Im also Canadian I've had terrible luck with Spores101, heard of quite a few similar cases as well from friends and on other forums. The best Canadian spore site (in my opinion) is Spores Lab (not to be confused with Spore Lab)(note the S).
Also, RE colonization/spawn medium....try rye grain...
Awesome write up, I absolutely love how willing the mushroom community is to share information, so in the spirit of that, one other thing I have found through personal experience is to have the room where you are taking spore prints be cooler than room temp (below 60F) or place a drop of ice...
I totally agree. You won't end up spending too much more if you get all the materials and DIY. SAB/Glovebox can be made for ~50$ and a cheap PC is ~100$ Spores ~50$ by the time you pay shipping, and supply costs are pretty negligible (maybe 50$ for the spawn medium, fruiting medium, jars, micro...
I've hear Ralphsters used to be a good vendor but has gone downhill over the past years. In 2020, if you are in Canada and looking for spores your options are kind of limited unfortunately, as some of the good US vendors (like spore works) are not shipping to Canada anymore.
Basically your...
I've heard of Vancouver Seed Bank and I have purchased seeds from them before. They are reliable. They also sell mushroom spore syringes now too! I purchased some of those recently along with a few from Spores Lab and grew some beautiful mushrooms! If you are interested in growing your own...
FYI I have had poor results from Spores101. In total I've ordered 10 syringes from them (over multiple orders) and not a single one has been viable. Ive been able to grow mushrooms from syringes bought through other vendors. DYOR
A tip from the Microbiology department at Mcgill university on ISO concentration - Water acts as a catalyst and plays a key role in denaturing the proteins of vegetative cell membranes. 70% ISO solutions penetrate the cell wall more completely which allows the iso to permeate the entire cell...
If I had to buy a kit, It would be from midwestgrowkits. From what I've heard they are the best, and that looks like a pretty all inclusive kit. (other than the spores).
I would inoculate the day you receive it, as really inoculation should be done within 24hrs of sterilization. Out of the 12...
Mushroom Spores are legal in Canada, but international mail (wherever its coming from/going to) undergoes a lot more scrutiny.
AFAIK anyone selling fruits is not doing so legally, but you are right there are MANY options.
There are a ton of places popping up offering kits, and lots of places that offer pre-sterilized grain/substrate, but in my opinion if you want more than 1 flush before contamination DIY. You will learn more, you won't spend too much more, and then you have the capacity to grow more in the...
Just checked out apex and seems legit, but I've had mixed results with vendors so I stick to the places I know. Also pretty sure Apex is American. If you are Canadian and don't want to be subject to the scrutiny of international shipping Spores Lab is a Canadian vendor.
Maza's for me are a more relaxing, introspective experience, whereas PE is euphoric, visual, and sometimes overwhelming. As always with psychedelics YMMV, make sure you are in a good set/setting, and make sure you dose reasonably.
I would use a spore syringe within 6 months of receiving it, and definitely refrigerate. Also check out your options other than 101, I personally used spore works in the past with good results but they don't ship to canada anymore :(