Mushroom Cultivation Equipment & Lab Supplies | Mycology Start (2024)

Cultivating mushrooms at home, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned mycologist, requires a collection of crucial equipment and supplies. These tools ensure that your cultivation process is efficient, and the likelihood of contamination is significantly reduced. Here, we outline the essential items you'll need to successfully cultivate mushrooms at home, grouped by their purpose and use.

Mushroom Grow Kits

If you're a beginner, mushroom grow kits serve as an excellent introduction to the world of mycology. They conveniently bypass the more complex initial stages of mushroom cultivation, offering a pre-sterilized substrate and sometimes even fully colonized mycelium, allowing you to jump right into the exciting parts of the process like fruiting and harvesting.

Where Can You Buy Quality Spores and Cultures?

Obtaining high-quality spores or cultures is a foundational step in mushroom cultivation. While many online sources claim to offer the best, it's essential to do your homework. Checking reviews and seeking recommendations can go a long way in ensuring you get a quality product.

Here are some of the top-notch cultivators I personally vouch for:

• Spore N' Sprout: It's my first stop when I'm hunting for new cultures. They offer clean, affordable options, and quick delivery.
• Fresh From the Farm Fungi: Gary is an excellent mycologist. Every culture I've snagged from him has been stellar.
• North Spore: A leading brand in the world of mycology. I've purchased Wine Cap spawn from them for outdoor cultivation.

Sterilization & Sanitation

Sterilization and sanitation form the cornerstone of successful mushroom cultivation. A pressure cooker or an autoclave ensures that your equipment and substrates are sterile, setting the stage for healthy mushroom growth. Additionally, disinfectants like isopropyl alcohol and bleach are indispensable for cleaning surfaces and tools, helping you further minimize contamination risk.

Other sterilization aids include alcohol lamps for metal tools, and Still Air Boxes (SAB) or Laminar Flow Hoods to create sterile environments during transfers and inoculations. Personal protective equipment like gloves and face masks also play a crucial role in maintaining hygiene and preventing contamination. For those interested, we have a comprehensive guides on:

• Build your own Still Air Box (SAB)
• How To Use a Pressure Cooker

Success in mushroom cultivation is significantly bolstered by using the right tools and measuring equipment, which provide a foundation of accuracy and precision. Digital scales are essential for weighing both ingredients during the preparation phase and the mushrooms after harvest. Erlenmeyer flasks, Graduated Cylinders, and funnels add another layer of exactitude to your measurements, ensuring that your substrate and nutrient solutions are perfectly balanced. A Thermo Gun offers the added advantage of real-time temperature monitoring, making it easier to maintain the optimal environment for mycelial growth.

For tasks that require a delicate touch, such as transferring mycelium, specialized tools come into play. A scalpel is indispensable for this, allowing you to move mycelium from Petri dishes to grain spawn with surgical precision. Sharp knives or scissors are another must-have, crucial for cleanly cutting agar and harvesting mature mushrooms. These items are usually part of a standard dissection kit, offering a convenient package of essential tools for mushroom cultivation. All told, a well-stocked toolkit is a cornerstone of efficient and successful mushroom cultivation.

Agar Supplies

Agar serves as a nutritive base where spores can germinate and mycelium can grow. This often takes place in sterile Petri dishes or ketchup cups (K-Cups) for the budget-conscious. The quality of agar and its ingredients can significantly affect the speed and vigor of your mycelium growth.

Ingredients like Activated Charcoal Powder for Black Agar, Agar-Agar Powder for consistency, and Light Malt Extract for nutritional value are some of the key components you can use. Tools like Centrifuge Tubes, Inoculation Loops, and Parafilm are equally important for successful agar work. We even offer a guide on how to make your own Light Malt Extract Agar (LMEA) at home.

• How Make LMEA
• How Make Black Agar

Liquid Culture Supplies

Liquid cultures serve as a medium for growing large amounts of mycelium in a liquid solution, making the inoculation process faster and more efficient. Sterile disposable injection needles, magnetic stirrers, and syringes are some of the crucial supplies you'll need.

Jars Tek & Spawn Supplies

When it comes to the production of mushroom spawn, jars and grain bags serve as critical mediums for mycelial expansion post-agar stage. I personally use glass jars for their eco-friendly and reusable nature. However, sterilized grain bags are a convenient alternative, as they can be disposed of after use, which can minimize the risk of contamination in subsequent cultivation cycles.

Below, you'll find the products I personally use for modifying jar lids to create optimal conditions for mushroom cultivation. Specialized lids with built-in gas exchange and injection ports allow for necessary air circulation while maintaining a sterile environment for mycelial growth. These products make it easy to inoculate your jars with a spore syringe or liquid culture, without exposing the inner contents to contaminants. Investing in these jar lid modifications can significantly streamline your cultivation process, making it more efficient and far less prone to contamination.

Bulk Substrate Materials

Once the grain spawn is fully colonized, the next step is to mix it with a bulk substrate like straw, wood chips, or compost. This provides the mycelium with the nutrients it needs during its growth phase. Spawn bags or containers can be used for this mixing process.

Different mushrooms prefer different types of substrates. Understanding the specific needs of the mushroom you're growing can dramatically improve your yield.

Fruiting and Harvesting

The final stage, fruiting and harvesting, demands close attention to environmental factors like humidity and temperature. Tools like spray bottles, growth chambers, and humidity and temperature monitors become crucial here.

While natural light can often suffice for fruiting, specialized grow lights can offer more controlled light exposure. The investment in these supplies will definitely pay off when you see your first flush of healthy, mature mushrooms.

Storage

Proper storage is key to preserving the viability of your mushroom cultures and harvested fruit bodies. Refrigerators and dehydrators can be invaluable, while sealable bags and airtight containers with silica packets can preserve the quality of your harvest for a long time.

For cultures, spore prints, and syringes, sterile storage conditions are essential to prevent contamination and prolong their shelf life. Investing in quality storage solutions can save you both time and resources in the long run.

Cultivation Books

Cultivation books serve as a rich source of information and expertise, guiding you through the complexities of mushroom growing. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned cultivator, books can offer new insights and techniques that can improve your yield and reduce the risks of contamination.

From basic cultivation methods to advanced mycological studies, a well-rounded library can be your most trusted companion in your mycological journey. Investing in good quality, comprehensive books can provide value that far outweighs their cost.