Whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been growing mushrooms for years, there are tips that everyone should know when growing mushroom spores. It can be disheartening to see a growing chamber from start to finish, only to find white fuzz or mold all over your cakes. You may be asking yourself, What’s the difference between cobweb mold vs. mycelium? Have no fear- We can help ensure you have a well-cultivated mushroom-growing experience. Here are some of the top five common mistakes when growing mushroom spores that beginners tend to experience.
The Sterilization of Mushroom Growing Substrate Is Wrong
One of the leading causes of failure when learning how to grow magic mushrooms is contamination. Contamination of the spores can be caused by incorrect sterilization. Incorrectly sterilizing mushrooms can lead to bacteria and contamination. The reason this happens is that you most likely didn’t mimic their natural habitat. You must try to mimic mushrooms’ naturally occurring habitat. Otherwise, complications are sure to arise.
To avoid this, make sure that you treat all of your equipment, containers, and gloves with alcohol wipes or spray before you do any work. Thoroughly sterilize the substrate that you are working with, and make sure that your hands are always clean. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap. Doing so will ensure a fantastic result. Check the pressure often when using a pressure cooker to achieve heated sterilization. At all costs, ensure your working environment is safe and clean. Sterile working environments increase the chances of success.
Rushing Each Stage
If you try to rush each stage, this can also lead to a high failure rate. At all costs, if you want an excellent crop of mushrooms, you should leave them alone as much as possible. They need time and space to grow, so give them the space they need. It can take up to four weeks to see anything happen. Make sure to allow your substrate to cool entirely before inoculation. Ensure that every stage has had the chance to go through its process. Mushroom growing requires a lot of patience, so if you try to rush the process, you risk contamination and growing bad-quality mushrooms.
Cutting Corners to Save Money
It can be tempting to cut corners to learn how to grow magic mushrooms without spending a lot of money, but this can hurt your process in the long run. The cost of production is already pretty low, so there’s no point in spending even less money for growing mushrooms. It’s worth it to invest as much as you can in the right equipment to ensure success from start to finish. Start with researching the cheapest and easiest magic mushrooms to grow, and take your time to ensure you have all of the tools you need for them to grow. The process will be worth it in the end.
Growing the Mushrooms in the Wrong Environment
Growing your mushrooms in the wrong environment can quickly lead to failure. It’s important to always check the requirements for each different strain of mushrooms that you grow. Mushrooms can grow in a variety of habitats all around the world, but you should keep some factors in mind to ensure the most efficient growth. Some factors include:
- Air & ground temperature
- Humidity
- Light conditions
- Air exchange
Mushrooms prefer certain temperatures and grow best at 20C or 68F. Make sure your temperature does not exceed 35C, as mushrooms don’t like this temperature at all. Choose a place that has enough light but without direct sunlight.
Watch Out for Thermogenesis
Thermogenesis is when the mycelium is decomposing organic matter. The mushroom substrate can start making its own heat, which can mean that your mycelium can die. This leads to failure if you don’t check your temperature as often as possible. Make sure that your fruiting room is running at the best possible temperature.
Other Important Tips:
Along with the above, there are important common mistakes when growing mushroom spores that can be avoided as time goes on and you gain experience. Of course, an obvious tip is to make sure you have high-quality spores to work with. We recommend starting with a beginner’s mushroom, such as Golden Teacher Mushrooms. These mushrooms are some of the easiest magic mushrooms to grow. Other things that will help you are:
- Learning how early signs of contamination look like- can save you a lot of time and money. You should know how to spot mold on mushrooms and the difference between cobweb mold vs. mycelium. For example, cobweb mold is more gray and wispy than typical mycelium. Cobweb mold has very fine strands (and resembles more of a spider’s cobweb) than mycelium, which is more rope-like.
- Once you notice contamination, dispose of it immediately so it doesn’t spread in the growing area.
- Make sure that your substrate is not too wet or too dry. The substrate should be damp but not too damp.
- Having jars that are labeled is another essential part, as you can easily confuse yourself if you don’t label your mushrooms. Make sure you write a batch number and the date it was created to keep track and to know for how long it’s been growing.
- When working with mushroom spores, make sure that you have a clean workspace and stick to a specific technique and rule.
At the end of the day, if you do end up losing a crop, do not fret! You are sure to have a learning curve with any hobby you take up, and cultivating mushrooms is no different. Just dust yourself off and try again. The more you grow mushrooms, the better and easier it’s sure to get. Starting with golden teacher mushrooms is a good way to start since they are some of the easiest magic mushrooms to grow. When shopping for spores online, look no further than Top Mushroom Spores. We can ensure you have the best spores for your sterile environment. You can also contact us directly to see if there are any spores that may not be able to thrive in specific environments.
Grow With Top Mushroom
Most of the common mistakes when growing mushroom spores can be undone by making sure you have proper technique and good equipment around. Learning how to grow magic mushrooms is a step-by-step job. Don’t rush the process by any means, and ensure your environment has the proper requirements for good growth. Make sure that you get educated on growing your mushrooms. If you catch up on news on our website, your chances of success are guaranteed. The more knowledge you have, the better! We hope you have a little more understanding of the common mistakes when growing mushroom spores and how to identify cobweb mold vs. mycelium. If you have any more questions, contact us! We will be sure to help you be on your way to successful growth!