Sarah Brown
Collecting mushroom spores is a simple process that allows you to grow your own mushrooms. It involves removing the stem from a fresh mushroom and placing the cap gill-side down on a sterile surface, such as paper or foil. A drop of water is then placed on the cap to help release the spores, and it is covered with a bowl or glass for 2-24 hours. During this time, the spores will fall onto the paper, creating a spore print pattern. This print can then be used to inoculate a prepared substrate, such as compost or substrate blocks, to grow mushrooms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Required items | Bowl, water, paper, mushroom, syringe, foil, microscope slide |
| Preparation | Cut the stem off the mushroom and place the cap gill-side down on paper, foil, or a microscope slide. Add a drop of water on the cap. |
| Collection | Cover the mushroom with a bowl and leave for 2-24 hours. The spores will fall on the paper, foil, or glass, making a spore print pattern. |
| Storage | Keep the spore print in a sealed bag in a cool, dry, dark place. |
| Cultivation | Use the spore print to create a spore syringe. Rehydrate the spores using sterile water and use it to inoculate the growing medium. |
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What You'll Learn
How to make a spore print
Making a spore print is a simple process that allows you to collect spores and grow your own mushrooms. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make a spore print:
Firstly, you need to prepare your materials. Collect a bowl, some water, a piece of paper, and a mushroom. It is important to ensure that the mushroom is fresh and healthy, with a firm cap and moist gills. Unhealthy mushrooms may not produce spores.
Next, place the mushroom cap on a sterile surface, such as paper or aluminium foil, with the gills facing down. If your mushroom has pores instead of gills, it can still be used to make a spore print, but it may be more difficult to obtain the spores. Cut off the stem as close to the gills as possible, either with a knife or scissors, or simply pull it out as it usually separates easily.
Then, put a drop of water on the mushroom cap to help release the spores. Cover the cap with a bowl or paper cup and leave it for 2 to 24 hours, depending on the humidity and freshness of the mushroom. The spores will fall onto the paper, creating a spore print pattern that replicates the gill pattern from the mushroom.
Finally, after a few hours, remove the bowl and gently lift the mushroom to reveal your spore print. The spores will usually look like dirt or dust on the paper, but they come in a range of colours, including brown, black, white, red, and yellow. If you want to collect more spores, you can leave the mushroom out for a longer period.
Once you have your spore print, it can be stored in a sealed bag in a cool, dry, and dark place until you are ready to use it for cultivation.
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Using spore water
To create a spore syringe, you need to work in a sterilised environment and with distilled water that has been boiled 2-3 times to ensure that any bacteria has been eliminated. Make sure that your syringe needle is sterile by holding it in a flame for a few seconds. With the sterilised syringe, draw up the spore and water mixture. Ensure the spores are evenly distributed within the syringe. If they settle at the bottom, gently shake the syringe to redistribute them.
Cap the syringe with its protective cover to maintain sterility. Store the filled spore syringe in a cool, dark place, ideally in a refrigerator, until you're ready to use it. The spore water can then be used to inoculate your growing medium. As the spores don't contain chlorophyll, they feed off substances other than light to gain the nourishment they need to germinate.
Before creating the spore syringe, you need to obtain a spore print. To do this, place a mushroom cap gill-side down on a piece of paper or aluminium foil. Put a drop of water on the cap, then cover it with a bowl and let it sit for 2-24 hours. The spores will fall on the paper or foil, making a spore print pattern.
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Creating a spore syringe
To create a spore syringe, you need to start by collecting mushroom spores. To do this, gently remove the cap from a mature mushroom and place it on a sterile surface, such as paper or foil. Leave it to release spores, which will settle into a spore print.
Once you have a spore print, you can create a spore syringe. To do this, you need to work in a sterilized environment and with distilled water that has been boiled 2-3 times to ensure any bacteria has been eliminated. Make sure your syringe needle is sterile by holding it in a flame for a few seconds. Draw some of the cooled, sterilized water into the syringe body. Using the syringe needle, lightly scrape the spores from your spore print into a sterilized glass. Expel half of the water from the syringe into the glass. Draw the spore water back into the syringe. At this point, you should notice that the water has become slightly discoloured and you may even be able to see some floating clusters of spores.
The amount of spore syringes you can make from one spore print depends on the density and size of the print. As a general guide, one small (approximately 1 cm diameter) and fairly faint print will only be good for one 10 ml syringe, while a larger, denser print could create 30 x 10 ml spore syringes.
To hydrate the spores, leave them for a couple of days before using them. This will allow the dried-out spores to become hydrated and ready for use.
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Growing from purchased grain spawn
Grain spawn is a stepping stone for growing mushrooms. It involves combining sterilized grains, such as wheat, rye, or millet, with mycelium, the vegetative part of a fungus. This symbiotic relationship results in the mycelium colonizing the grain with its complex network of thread-like cells.
To grow mushrooms from purchased grain spawn, start by selecting the type of grain that will serve as the primary nutrient source for your mycelium. Rinse the grain thoroughly and soak it overnight to initiate germination, soften the grains, and hydrate them. The next step is to cook and sterilize the grains, which can be done using a pressure cooker or by boiling. It is important to ensure that your tools and work environment are also sterilized to prevent contamination.
Once you have sterilized your grain, you can mix it with your purchased grain spawn. The amount of grain spawn required may vary depending on the type of mushroom and growing environment. After mixing, transfer the mixture to jars or containers with some form of air filtration to allow gas exchange while preventing biological contaminants like mould.
At this stage, patience is key as each mycelial network develops at its own pace. Over time, you will see the mycelium growing throughout your container, indicating healthy mushroom spawn. Once the grain spawn is fully colonized, it's time to pasteurize a fruiting substrate such as woodchips, sugarcane mulch, or sawdust. This depends on what your specific mushroom species prefers to eat. Finally, add your colonized grain spawn to the fruiting substrate, and you're ready for the final stage of mushroom propagation!
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Using spore prints to grow mushrooms
To grow mushrooms using spore prints, you can follow these steps:
Firstly, collect the spores by cutting the cap off a mature mushroom and placing it gill-side down on a sterile surface, such as paper or foil. Cover it with a glass for 12-24 hours. The spores will fall from the cap, creating a spore print that replicates the gill pattern. Keep the print in a sealed bag in a cool, dry, and dark place until you are ready to cultivate.
Next, prepare the spores for inoculation. Take a small portion of the spore print and mix it with distilled water (sterile water that has been boiled 2-3 times to eliminate bacteria). Draw the mixture into a syringe in sterile conditions. Ensure the syringe needle is sterile by holding it in a flame for a few seconds.
At this point, you can either create a spore syringe or use the spore print to inoculate a prepared substrate directly. If you choose to create a spore syringe, keep the syringe loaded with spores for a couple of days to allow them to germinate and become "activated".
If you choose to inoculate a substrate directly, use a prepared substrate like compost or substrate blocks. Inoculate the substrate with the spore mixture and keep conditions humid and dark to encourage growth.
After inoculating the substrate, leave it in the dark at about 25°C until it is fully colonized by mycelium, which can take 2-4 weeks. Once fully colonized, you can remove the lid and put the container in a culture bag, spraying the walls with water once a day.
With proper care and patience, you will be able to grow your own mushrooms using spore prints.
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Frequently asked questions
You will need a mature mushroom, a bowl, some water, a piece of paper, and a microscope.
Cut off the mushroom stem and place the cap, with the gills facing down, on the paper. Put a drop of water on the cap to help release the spores. Cover the cap with a bowl and leave for 2 to 24 hours.
After a few hours, lift the mushroom and check the paper. The spores will have fallen from the cap and created a print on the paper, which replicates the gill pattern from the mushroom.
