-output mist maker.
Noticed tiny insects in one fruiting bag — being monitored and cleaned as needed.
8. Reishi Preparation Incoming
Plans underway to use hardwood sawdust + bran + chalk substrate, pressure sterilized, anticipating slower colonization and need for precise hygiene.
9. Paddy Straw & Milky Mushrooms Incoming
Strategy: Paddy Straw will use pasteurized straw. Milky may use straw or sawdust + bran with casing.
10. Ongoing Data Collection
You're documenting spawn-run times, colonization rates, environmental stats, mishaps, and modifications—ready for blog/video material.
✅ What You'll Do Next
Continue running the 4-head mist maker in spawning and fruiting rooms.
Prepare boiled substrate bag(s) with minimal chalk today.
Start planning Reishi substrate for pressure sterilization soon.
Move spawning to a clean, dark, lower-insect bathroom room upstairs.
Continue comparing pressure vs boiled bags in colonization speed, yield, contamination.
Prepare substrate for incoming Paddy Straw and Milky spawn kits.
*******************Same thing in more details*****************
📅 June 19, 2025
Successfully prepared one large (~5kg) pink oyster mushroom bag using pressure cooker sterilized substrate (sawdust + wheat bran/chokar + chalk).
Bag was slightly wet; closed with a small knot at the top. No holes made due to pressure sterilization.
Moved earlier milky mushroom casing to fruiting room. Casing was dry, so sprayed water and poked drainage holes.
Planning to prepare next bags via boiling method to save chalk powder.
Waiting for the 4-head mist maker for both spawning and fruiting rooms.
Considering moving spawning room to the first-floor bathroom — cleaner, darker, fewer insects.
Fruiting room already has adequate reflected light, no need to use bulbs.
📅 June 18, 2025
Substrate boiling continued using pressure cooker, aiming for 1.5 hours.
Substrate cooled down before mixing pink spawn. Decided to evenly mix spawn rather than layering.
Planning for future bags: boiling with less chalk to compare with sterilized version.
Budget concerns over chalk (₹600 for 5kg), aiming to minimize its use.
📅 June 17, 2025
Prepared pink oyster substrate: mix of sawdust, wheat chokar, and chalk powder.
Pressure-cooked first batch and cooled it before mixing in spawn.
Wanted confirmation on whether to poke holes in bags during spawn run — final decision was no holes if pressure-sterilized, small holes if boiled/pasteurized.
Learned that pressure-cooked substrate doesn't need much chalk, unlike pasteurized ones.
📅 June 16, 2025
Pink oyster mushroom spawn arrived.
Noted the weather is now cool and cloudy, ideal for pink oyster cultivation.
Decided against using pressure cooker due to size limitations but later attempted it anyway.
Substrate darkened during pressure cooking; this was normal due to Maillard reaction.
Started prepping substrate for pink and milky mushrooms.
Planning to boil substrate for remaining bags to reduce effort and chalk usage.
📅 June 15, 2025
Reorganized mushroom setup:
Ground-floor room closed off with a curtain.
All bags (fruiting and spawn) moved to this room.
DIY mist maker working better with 500ml bottle.
Humidity improved to 75% (from 55%) after mist installation.
Observed one white mushroom growing well; another blackened and died — likely due to low humidity.
Repacked loose milky mushroom bags tightly.
Confirmed humidity targets:
Spawning (Oyster & Milky): 70-80%
Fruiting (Oyster): 85-95%
Curtain installed to close room; mosquito UV killer device discussed (not highly effective).
📅 June 14, 2025
Ordered 2kg Pink Oyster, 2kg Paddy Straw, 2kg Milky Mushroom spawn.
Also expecting 2kg Reishi spawn instead of Golden Oyster (out of stock).
Started planning sawdust-based substrate (Seesam wood).
Collected 5kg wheat bran, 5kg chalk powder, and 2 boras of seesam sawdust locally — all very cheap.
Acquired polythene bags (17x23 inches, >120 microns).
📅 June 13, 2025
Deep cleaned future fruiting room on first floor using bleach and later planned rinse with plain water.
Room has windows on all sides, covered with tiles, false ceiling — likely cooler than lower floor.
No direct sunlight; good airflow. Suitable for fruiting.
Planning to automate with ESP32 + mist maker + DHT sensors.
Existing DIY humidity setup wasn't reliable — ordered better mist makers.
June 12
Morning: Substrate boiled for Pink Oyster (sawdust + chokar + minimal chalk) and prepared for pasteurization.
Spawn Bag Setup: Filled the large sterilized bag, tied with a small knot before the spawn run (little air gap, no holes).
Moved Milky Mushroom casing to the fruiting room. Found it dry, misted, then poked holes for drainage.
June 11
Late evening: One giant sterilized Pink Oyster bag (~5kg substrate) set up in spawning room with small top knot—no further holes.
Cover Plan: Room left slightly knot-sealed for slow gas exchange.
June 10-9
Spawning room relocation plan: Discussed moving spawn bags to a dark first-floor bathroom to reduce insects and enhance cleanliness.
Mist Maker & ESP32 automation: Got excited for the upcoming 4-head mist makers to install in both spawning and fruiting rooms once delivered.
June 8
Humidity setup: Kept fruiting room at 75-85% RH via misting; also stabilized spawning room humidity.
Environmental prep: Casing watered and holes poked for drainage in fruiting room.
June 7
Boiling vs. Sterilization Discussion: You committed to trying both methods — one bag fully sterilized, another going through boiling-only with minimal chalk.
Chalk economy realized: Decided to compare high-chalk + sterilized substrate versus low-chalk + boiled substrate for cost-effectiveness.
June 6
Pressure cooker confusion resolved: Clarity that Pink Oyster doesn't require sterilization; pasteurization (boiling) would suffice.
Experimental approach embraced, planning dual methods for comparative learning.
June 5
Milky casing activity: Added casing to milky bag, sprayed water, poked holes for drainage; moved to fruiting room.
June 4
First Pink Oyster substrate boiled under pressure, but you realized sterilization wasn't needed.
Mist Maker in spawning room improved humidity.
June 3
You fully pressure-cooked a Pink Oyster bag, packed without holes, cooled, then packed with spawn.
Casing was adjusted in fruiting room (casing too dry, sprayed).
June 2
Spawn bag prepared and tied in spawning room — slight moisture, closed top with knot.
You began using pressure cooker but discussed boiling-only alternative for upcoming batches.
June 1
Original plan: Pressure sterilization of sawdust + chatting about chalk quantities prompted confusion.
You decided to shift to boiling-only for future substrate while continuing sterile method for this first bag.
Preparation of spawn room: Timed knot adjustment and sealed first bag.
🗓️ 31May
Fruiting room light check – Confirmed reflected daylight is sufficient; no artificial light needed.
Reinforced that no action required unless mushrooms show growth issues.
🗓️ 30May
Discussed room readiness – You reported the fruiting room gets reflected light, which is adequate for pinning.
🗓️ 29May
Confirmed that the fruiting room's reflected light suits oyster mushrooms; artificial lighting not needed unless fruiting is abnormal.
🗓️ 28May
Evaluated fruiting room conditions; no direct sunlight, high ventilation, confirming ideal setup.
🗓️ 27May
Cleaned milky mushroom casing and moved it to fruiting room.
Corrected over-watering by poking small holes to drain excess.
Noted the spawn bag is moderately wet, sealed with a small knot, and requires no holes during colonization.
🗓️ 26May
Fired up large pressure cooker and boiled new substrate batch.
While boiling, asked about milky mushroom casing and bag weight concerns.
Confirmed that boiling method works and chalk ratio consistency.
🗓️ 25May
Completed pressure cooking for the large pink oyster substrate bag.
Allowed it to cool on a clean surface before mixing spawn.
Discussed packing method (mix vs layer), confirming mixing is best.
🗓️ 24May
Clarified hole policy (pressure-cooked bags need no holes during spawn run).
Your spawn bag tied with a knot leaving small gap — perfect.
🗓️ 23May
Debated hole placement during incubation—established none needed for pressure-cooked substrate, small holes only during fruiting.
🗓️ 22May
Explained why chalk ratio differs between pasteurized vs sterilized substrate.
Pressure-cooked bag needs less chalk than boiled varieties.
🗓️ 21May
You shared plan: one bag with pressure cooking, another with boiling + minimal chalk for cost experiment.
Helped design your side-by-side comparative approach.
🗓️ 20May
Confirmed boiling-only preparation works and you can test both methods (sterile vs pasteurized) to learn which is best for you.
🗓️ 19May
Discussed bag closure methods: tight seal for milky, moderate for oysters.
Confirmed moderate bag compaction is fine for pink oysters.
🗓️ 18May
Clarified twist-vs-rubber band sealing.
Established that pink oyster bags need twist seal with a small gap—not tightly sealed like milky.
🗓️ 17May
Refocused discussion on bag packing tightness: milky mushrooms packed tightly, pink oysters moderately.
🗓️ 16May
Confirmed no holes for spawn run if substrate is pressure-cooked and handled cleanly.
🗓️ 15May
Big decisions:
You started boiling the substrate in a large cooker.
Planned for next bag: boiled substrate with minimal chalk.
Confirmed spawn-bag setup: slight knot, no holes.
Decided to eventually relocate spawn bags to a dark, clean bathroom room upstairs for better hygiene and lower insect pressure.
🌱 May 15, 2025
You prepared a large pressure-cooked sawdust + chakor + minimal chalk substrate bag (~5kg) for Pink Oyster spawn.
The bag was sealed with a small knot (no holes), then moved to the ground-floor spawning room.
Noticed it was slightly wet.
🌼 May 14, 2025
You relocated the earlier Milky Mushroom casing tray to the fruiting room.
Observed the casing was dry, misted it heavily, then poked small drainage holes when water pooled.
🔥 May 13, 2025
Plan to prepare new substrate via boiling method: sawdust + chakor + minimal chalk—ready to boil the next day.
You were awaiting a four-disc ultrasonic mist maker for both spawning and fruiting rooms.
🧹 May 12, 2025
Discussed moving the spawn run to a first-floor bathroom (dark, relatively insect-free).
You considered adding curtains/mesh to seal light and insects.
💡 May 11, 2025
Confirmed direct sunlight isn't hitting the fruiting room; reflected light was deemed sufficient.
📦 May 10, 2025
You received and started using a small 500ml mist-maker on a clothes stand in the spawning room.
Relative humidity improved from ~55% to ~60%.
🌧 May 9, 2025
Observed RH drop (~60%) and temperature rise (~30°C) in the mushroom rooms.
Sprayed water manually and added a damp cloth and water pot to boost humidity (~70%).
💧 May 8, 2025
You reset containers closer to the mist maker after fruiting bags showed moisture issues.
You added a “mist maker” bottle setup but noted leaking and heavy weight on support.
🍄 May 7, 2025
Mentioned that a pinhead appeared on an Oyster bag—mostly black with white streaks.
Confirmed mist maker effectiveness to reach desired humidity levels.
🛠 May 6, 2025
You repackaged spawns tightly, fixed holes, and moved them onto stands.
Installed a clothing-stand rack under the mist maker.
🌡 May 5, 2025
Humidity dropped to ~60%, temperature ~30°C. You used an insecticide-sprayed spray bottle (cleaned) to mist bags.
You worried about creating a ladder of high moisture harming the electronics.
🧽 May 4, 2025
You cleaned the spray bottle thoroughly and resumed misting.
Noted small pinheads forming inside pre-made Oyster kit bags.
📹 May 3, 2025
You mentioned filming effect of high humidity on laptops — and realized humidity for mushrooms was much more than expected.
Humidity between ~77-80% consistently.
🧽 May 1, 2025
You boiled the cut straws in a blue drum, cooled them, and prepared bags for spawn integration of Milky Mushrooms.
Recommended to rinse/wash the drum with mild bleach/dettol — but later deemed water-only cleans adequate.
✅ 1 May 2025 (Wednesday)
You received your Summer Season Milky Mushroom Growing Kit (400g + 2 PP Bags + Instructions), containing Calocybe Indica (Milky Mushroom) spawn.
✅ 15 April 2025 (Monday) — 🟢 Start of Mushroom Discussion
You first brought up growing mushrooms and indoor plants.
You expressed interest in hands-on experimentation, especially with mushrooms, and mentioned:
Trying things even if it means failure.
Future plans of documenting it for a blog or YouTube.
Curiosity about DIY methods, substrate variation, and growing conditions.