Mushroom Substrates Preparation

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Mushroom Substrates Preparation

A substrate is inoculated with mycelium through the use of mushroom spawn. Spawn is just a smaller amount of a nutritious material upon which the mycelium can begin to grow before it’s ready to colonize a substrate.

A mushroom substrate is simply any substance on which mycelium will grow.

Cereal straws such as wheat, rye, and oat all make a good base for mushroom growth. They’re easy to get and fairly cheap. I buy mine in large bales from a local feed store.

A big advantage of straw is that it can be used to grow many different types of mushrooms. Most mushrooms have no problem breaking down the plant fibers of straw, making it a versatile substrate.

A disadvantage of straw is that it should be prepared first, especially if you’re growing mushrooms indoors. Straw is laden with other microbes, and if you don’t get rid of those tiny competitors the mushroom mycelium may not have a chance to grow.

  • For those that use wheat straw as the main substrate, the pasteurization process can be used to prepare the substrate for the mushroom. Pasteurization does not sterilize the substrate but will remove the unwanted contaminants and retain the beneficial bacteria. This process is the easier and faster of the two but will consume more water.
  • Wheat straw is one of the better substrates to use for Oyster mushroom cultivation. Use clean, uncontaminated chopped straw only. Do not chip too fine, 4-10cm pieces is perfect.

Pasteurisation - STRAW -

The tools needed for this process is a 210 liter steel drum (a large oil drum), a meshed basket to hold the substrate, a high pressure gas regulator and burner as well as access to water. Preheat the water in the steel drum to 65°C. Next lower your meshed basket with straw into the warm water. Place a weight on top of the straw to avoid it from floating up. Keep the temperature steady and leave the straw to soak in the water for 1 and a half hours (1:30 min). Now remove the meshed basket from the water or drain the water from the drum. The meshed basket with straw will be heavy; you may need an extra hand to pick it out of the drum. The straw needs to rest for some hours until it cools enough to receive the mushroom culture.

After Pasteurisation -

Once your substrate has reached a temperature below 25°C you are ready for inoculations. Carefully break up the seed spawn into individual kernels. Cut open the top corner of the spawn bag with sterile scissors. The easiest way to do the inoculation is by layering your straw and spawn seeds like a sandwich. Add straw in to the bottom of the bag then a bit of seed spawn then again some straw. Proceed until the bag is filled and can be tied closed. Puncture some holes into the sides of your bag to allow airation. Place the inoculated bags in a dark room for 10 - 14 days for the spawn run. You may lay the bags on their sides to avoid the water content to gravitate to the bottom of the bags. Avoid water collecting in the base of the bags. Maintain the temperature throughout at 18ºC.

Oyster Mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms need fresh air, light and some cold days (12ºC - 16ºC) to initiate pinning. This is achieved by placing the mushroom bags (max. diameter 30cm) in a well-ventilated grow space and piercing the plastic bags (make a X cut). The bigger your substrate bags, the more holes you can make in the plastic. Give your bags 12 hours of light per day to produce well-formed mushrooms. You will first notice minute little knots starting to develop where the bags were punctured. The knots will grow into baby mushrooms and within five days have matured to adults. Oyster mushrooms will produce well in temperatures ranging between 16ºC - 20ºC. Harvest the mushrooms before the cap have curled up. Store your oyster mushrooms refrigerated at 4ºC.

The mushroom grow space basics

Plenty of mushrooms can be grown in a relatively small space. The essentials for mushrooms to survive are:

  • Fresh Air
  • 12 Hours light cycle
  • Relative humidity from 80% upwards
  • The correct temperature

To accomplish this you will at least need a 6 X 3 meter grow house. Paint the inside of your grow house with an anti-fungal paint. It is also advisable to have a drain and concrete slab in your grow house to be able to maintain a relative sterile environment.

When looking at the fresh air requirements for your grow space, most mushrooms need the air to be exchanged 4 times an hour. Work out the cubic meter space and purchase a fan than can push fresh air into your grow room at least four times per hour. Push air in than rather than extracting air out, this will maintain a positive pressure in the grow space. Have a covered exhaust exit on the opposite side of the grow room.

  • For humidification I prefer using the ultrasonic humidifiers available from Green Thumb Hydro.
  • For lighting use LED strip lights, these will cost you less in the long term. Have them on a 12 hour timer switch.
  • For winter temperature control, have one or two wall mounted eco-heaters on a thermostatic switch to control the exact temperature.

To be successful at growing mushrooms, it is advisable to have a separate room for incubation, this room is dark, but also needs some fresh air as well as the correct incubation temperature.

Mushroom Spawn Production

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Mushroom Spawn Production

Mushroom spawn is simply any substance that has been inoculated with mycelium, the vegetative growth of a fungus. Mycelium, a thread-like collection of cells, is to a mushroom like an apple tree is to an apple. You need to have one as the base for producing the other.

The spawn is used to transfer mycelium onto any material from which mushrooms will grow, called a substrate. Lets take a look at the types of spawn.

Grains

Grain spawn is sterilized grain that has been inoculated with spores or a sterile culture of mycelium. Many types of grain can be used with rye and millet being some of the most common. Other choices are corn, wheat, and different cereal grains.

Grain spawn can be used to create sawdust spawn, more grain spawn, or inoculate all sorts of pasteurized substrates such as straw.


A big advantage of using grain is that it’s much more nutritious than sawdust, making it ideal to create more spawn or to inoculate indoor substrates.

A disadvantage is that it’s not as good a choice for inoculating outdoor beds.

RYE GRAIN SPAWN

250 ml Flasks
50 ml beaker level full of rye grain
1/2 tsp. Calcium Carbonate, powder (lime)
1/4 tsp. Calcium Sulfate (gypsum)
60 ml warm water

 

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Mushroom Substrates Preparation

Go Back To Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) Production

Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA)

Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA)

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In the early stages of working with mushrooms, the environment needs to be as sterile as possible. In the early stages of growth, mushrooms cannot compete with the growth of molds and bacteria and will be over run.

Preparing your Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA)

For every 1 Liter of Agar Final Mixed Solution you will need the following.

  • 20 grams Bacteriological Agar
  • 200g Potatoe infusion
  • 4 g of Yeast Extract
  • 20 g Dextrose
  • 1 Liter of Distilled Water
  • Autoclave or Pressure Vessel

Method:

  1. Place your pre cleaned flask on a kitchen scale. Make sure your scale now reads Zero. Add your dry ingredients first.
  2. Now add potatoe infusion until the scale reads 250 grams.
  3. Pick up the flask and swirl the solution until no dry matter can be seen and most of the agar has been dissolved.
  4. Return the flask to your scale and add water until your reach 500 grams. Again swirl the solution.
  5. Return the flask and add water until you read 1000 grams. Again swirl the solution.
  6. Cut a piece of tin foil - 300 mm by 80 mm. Roll up a piece of kitchen towel into a tight roll.Now, half way sticking over the mouth of the Erlenmeyer flask, wrap your tin foil in a tube around the glass. Place the rolled up kitchen towel in the tube and fold over the mouth of the flask to hold the paper. (This acts as a filter when autoclaving your solution. As pressure drops in your pressure vessel, the flask will balance air pressure and suck in air, for this reason we need a filter.)
  7. Pressures sterilize the Agar solution for 45 minutes.
  8. Open the pressure vessel, once cooled, in front of a flow hood or in a cleaned environment (glove-box).
  9. Pour your agar into petri dishes (90mm) or small glass jars for use, do this rhythmically and do not linger. From 1 liter of Agar you can make 35 - 40 dishes.
  10. After pouring and cooling your agar dishes, keep them in a big zip lock bag, to ensure they do not contaminate. You can keep these in the fridge for 28 days.

Prepare potato infusion:

Wash two medium sized potatos (200g) and cut them into 2.5cm cubes and place in a clean pot and add 1.25 liters of CLEAN water. Bring to boil and keep the simmering temperature for 10 - 15 minutes. At this time remove the pot from the stove and allow to cool down for 5 minutes. Strain the water away from the potatos (use a fine sieve or french press) and use this water to prepare your potato infusion.

(PDA) Agar is made and then poured into petri dishes and then sterilized. The petri dishes are then moved into a clean room that contains a glove box. Cultures are taken from the mushroom and placed onto the agar in the petri dish.

Sampling a mushroom:

With clean fingers, in a clean space or glove box, split the mushroom down the middle. You will notice clean white mycelium on the inside of the mushroom that has never been exposed to air or the environment. Using a cleaned scalpel cut a piece of this mycelium and place in your readied container.

When significant growth has occurred on the agar, the agar is cut and placed in either grain to make grain spawn, nutrified liquid to make liquid culture or expanded onto more petri dishes.

Cloning Mushroom Tissue

 

Liquid culture and grain spawn can either be expanded or used to inoculate a substrate such as coffee or sawdust.

The substrate is then incubated usually in the dark under controlled climatic conditions. This can be done in a home made incubator or a room that has climate control.

Once the substrate has been fully colonised and consolidated it is moved into fruiting conditions. The fruiting conditions make the mushroom mycelium think it is under stress and dying so it sends its reproductive organs out to reproduce we call this it’s called fruit.

 

 


 

Making Potato Dextrose Agar Petri Dishes for Mushroom Cultivation

Learn to grow mushrooms! Being able to do agar work is an essential skill for the cultivator. It allows you to propagate cultures, maintain a culture library and store cultures for the long term.

 

 

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Mushroom Spawn Production

 

 

Mushrooms Can Help Save the World

Mushrooms Can Help Save the World

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Mushrooms are great sources of protein, fiber, B vitamins (especially niacin), vitamin C, calcium, minerals, and selenium. They also contain antioxidants that are unique to mushrooms, such as ergothioneine, which according to studies is a highly powerful antioxidant.

Many mushrooms are good sources of selenium, an antioxidant mineral, as well as copper, niacin, potassium and phosphorous. Additionally, mushrooms provide protein, vitamin C and iron. Because their cells walls are undigestible unless exposed to heat, you must cook mushrooms to get their nutritional benefits.

Outstanding Fungal Benefits

The earth’s soil is home to large populations of natural agents that help promote the environment. One of them is the fungi mushroom, which helps restore pollution-damaged habitats, acts as natural pesticides, and even provides a sustainable fuel called Econol.

While mushrooms have the ability to support Mother Nature, they are also capable of promoting your own health, from helping strengthen your immune system to preventing debilitating diseases. Some benefits that you may enjoy from consuming mushrooms are:

  • Weight management – One study showed that substituting red meat with white button mushrooms may support a healthy weight.
  • Improved nutrition – Adding more mushrooms to your diet may help improve diet quality.
  • Optimal vitamin D levels– Eating certain mushroom species is seen in a study to be more effective than taking vitamin D2 supplements.
  • Optimal digestive function – Mushrooms support your gastrointestinal health, thanks to their supply of dietary fiber and fungal enzymes.
  • Antibacterial properties – Penicillin, streptomycin, and tetracycline are all derived from fungal extracts.

It’s small wonder that mushrooms are now gaining a superfood reputation. I recommend you to add more of them to your diet or consume them indirectly through supplementation. But first, let me explain to you how mushrooms support your health.

 

Edible Mushrooms with Medicinal Properties

Oyster Mushroom

Oyster Mushrooms derive their name from oysters, owing to the similarity in appearance. Potent antioxidant compounds in oyster mushrooms, have sent scientists researching their potential benefits for treating HIV diseases. Apart from this, these mushrooms are contenders for protecting against cancers and facilitating healthy cholesterol levels in the body.

Button Mushroom


Button Mushrooms, possessing specific kind of carbohydrates boost metabolism, thereby keeping blood sugar levels under check. In addition to its high metabolic activity, the white button mushrooms, loaded with selenium, help burn fat, effecting weight loss and preventing the incidence of prostate cancer.

Shiitake Mushroom


One of the most popular varieties, commonly available in supermarkets, Shiitake is a classic vegan substitute for meat, boasting of several medicinal compounds. Abundant in Vitamin D, these mushrooms with antiviral compounds help combat infections, keeping diseases at arm’s length. Known in Japanese language, as the ‘Oak Fungus’ these shiitake mushrooms with loads of lentinan are highly beneficial for preventing formation of cancerous tumors in the body.

Enoki Mushrooms
Enoki Mushrooms growing in willowy white clusters have heads resembling a cap. Cultivated in small glass containers, these mushrooms offer health enhancing properties, boosting immunity and providing anti cancerous benefits.

Mycologist Paul Stamets lists 6 ways the mycelium fungus can help save the universe: cleaning polluted soil, making insecticides, treating smallpox and even flu viruses.

 

To understand how Stamets came to believe mushrooms could save the world, it helps to know how they saved Stamets.

He was born in 1955 in Salem, Ohio, one of four brothers. His father, an engineer, owned a firm that oversaw construction projects for the U.S. Army. Stamets was a shy kid with a crippling stutter who dreamed of becoming a trailblazing scientist. “We lived in a big house with a lab in the basement,” he recalls, “and I looked up every experiment I could find.” He nearly blew the place up on several occasions while tinkering with chemicals.

Then, when he was 12, his father’s business failed and the family splintered. Stamets’ mother decamped with him and his twin brother to a small apartment in Columbiana, Ohio, where they lived in poverty. Eventually, she moved with the boys to her own parents’ vacation home near Seattle and sent them on scholarship to a boarding school in Pennsylvania. Stamets felt like a misfit among preppies. He threw himself into martial arts (later earning black belts in both tae kwon do and hwa rang do) and identified with the counterculture that was reaching its crest.

During his senior year, Stamets and his brother were expelled for selling marijuana to fellow students. They hitchhiked back to Seattle, where they finished high school at a public institution. Stamets spent a summer toiling as a sawmill hand before enrolling at Kenyon College in Ohio. But he still felt out of place and spent hours wandering in the woods off campus.

That’s where he headed the day he tried hallucinogenic psilocybin mushrooms for the first time. He climbed a tree, but was too intoxicated to climb down. Soon a thunderstorm blew in, and he was lashed by rain and wind. As lightning struck nearby, he realized he could die at any moment, yet the scene was overwhelmingly beautiful. He felt part of the forest and the universe as never before. He reflected on his life and how to change it. “Stop stuttering now, Paul,” he told himself, repeating the phrase like a mantra.

Learn How To Grow your own Mushroom:

Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA)

Learn How To Prepare Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA)

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