What Do I Do With Grain Spawn?

Step 1: Choose Your Substrate

This is the material on which your mushrooms will grow. Common substrates for mushrooms include straw, hardwood chips, coffee grounds, or a pre-made mushroom substrate. The type of substrate can depend on the mushroom species you are growing.

Step 2: Prepare Your Substrate

This can include pasteurizing, sterilizing, or inoculating your substrate. The method you choose will depend on the type of substrate you are using. For example, straw can be pasteurized by soaking it in hot water for an hour. Hardwood chips can be sterilized by pressure cooking them for 2 hours. A pre-made mushroom substrate can be inoculated directly with grain spawn.

Step 3: Inoculate Your Substrate

This is the process of introducing your grain spawn to your substrate. This can be done by mixing your grain spawn with your substrate. For example, you can mix your grain spawn with your pasteurized straw. You can also inoculate your substrate by placing your grain spawn on top of your substrate. For example, you can place your grain spawn on top of your sterilized hardwood chips.

Step 4: Incubate Your Substrate

This is the process of allowing your grain spawn to colonize your substrate. This can be done by placing your grain spawn and substrate in a warm, dark, and humid environment. For example, you can place your grain spawn and substrate in a plastic bag and place it in a warm room.

Step 5: Fruit Your Substrate

This is the process of allowing your mushrooms to grow. This can be done by placing your colonized substrate in a cool, dark, and humid environment. For example, you can place your colonized substrate in a plastic bag and place it in a cool room.

Step 6: Harvest Your Mushrooms

This is the process of harvesting your mushrooms. This can be done by cutting your mushrooms at the base of the stem. For example, you can cut your mushrooms at the base of the stem with a sharp knife.

Step 7: Post-Harvest

Additional Flushes: Many mushrooms can produce several flushes (harvests). After harvesting, you can often get more mushrooms by maintaining the fruiting conditions.

Dispose or Compost: Once the substrate is spent and no longer producing, you can dispose of it or use it as compost.

Tips:

Cleanliness: Always work in a clean area and with clean tools to minimize the risk of contamination.

Research Specific Needs: Each mushroom species has specific requirements. Research the particular needs of the mushrooms you are growing.

Mushroom cultivation requires patience, especially during the colonization phase.

Conclusion

Remember, mushroom cultivation can be sensitive to environmental conditions and prone to contamination, so don't get discouraged if your first attempt doesn't go as planned. Each failure is a learning opportunity!