In this blog post, we will be describing an easier way to grow mushrooms and other organic products on your own by using spawn bags. Once you get to learn the procedure of how to inoculate your spores through these bags, mushroom growing will be significantly simplified for you.
Here is the explained way of how to immunize and grow your Organic All-In-One — 4lbs Mushroom Blessing Grow Kit.
You will need to inject spores of your choice into a bag. Make sure you have them in place. The most vital part is that you need to take this step in a very neat and clean area. No external airflow should be involved but filtered air from HEPA Air Flor Hood. The area should have the least and minimum impurities so that it does not enter the spawn bag and cause contamination afterward.
The bag consists of a self-healing injection port. It is the part that closes when the injected needle is drawn out of the bag. Another part of this kit consists of a white-colored filter patch that is fixed on the upside of the bag. It exchanges the gases in and out of the bag to keep it breathable for spores. A noticeable feature of this filter patch is that it does not allow impurities or other contaminant bodies to enter the bag. Ideally, this bag should have 0.2–0.5 microns to prevent contaminants from getting inside.
A process guide for inoculation:
It is important to maintain cleanliness in the whole process. So the first step should be to clean the syringe needle with the help of an alcohol pad or swab. You also need to wipe the injection site which is a silicon port with an alcohol swab.
Now, you will notice a cap over the syringe needle. To initiate the process, remove the cover of the needle.
In the third step, you need to put the needle on the flame to raise its temperature until it turns hot red. Remove it from the flame and let it cool a bit. You should inject about 2–3 cc’s of spores into the bag by injecting the needle a half-inch in the spawn bag. Once you have injected spores, alter the angle of the syringe needle by getting it out at least to its half-length. Now at this different angle, inject another 1–2 cc’s of spores into the bag. The ideal number of spores for a single spawn bag is 4–5 cc’s. You can also inject the whole syringe making a spiral movement, so the liquid culture is distributed equally. In this way, it will speed up the whole bag colonization.
Later on, carefully unroll the bag without opening it. Place both hands on each side of the spawn bag and slowly push it to mix the grain with liquid culture. Make sure that your hands do not touch the white-colored filter patch. After the inoculation is made, it is time to give it some rest. Place your spawn bag in a dark and warm place (72–74F). The higher temperature will cause mold to grow. The lower temperature will slow down the mycelium to grow. The temperature should be enough warm and cold at the same time. So only good bacteria develop. You have to be patient and wait for at least 14–17 days to see any mycelium growth. It is because spawn bags have inside out growth way which takes at least 2 weeks to show the results. They have a few degrees warmer temperatures so they maintain effective growth as well. These bags have an internal heating feature enough for balanced mushroom incubation.
Spawn bags have a little different growing technique from the substrate jars. The incubation period along with colonization times can vary but this also depends on the grain mixture and how active are spores.
One of the confirming signs everything was done right till now is the condensate bag produces even before you visually see the mycelium show up.
If you have concerns about how not to rip off the bag, then skip this part. Otherwise, if time is limited and you want fast results to follow the steps below.
Once you see 20% of the bag covered with white — you can use your hands and fingers to transform mycelium into tiny pieces. Keep mixing this mycelium and knead it with the help of your fingers. Be careful not to damage the bag in any way. Especially protect the bag from your nails and on the corners of the bag. Once you have made sure that all mycelium white parts are broken, mix it well. Now, spread the mycelium in the whole space around and from the block inside the bag like it was before. Make sure that the grain is in its original and undamaged shape.
Make sure that grain is surrounded by space only on top of it like it was before. After that, the bag should be placed again in a warm and dark area. Make sure you do not disturb the bag and leave it for incubation. Do not be impatient to see the growth as you will see visible growth after 2 weeks and the bag will be colonialized completely after 30–40 days. Remember that the complete growth process can be different based on the spores you are using.
Now if you are interested in the fruiting process. You can use one of three methods described below:
Bulk casing method:
This method requires a plastic storage bin and a pre-made casing mix. It has the highest yield and is the most popular and advantageous. To initiate this process, you can use our Mushroom Hydrated Sterilized Substrate Bag. You can start by breaking the completely colonized spawn bag that has a 95–100% growth already. After breaking the bag into pieces, mix it with the pre-made casing. It will then form and look like a large cake. This will be solid and will ensure a greater yield and outcome because of its larger surface area. Misting twice per day is required.
Fruiting in a humidified chamber:
For this process, you need a damp white volcanic rock also known as perlite. It is the second-best option and is used by our hydrated sterilized substrate bags for fruiting. An important step is to hydrate the cake by using vermiculite. Remove the grain from the bag and vermiculite to absorb extra water. You need to put a piece of foil on perlite but make sure that it is at least 1 inch extra from each side. Put 1 cm of vermiculite on the foil and hydrate it through a spray bottle. Do not leave any extra water on it. Now put the cake on vermiculite and then put another 1 cm layer of vermiculite on it. Ensure daily spraying on vermiculate to ensure good growth. The mushrooms will grow in 1–2 weeks.
Fruiting in the bag:
It is the least recommended option because it may seem an easy way but it gives the least yield. For this process also, you have to mist the vermiculite to keep the grains hydrated. Remove the top of the filter and bag by cutting them off. Now place the vermiculite on the bottom surface of the bag but after removing the cake. Put the spawn cake in the bag after that and add a layer of vermiculite. Hydrate it by spraying. Close the bag by using any clip or closing binder. You need to open the bag twice a day and mist it regularly to keep grains hydrated. You will see mushroom growth in a few weeks.
Let us know if you have questions about how to cultivate mushrooms or feel free to purchase our sterilized spawn bags in bulk. We will love to hear from you soon.
By Paul S.
Our origins: https://www.meavien.com/our-story
