------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME / SPORE BANK / GROWTH CHAMBERS / LAB SUPPLIES / FORAYS / DIRECTIONS / CONTACT US / ORDER / IDENTIFY / PHOTOS
Grain / Grass Seed / Pasture Seed / General Seed / Bean / Nut / Pea / Variable / Select / Additives / Discounts / Kits / Lab Equipment / Books
A / B / C / D / E / F / G / H / I / J / K / L / M / N / O / P / Q / R / S / T / U / V / W / X / Y / Z Microscope Slides / General / Services
Live Spawn & Tissue Cultures / Fungus Farming / Funguscaping / Shroom Room / Classifieds / Free Links / Library
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome
Here you will
find a brief description of some basic Growing techniques.
There are a number
of more detailed books dedicated toward this subject available.
Many can be found at your local library or Book Store.
Today we have
discovered that growing mushrooms can be about as easy as growing grass seed
for your lawn. Although some do require being grown near certain trees and
shrubs because of their relationship with the root systems of those plants or
trees. But they can be grown. About the only exception might be the use of Sterilized Growth Mediums due to their susceptibility to
contaminate organisms. For a high degree of success you must use very
controlled environmental techniques involving special equipment and sterilization within a contaminate free work area.
We have attempted
to provide everything you will need, presterilized and ready to work with to make it as
simple as possible. The experience of succeeding in growing your own mushrooms makes the effort worth it all. It is
quite an experience to observe your little Pet Fungus grow and then finally fruit.
Many can be grown
in your Lawn or Bark beds. Just supplement the area with some basic food
source.
Each Spore Order comes with a printed version of these
directions as well as more specific species related growing data. If you would
like a printed version of these Simplified Directions, just send: $4.50 & $2.00 S&H to MTI to the address specified with our Order form.
If for any
reason, you have any suggestions, questions or problems just email or write us Any time.
“Science and Beyond”
Truly
“The Ultimate
Experience In Mushrooms”
Shroom Room Data Bank
Simplified Growing Directions
The simplest , yet highest
risk method is to add 1/2 or the whole spore print to 2 to 4 cups water in a blender, then apply to
desired area you want mushrooms to grow. Cover with a good layer of leaves,
peat moss or new bark mulch , then keep moist. Fruiting can take as long as 1
month to 1-1/2 years after inoculation in the wild. Not only can some species
be grown in jars, on logs & compost, but they can also be grown in flower beds, on
bark, in lawns and neighboring forests, open lots and even parks. Especially
where moisture is abundant. Growing a healthy spawn strain and applying this to
your site will greatly improve your chances of success in Landscaping with
Mushrooms for fun and profit.
We recommend it might be advisable
to refer to several publications specifically focused on Mycology and the
growing of mushrooms, of which there are many. Check your local library or book
store. The Library of Congress might also be a good source. We carry several leading books.
First of all you will need
to prepare a controlled sterile/semi-sterile work area. There are a number of
publications available to help you accomplish this. There are also numerous suppliers, of which we are one, that provide small scale to
high tech portable work stations that are self contained. Your budget can be the
determining factor of your continued success and quality of your experiments.
You can build one if you carefully consider the need to control the inside
environment from contamination of microscopic surface & airborne organisms.
A closet with several glass shelves and a work area shelve for a table, sealed and cleaned with a diluted
bleach solution will work nicely. Be careful not to completely seal or remain
too long to prevent oxygen deprivation. Caution: this environment could be
Fatal without some filtered ventilation! Clean hands or gloves and work area with the bleach solution or isopropyl alcohol, 70% to 90%, from
the local pharmacy. Wear a face mask filter to help prevent contaminating the air supply in
your home made lab.
You will need an autoclave or even a canning pressure cooker to sterilize tools, water, growth chambers and growth mediums. Cold sterilizing solvents and antiseptics are
recommended for cleansing the interior and surrounding work area. UV lights are
also used with excellent results, but can injure eyes and skin.
Second: a growth medium, such as agar, will need to be prepared, poured into petri dishes/vials/tubes/jars and sterilized to transfer your “Pet Fungus” spores, so they can grow and develop.
Third: using an alcohol lamp , heat your agar knife or wire probe, with a small loop at the end, until white hot. Remove the lid from a
sterile petri agar dish/vial/jar slightly. Touch the wire to the sterile agar to cool it’s tip. Carefully remove the spore sample from the sealed bag. Touch the wire tip to the spore print, lightly, don’t rub entire print as you only need a few spores and there are tens of thousands present and can be
used for numerous batches. Transfer the spores to the agar surface by wiping in a zig zag direction. Replace
lid and repeat process for next dish/vial. Be sure and sterilize your wire each time with fire from your alcohol lamp.
You can also use an
optional hypodermic transfer technique which involves using sterilized
fine tip forceps/tweezers to hold spore print while scraping off spores, with a small sterile agar knife, into a small sterilized vial, or placing it entirely into the vial (increasing the odds of contamination). With a 5cc, 10cc to 60cc sterilized
syringe and 20ga, 21ga to 13ga or 14ga needle, inject sterile water into the vial and shake well. We carry presterilized empty vials as
well as vials with distilled water, ready for spores and application to growth mediums. In some cases injecting the water into the baggy,
that contained the spores, to wash it out and recover spores may be necessary. Remove mix with syringe and inoculate/inject into growth mediums or ground surface. Vermiculite cased sterile grain jars and pasteurized compost or wood mediums are less susceptible to contamination for this
process
Place specimens in an incubation chamber or room to be maintained at the recommended
temperature provided with each spore sample or the most current research specification data
available to you. Use a refrigerator or limited air-conditioner to cool. Heat
with lamps or electricity. Forced air systems can increase contamination.
Fourth: when your “Pet Fungus” begins to grow it will be easily identified
as a Soft White or Other Color, Fuzzy mass with some thread like arms called
mycelium and hyphae. In some cases there will be other contaminate organisms
also growing in the dish. This is normal as your spore samples came from wild mushrooms and it is impossible to
obtain a pure spore sample without contaminate organisms. When this happens
you need to isolate the preferred growth from the contaminated dish by cutting
a small piece from the center of the desired growth mass. The concept involves
rescuing several large uncontaminated specimens in hopes of transferring both
male & female or positive & negative hyphae to insure fruiting after
transferring to spawn and growth mediums.
For those species to be
transferred to a pasteurized or natural outdoors environment, a spawn medium that can be easily broken, shaken or poured to
spread and stimulate the growth of your “Pet Fungus”, is recommended. If sterile or pasteurized growth chambers are preferred, you can either transfer samples
directly to them from the petri dishes/vials or from the spawn growth chambers. For large quantities of spawn and transfers,
hypodermic inoculation can be very helpful and time saving. This can be done by
transferring sterilized water into a growth petri dish/vial or a spawn chamber, mixing well and removing with a 60cc or larger syringe with a
13ga or 14ga needle.
Just a single drop in each growth chamber or spread over an area or medium you want your “Pet Fungus” to grow, will produce mushrooms. Refer to
recommended growth mediums and temperatures with each “Pet Fungus” spore sample. Incubate growth mediums at a controlled temperature that is conducive to
growth and fruiting. For most species, contrary to obsolete beliefs, some light
is necessary to grow some mushrooms.
For Jar/Chamber growing, take care in opening the lid because of
the vacuum created during sterilizing, to avoid contamination. A protected, sealed puncture in the lid can help prevent contamination from
vacuum through pressure equalization while in sterile autoclave environment
and make hypodermic inoculation a little simpler. You can either pierce
through the tape or peel it back to access the hole then replace and recover
the lid. The amount of growth media should only be about 1/4 full to allow
enough room for fruiting. Fuller jars require removal of media after fully
engulfed by mycelia and placed in a special container or just left
with the lid off. Casing with vermiculite may be required to stimulate fruiting. Store on
shelves or in convenient location with reduced lighting and controlled
temperatures for incubation and fruiting. For most, fog on the jar/chamber
walls is a good sign and they should never be tightened completely but left
slightly loose for minimal air exchange/flow.
For Flat/Box growing,
similar techniques as with Landscape Bed growing can be used. Just fill
containers at least 3” to 8” deep with preferred growth media, mix with spawn thoroughly, case with vermiculite, mist lightly with distilled water, cover with
plastic sheet with small perforations to allow breathing and air exchange.
Incubate and grow at recommended temperatures and mist lightly at regular
intervals or as needed, even after fruiting begins or until fruiting ends.
For Landscape Bed growing,
a 4” to 12” deep by 2’ or more wide by 2’ or more long
space, filled with the preferred growth medium, located in an area with
restricted sun and where moisture is frequent and plentiful, would be ideal.
The only thing left to do is wait for appropriate temperatures for incubation
and fruiting at the right time of the year. After 2 or 3 years of growth the
beds can be used as spawn and new growth media applied to replace the depleted
food source.
For other growing applications such as lawns,
regular bark beds, gardens, fields or forested areas, regular applications of
preferred growth mediums such as urea fertilizer, composted horse or cow
manure, straw and even bark or wood chips will help supplement your pet fungus’ dietary needs and ensure continued regular
fruiting. A happy, well fed and cared for Pet, is a fruitful Pet.
Some Mushrooms are
believed to be symbiotic with certain specific trees, substrates or certain
natural environmental conditions, therefore some species have been classified
as being incompatible or impossible to propagate commercially or outside of
their natural environment. There remains the possibility that these species
once thought to be impossible to cultivate might someday be commercially grown.
The Trick is to determine and duplicate the needs of each species. Casing with vermiculite or bark/mulch may be required to stimulate
fruiting. Mycorrhizal species requiring root systems to survive should be
introduced where access is immediately
possible.
For Landscaping with Mushrooms, you may need a little experience with Landscaping or a good sense of visual balance combined with a little understanding of the desired food source and how that source can be applied or supplemented in coordination and compliance with the Landscape layout. Consider colors as well as edibility, if that is an issue, scent and most importantly what trees or plants are necessary for its survival, if any. Saprophytic species are probably the easiest to raise, but others can grow if located and supplemented appropriately. There is a lot more to find out yet and we simply don’t have all the answers. Some will remain chance and much will be common sense and faith that it can be done. Those with faith in themselves and the inherent desire of the Pet Fungus to survive will determine their success .
Feel welcome to contact us at any time if you have any questions or would
like to propose additional information we may have overlooked or neglected to
include. All the necessary supplies to grow your favorite Pet Fungus can now be obtained from us at MTI.
Good luck in your endeavors to learn and understand the magnificent micro world of mycology.
Thank you.
“The Ultimate Experience In Mushrooms”
“Science & Beyond”
“May The
Fungus Be With You and Your Experience Be A Safe And Memorable One.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have any specific
questions or suggestions of issues that need a closer look, please feel free to
let us know by email or leaving a message at our Comment / Contact Page.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Make Money $$$$$$$$ in your Spare Time Advertising
for Us or Inoculating Landscapes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Designed, Formatted, Published & Printed By Panda Productions:
January 1, 2001 All Rights Reserved ©
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For a Brochure or More
Information - Send:
$2.00 & #10-SASE
to
Micro-Tech. Industries
Dept. 2001
P.O.Box 724
Springfield,
Oregon, 97477-0119, U.S.A.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME / SPORE BANK / GROWTH CHAMBERS / LAB SUPPLIES / FORAYS / DIRECTIONS / CONTACT US / ORDER / IDENTIFY / PHOTOS
Grain / Grass Seed / Pasture Seed / General Seed / Bean / Nut / Pea / Variable / Select / Additives / Discounts / Kits / Lab Equipment / Books
A / B / C / D / E / F / G / H / I / J / K / L / M / N / O / P / Q / R / S / T / U / V / W / X / Y / Z Microscope Slides / General / Services
Live Spawn & Tissue Cultures / Fungus Farming / Funguscaping / Shroom Room / Classifieds / Free Links / Library
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“May The Fungus Be With
You”