Step 1: Buy Spore Syringe
Decide which mushroom variety you want to grow. You will need a spore syringe or liquid culture syringe for the mushroom variety you want to grow. A quick Google search for 'mushroom spore syringes' will return thousands of varieties from hundreds of reputable sellers. From common button mushrooms to bioluminescent oysters, there are spore syringes available for any species you want to cultivate!
Step 2: Prepare Spawn Jars
Mushrooms are the fruiting body of Fungi that contain spores (seeds). Mycelium is the root-like structure of fungi. Before fungi can grow mushrooms they must develop their mycelium in a sterile environment. To accomplish this, we will grow the mycelium in jars of sterilized grains such as oats, milo, or rye.
Making spawn jars is very easy. We recommend using glass jars with metal lids. You can use either reuse salsa or pickle jars or you can purchase wide-mouth canning jars. Poke or drill 3 small holes in the top of the metal lid to allow the fungi to breathe as well as allow you to inoculate the jar with the spore syringe.
To prepare your grains, soak them for 24 hours at a weight ratio of 1 part grains to 1.5 water. After soaking, strain the grains to remove excess water and fill jars 2/3 full.
Cover the holes in the lid with micropore tape to keep contaminants out of your jar while allowing the fungi to breathe. Micropore tape is a brand name of 3M but you can also use Great Value medical paper tape available at Walmart.
Micropore tape is porous and will allow water to enter the jar through the holes while it is cooking in the Instant Pot. We don't want this to happen as there will be too much water in the jars so be sure to cover the top of each jar with a piece of aluminum foil.
Step 3: Sterilize the Grain Jars
At this point, your grain jars are full of contaminants such as mold and bacteria. If you inject your spore syringe into the jar, the other organisms will out-compete your fungi and you will grow mold instead of mycelium. We need to make sure that there is nothing living in the jar before we add our mushroom spores. To do this we will use an Instant Pot which is basically an electric pressure cooker. Place 2 to 3 jars inside of the Instant Pot and add about 2 inches of water. Select the highest cooking temperature and cook the jars for 2.5 hours. Allow the jars to fully cool over 8 hours in the Instant Pot before adding the mushroom spores. At this point, take the jars out of the Instant Pot, remove the foil from the jars and store them in a clean dry location such as a plastic tub or cardboard box.
Step 4: Inoculation and Colonization
We will now inoculate (inject the spore syringe into) the grain spawn jar. This is best done while working inside of a still air box which is simply a clear plastic bin with two holes cut in the side to allow for your hands to work inside the box. Still air boxes prevent air from moving mold or bacteria spores into your jars. Before you inoculate your jars, place spawn jars, the roll of Micropore tape, and your spore syringe into the still air box. Wipe and spray all items and surfaces inside the still air box with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Be sure to spray and wipe the micropore tape covering the holes on the top of the jar to sanitize them as we will inject the spore through the tape.
Now we will sterilize the spore syringe needle. Remove the syringe from the still air box and hold the needle under flame for a few seconds. You can use a bunsen burner or simply use a candle. Return the syringe to the still air box and insert the needle through the Micropore Tape into one of the holes in the lid. Inject 1 ml of spore solution into the jar. Remove the syringe and place a new piece of Micropore tape over the piece with the newly created hole. Flame sterilize the needle once again and inoculate another jar or place the syringe cap back on for later use. Be sure to flame sterilize the needle before and after each injection.
Store your inoculated jars in dry warm 70-75°F (21-24°C) location until they are fully colonized at which point the grain in the jar will be fully covered with the white mycelium.
Step 5: Fruiting in the Monotub
Once your jars are fully colonized, it is time to bring them to fruiting using a monotub. You can use any large clear plastic container with a securely fitting lid. Just as with the jars, mycelium needs to breathe so either cut several holes into the sides of the container and pack them with polyfill. If you do not want to cut holes into your container, you may be able to tuck the polyfill between the lid and the tub as shown below. Whichever method you use, ensure that polyfill fills all space to keep contaminants out.
You'll also need to prepare the bulk substrate to mix with the grain spawn. We recommend using coconut coir. It is inexpensive and is a great option for most mushroom varieties. In your monotub empty the contents of a fully colonized grain spawn jar and mix it with coconut coir at a volume ratio of 1 part spawn to 2 parts coconut coir. In other words, if you use 1 quart of grain spawn, you will want to mix it with 2 quarts of coconut coir.
Close the monotub and place it in a warm clean location for 2 to 4 weeks. Check the mushrooms periodically for pins beginning to form. These will develop into mushrooms. Most mushrooms should be harvested before they release spores. Be sure to research your mushroom species to understand the optimal harvest time.
Step 6: Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor
Congratulations! You have now successfully grown mushrooms. It is really that easy! There are certainly some differences to gardening but fungi cultivation is actually quite a bit easier as you don't have to worry about light, watering, fertilizer, or pests. We hope you found this guide easy to use. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. We love growing mushrooms and we are happy to assist you in any way we can. You can reach us here: CONTACT US
