Maxim's Super Simple Set-and-Forget Mushroom Tek
Hello friends! Lots of ppl on here and irl ask my methods of growing and i wanted to write it up somewhere since it's a little different from others + I have extra tips and tricks !
now i'm not gonna rewrite my innoculation tek because i strictly follow the Broke Boi Tek on reddit and they explain it perfectly, and if I'm being honest, my fruiting tek is pretty much what they said with some extra tips and tricks to make it more set-and-forget. I also hate measurements so everything is just done by eye !
⢠compressed bricks of coco coir (I get them at my local garden and pet stores)
â˘A clear plastic tub with this type of latch:
(you can use any size tub but i personally use either 6qt or 32qt depending on the size of my mushrooms)
â˘paper towels + rubbing alcohol/lysol/etc
Step 1: Sterilize Substrate
So first you'll need to sterilize your substrate. There's a few others but i like to use coco coir since it's very cheap, doesn't need to be mixed with anything, and I also use it in my snake's tub. it can be bought as a compressed brick at most garden stores and pet stores (check by reptile bedding).
You're basically just gonna throw the block in a bucket and follow the directions on the label to expand it, however you're gonna want to add an extra step in there; boil the water before you add it. this will sterilize your substrate so there's much less risk of contams.
Now just add the boiling water to the block and mix it around a bit. Place a cover loosely on the bucket and let cool until it's just cool enough to handle, you'll still want it as warm as possible. Usually this takes about an hour or so, and mixing can help speed up the cooling process.
Step 2: Sterilize Your Tub and Yourself
next you'll want to wipe down your tub with some rubbing alcohol/lysol/etc and let it dry. If you want to wear rubber gloves you can, but i honestly never have and i just wash my hands really well and apply a bit too much hand sanitizer. if you have long hair it makes it easier to pull it back as well.
time to make the substrate ! I really don't have an exact ratio of spawn:coir but I've heard that anything from 1:1 to 1:8 can work so i just work in that range. the really important part is just trying to achieve a 2-3 inch layer of total substrate
now get your colonized jars/bags and open em up and dump em in the tub. i don't try to be exact, but i usually use about 1pint of spawn per 6qt tub or about 3pints per 32qt tub, if that helps you visualize.
Now here's the fun part !! Crumble That Spawn !! it has a fun texture so this is my fav part tbh. Just crumble and mix it around with your hands until it's as fine as possible. Try to break up any chunks that you see. Crumble crumble crumble....
Next start adding coco coir. Again I'm not exact with this, I just add scoops of it until I reach 2-3in total of substrate. Mix it very thoroughly and make sure there's no spawn left around the edges. flatten to top loosely and thats it ! you've spawned mushrooms to bulk !
Step 4: Colonization and Fruiting conditions
now you'll want to put your new tub into colonization conditions for the first week or two. Set the lid on top without latching the locks down. this allows for some slight airflow. Place in a warm area, preferably somewhere with a natural light and dark cycle.
People say to fan with the lid daily, and you can do that if you like, but i honestly never needed to. sometimes I just go in with a clean paper towel and soak up the condensation that pools around the edge of the tub.
After about two weeks you should start to notice little white dots in the substrate, called hyphal knots. basically baby mushrooms. This is when you'll want to put your tub into fruiting conditions. (if you don't see any knots at this point, give it one more week, and if there still is none just follow the next step to trigger them)
Now for fruiting conditions ! Basically this is my special step. Take off the lid, put the latches in the closed position, and lay the lid back on top of them. take a luggage strap and secure it around the tub to hold the lid in place. there should now be gaps for airflow around the top edge of the tub. The added airflow will help trigger pinning. now put the tub somewhere that gets a natural light cycle, or you can simulate a natural light cycle by keeping a light on/off overhead on a 12/12 cycle.
Within a week or so of seeing knots you should start seeing pins, and from there its only about a week till harvest ! my last suggestion is to definetly invest in a dehydrator if you don't have one, and get some nice big Mason jars for storage. and that's it ! you got mushrooms !
thank you so much if you read this far and I wish you all the best of luck in your mushroom adventures ! đđ If you have any questions I'll be happy to answer !
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