Sarah Brown
Knowing when to harvest your mushrooms is crucial to the success of your crop. The optimal time to harvest a mushroom for maximum potency is just after the rupturing of the veil, the thin membrane on the cap's underside that keeps the spores in the mushroom. Once the veil breaks, the psychoactive chemicals stop producing, and the mushroom will continue to grow until the cap is fully open, but the concentration of psychoactive chemicals per gram will be less. However, if you are after sheer size and weight, you can let the mushrooms mature fully before harvesting, although some suggest that harvesting before the caps flatten and release their spores is preferable.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Optimal time to harvest | When the veil ruptures/breaks |
| Reason | The psychoactive chemicals stop producing at this stage |
| Harvesting before veil ruptures | May result in more potent mushrooms |
| Harvesting after veil ruptures | May result in larger mushrooms |
| Veil colour | Light-coloured veils indicate mushrooms are juvenile; darkening veils indicate maturity |
| Cap condition | Harvest before caps flatten and release spores |
| Cap condition (alternative) | Harvest when caps are fully open |
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What You'll Learn
The veil: Harvest when it breaks to avoid mess and retain potency
The veil is a thin membrane on the underside of a mushroom cap that keeps the spores inside the mushroom. When the mushroom is mature, this veil tears and the spores are released, allowing the growth of the next generation of mushrooms. When growing mushrooms indoors, the release of spores is undesirable as it will result in fewer mushrooms in subsequent flushes. Therefore, it is essential to harvest mushrooms on time.
The optimal time to harvest mushrooms for quality and potency is when the veil has just broken or is about to break. Harvesting at this time ensures the mushrooms are mature yet not degraded, helping to maintain their potency and flavour. Mushrooms at this stage will have the highest concentration of active compounds, such as psilocybin and psilocin, which contribute to their psychoactive effects.
Harvesting before the veil breaks can also help to avoid the mess of billions of spores. Once the veil breaks, the mushroom will continue to grow in size but will not develop any more psilocybin or psilocin. Therefore, the weight-to-psychedelic compounds ratio decreases. Harvesting before the veil breaks will result in a higher potency-to-weight ratio.
To identify when to harvest, careful observation of the veil of each mushroom is necessary. The veil will darken and begin to sag when it is time to harvest. Harvesting mushrooms is a matter of preference, and growers who prefer size and weight may choose to let their mushrooms fully mature before harvesting.
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Spores: Harvest before they drop to maintain potency
Mushrooms are cultivated for a variety of reasons, including consumption, weight, and potency. The optimal time to harvest a mushroom for maximum potency is just after the rupturing of the veil, or the thin membrane on the underside of the cap that keeps the spores in the mushroom. When the mushroom is mature, this veil tears and the spores are released, ready to grow the next generation of mushrooms.
Harvesting mushrooms before the spores are released is crucial for two reasons. Firstly, if the spores get released onto the mycelium cake, it will produce far fewer mushrooms in the subsequent flushes, if any at all. Therefore, keeping the cakes spore-free is essential to continue getting a lot of mushroom growth. Secondly, once the veil drops on a mushroom, it may continue to grow in size but will not develop any more psilocybin or psilocin. While a fully matured mushroom is not less potent, it will be less potent as a percentage of its overall weight, meaning there will be more mushroom body to consume.
To maintain potency, it is recommended to harvest mushrooms when the veil is breaking or tearing, but before the caps flatten and release spores. This ensures that the mushrooms have not yet started to redirect their energy towards spore production. However, it is important to note that mushrooms do not all develop at the same time, and individual treatment is necessary. Careful observation of the veil colour is crucial, as it darkens and begins to sag when it is time to harvest.
In summary, harvesting mushrooms just before the veil tears is crucial to maintaining potency and ensuring continued mushroom growth. By preventing spore release, growers can maximise future flushes and get the most out of their efforts.
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Caps: Harvest when they flatten or before they open
The veil is a thin membrane on the underside of the mushroom cap that keeps the spores in the mushroom. When the mushroom is mature, this veil tears, and the spores are released, ready to grow the next generation of mushrooms. When growing mushrooms indoors, it is undesirable to let the spores get released, as it will produce fewer mushrooms in the subsequent flushes. Therefore, it is essential to harvest on time.
One way to ensure this is to harvest the mushrooms when the veil breaks. The veil is located on the underside of the cap and covers the gills. On a juvenile mushroom, veils are fleshy and light-coloured – usually grey-white. When the time comes for them to tear, they often darken and begin to sag. When the veil breaks, the psychoactive chemicals stop producing, and the mushroom will continue to grow until the cap is fully open. However, at full maturity, the concentration of psychoactive chemicals per gram will be less. Therefore, if you want possibly stronger, more potent mushrooms, it is better to harvest them just after the veil breaks and before the caps flatten.
However, if you are after sheer size and weight, you should let the mushrooms mature completely. But, even if you are after weight, it is still recommended to harvest them before the caps open up and spores are released. This is because, once the spores are released, the mushroom's job is done, and it begins to die.
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Weight: Harvest when mushrooms are huge for maximum weight
If you're looking to get the most weight out of your mushroom harvest, it's best to let them mature fully before picking them. This means waiting until the caps are fully open and have flattened out, and the spores are released. However, it's important to note that once the spores are released, the mushroom will start to die and will not develop any more psilocybin or psilocin. So, if you're looking for both size and potency, it's best to harvest just after the veil breaks but before the caps flatten and release spores.
The veil is a thin membrane on the underside of the cap that keeps the spores in the mushroom. When the mushroom is mature, the veil tears, and the spores are released, ready to grow the next generation of mushrooms. If you're growing mushrooms indoors, it's essential to harvest before the spores are released, as this will reduce the yield of further flushes or stop new mushrooms from growing entirely.
Some people prefer to harvest their mushrooms for weight rather than potency. One user on the Shroomery forum says, "I would say go for weight. They get huge if you give them time." However, they also note that after the spores are released, the mushrooms stop producing psilocin, so there will be less potency per gram as they get bigger.
Another user on the same forum advises: "Really, if you're concerned about quality instead of weight, you should try to harvest specimens that don't yet have the thinning veil. If you want to take prints, let the caps flatten out some (a good spore-depositing cap can make two or three prints). Specimens with well-developed caps that are still 'closed' are the best for consumption and the highest in potency by weight."
So, if you're looking for maximum weight, it's best to let your mushrooms mature fully and harvest them just before the spores are released. However, keep in mind that this may impact the potency of your mushrooms, and you'll need to be careful not to ruin your entire crop if you're growing indoors.
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Potency: Harvest early for more potent mushrooms
The process of growing magic mushrooms is extraordinarily time-sensitive and subject to volatility. Getting the timing right for harvesting is crucial to maximising future flushes and getting the most out of your efforts. If you want more potent mushrooms, it is generally recommended to harvest them early, just after the veil breaks but before the caps flatten and the spores are released. Mushrooms harvested at a later stage will still retain the active principle, but those harvested early may contain a slightly higher concentration of psilocybin or psilocin, the compounds responsible for the psychedelic experience.
The veil is a thin membrane on the underside of the mushroom cap that keeps the spores contained within the mushroom. When the mushroom is mature, the veil tears, releasing the spores and allowing them to grow into the next generation of mushrooms. However, once the veil drops, the mushroom stops producing psilocybin and psilocin, resulting in a lower concentration of these compounds in larger, more mature mushrooms. Therefore, harvesting just before the veil breaks can result in slightly more potent mushrooms.
It is important to note that the difference in potency between early-harvested and late-harvested mushrooms may be negligible, and there is limited scientific evidence to support this claim. Additionally, larger mushrooms will have a higher total amount of psilocybin and psilocin, even if the concentration is lower. As such, some growers prefer to let their mushrooms fully mature to maximise the total yield of active compounds.
The decision of when to harvest ultimately depends on individual preferences and goals. If you prioritise potency over yield, it is recommended to harvest early. However, if you are seeking a larger overall stash of magic mushrooms, you may prefer to let them grow to full maturity.
To ensure the highest quality harvest, it is crucial to monitor each mushroom individually and harvest them when they reach their full potential. This may result in a more time-consuming process, but it will maximise the potential of each mushroom. Additionally, proper drying and storage techniques are essential to preserve the potency of your mushrooms after harvesting.
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Frequently asked questions
Observe the veil, the thin membrane on the underside of the cap. Harvest just before the veil tears, as this is when the mushroom is most potent.
If you harvest after the veil has torn, the mushroom will continue to grow in size but will not increase in potency. The mushroom will also start to release spores, which is undesirable when growing mushrooms indoors.
Harvesting before the veil breaks will result in a neater appearance and the mushrooms will stay intact better in storage.
Harvesting early will result in a lower yield, as the mushrooms will not have reached their full size.
