This substrate should be inoculated with “fully colonized” grain spawn only. Injecting spores or liquid culture directly into this substrate will cause contamination and will not work. Do not use as casing.
This substrate can be used in mono tubs and trays. You can also use the filter bag as a growing bag but this won’t be as efficient.
This product requires basic knowledge of mushroom cultivation. If you are a beginner, please do your research first on spore prints, grain spawn, bulk substrate teks, monotubs, mushroom trays and fruiting chambers.
This product and instructions are intended for the cultivation of legal edible mushrooms.
1) Inspect your bag for contamination and mold. If you see contamination, don’t use the soil; contact us before going any further.
2) Wipe all surfaces, your hands, tools and containers with rubbing alcohol before you start and as needed going forward.
3) Cut the top of the soil bag. Loosen the soil by gently squeezing the filter bag with your hands.
4) At this point you have two options:
a. You can use the filter bag the substrate came in and mix the grain spawn into the bag, shake and seal the filter bag. And then continue to Step 10.
b. Use your own tub or tray. We recommend this as this provides better yield.
5) We highly advise that you have your grain spawn and tub or trays ready at this point so that you can finish the next step as soon as possible, reducing the risk of contamination from the environment.
6) Wipe your tub with alcohol thoroughly. Line your container with a clean plastic sheet. Dump the soil into the tub. The final substrate in your container should be around 2 inches deep.3lb substrate will fill 2 of the shoe-box size containers.
7) Make sure to loosen any remaining clumps in the substrate and your substrate is evenly mixed, looking uniform and no dry patches visible. The substrate should be fluffy and not compacted.
8) Break your grain spawn into individual grains and mix the grain spawn into your substrate evenly with an alcohol wiped tool/spoon. We recommend using 30%-50% grain spawn as compared to the weight of the substrate. So, this 3lb substrate will need about 1.5lb of grain spawn.
9) Make sure the substrate is evenly distributed in your tub and the surface is flat.
10) Your substrate is now ready for incubation. Place container or grow bag in a dark room/closet where the temperature is between 70-75°F.
11) Once the incubation starts, it should take about 10-14 days for the substrate to be fully colonized by the mycelium. When the entire substrate is white, including the top of the substrate, you are ready to start fruiting your mushrooms in a fruiting chamber with high humidity and frequent air exchange.
Good Luck and Happy Harvest!
Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device
FAQs
We recommend using 30%-50% grain spawn as compared to the weight of the substrate. So, this 3lb substrate will need about 1.5lb of grain spawn. 9) Make sure the substrate is evenly distributed in your tub and the surface is flat. 10) Your substrate is now ready for incubation.
What is the ratio of bulk to substrate? ›
The more spawn used the faster the bulk substrate will colonize. Recommended spawn ratios are usually no less than 20% (1 part spawn to 4 parts substrate).
How much water for bulk substrate? ›
It is difficult to advise on exactly how much water to add as this may change with different types of coco coir but we use around 3l of water. Water needs to be add until it reaches “Field Capacity”. Slowly add water until when you grab a handful of substrate and squeezer it hard only a few drops come out.
How much bulk substrate to spawn? ›
Spawn and bulk substrate should be mixed at a ratio if 1 parts spawn to 2/3 parts bulk substrate. If you have to much bulk substrate it could take to long to colonise and contamination could set in.
Is 2 inches of substrate enough? ›
Checking if the substrate zone is healthy
General guidelines for soil thickness: - For aquasoil, 3 to 4 inches if you have deep rooting plants and want to grow them quickly or to maximum size. Smaller carpeting plants can grow well with just an inch of soil.
How long can bulk substrate sit? ›
Store your 50/50 substrate in a cool and dry location. 50/50 substrate can keep for up to 4 months in these conditions. There will be no need to rehydrated or sterilize the products a second time. If you need to store the product longer it can be refrigerated for up to 6 months and frozen for up to 1 year.
What is the best substrate ratio? ›
Ideally, you will achieve a 50% saturation of the substrate, or when the substrate weighs twice what it did when dry. Break up and mix spawn, adding it at a rate of ½ bag to 1 full bag of spawn per 5 gallons of substrate.
How long does it take for mycelium to colonize bulk substrate? ›
Once inoculated, the mycelium takes upwards of 10 days to jump off the spawn into the substrate. At the same time, the wood is losing any ability to wall off an infection. There is no harm in inoculating stumps, logs, or wood chips immediately after harvesting.
Should I mist my bulk substrate? ›
Avoid spraying your substrate directly but keep the sides of the tub moist throughout the day.
What is the bulk substrate for cubensis? ›
Manure/Compost
Manure is the aged, dried excrement of horses, cows, elephants, etc. It is one of the most effective bulk substrates for dung loving species like psilocybe cubensis, panaeolus cyanescens and agaricus bisporus (Portobello). It is usually cheap or free if it can be located.
Once your substrate is fully colonized you will need to decide how you want to fruit it. This can be achieved by leaving the substrate in the bag to fruit or moving it to an external location like a plastic tote, terrarium or mono tub.
What happens if the substrate is too wet? ›
However, if you have too much moisture, your mycelium will also be stunted, as it will suffocate. With too much moisture, your substrate will also have a higher risk of contamination from other organisms.
How to tell if mushroom substrate is too wet? ›
A) lots of water dripping shows that the substrate is too wet. b) a few drops released with some pressure show that the substrate is well watered. If it is too dry then with no drops will be released with pressure.
What is the ratio of grain to bulk substrate? ›
What is the Best Grain Spawn to Substrate Ratio? The recommended spawn to substrate ratio for growing mushrooms, such as cubensis, b plus mushrooms, or oyster mushrooms, is around 1:2 to 1:4.
How do you calculate substrate amount? ›
here is how to work out how many litres of substrate you need for a given tank size. And also how to calculate your tank volume in total if you need to. the formula is: (length x width x depth) / 1000 = litres.
How many quarts is 5 lbs of substrate? ›
A: It is not an exact science to convert from weight to volume but if we had to estimate, 5lb soil would be approximately 5 quarts.
How much substrate to 1 pound of grain? ›
The recommended spawn to substrate ratio for growing mushrooms, such as cubensis, b plus mushrooms, or oyster mushrooms, is around 1:2 to 1:4. This means that for the psilocybe cubensis substrate recipe, one part of grain spawn should be used for every two to four parts of mushroom substrate.
How do I know how much substrate I need? ›
Your calculations would be as follows. Length (60cm) x width (30cm) and 5cm (substrate depth) = 9000 / 1000 = 9l of soil required. This is the best way to work out the ideal volume of aquarium soil to effectively grow aquatic plants.
