Emma Wilson
Mushroom cultivation is an increasingly popular hobby, with many people growing their own mushrooms at home. One popular method of cultivation is multiplying mushroom spores. This involves taking spores from wild mushrooms and propagating them to create new mushroom strains. It is a gamble, as you won't know the genetics of the mushrooms you'll end up with. However, it is possible to buy spawn online and multiply it, reducing costs. This process is complex and has a higher rate of failure, but it can make a significant difference in expenditure if you plan to scale up your mushroom cultivation.
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What You'll Learn
Using spores to propagate mushrooms
Propagating mushrooms from spores is a time-consuming process, but it is relatively easy to do. It involves three fundamental stages: collecting spores, germination, and understanding the art behind the growth.
To collect spores, you will need a mature mushroom and some paper and glass. Carefully remove the stem from the mushroom and gently remove any skirt that may be present protecting the gills in the mushroom head. Expose the gills located on the underside of the mushroom's head. Place the mushroom with the gills facing down onto the paper and cover it with a glass. Leave it for 24 hours. After 24 hours, gently lift the mushroom. The spores will have fallen from the cap, leaving a print on the paper that replicates the gill pattern. This is the spore print, which can be used to grow mushrooms. Be sure to keep the spore print in a sealed container in a dry and dark place.
To produce a spore syringe, you will need to work in a sterilized space. Rehydrate the spores with boiled distilled water to eliminate any bacteria. The syringe needle should also be sterilized by holding it over a flame for several seconds. As spores do not contain chlorophyll, they will need to consume non-light substances such as sawdust, straw, or grain for sustenance. This mixture of spores and nutrients is called a spawn. Once you have the spawn, you can inoculate more jars or store them in the fridge until needed.
Limit the multiplication of spawn to three times, as the strain will start to lose vigour. You can also purchase a bag of spawn online and directly inoculate the substrate.
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Cloning mushrooms for identical genetics
Cloning mushrooms is a valuable skill to learn for anyone interested in mycology. It allows you to create an identical copy of a mushroom with desirable traits like yield, speed of growth, colour, substrate suitability, and disease resistance. You can clone any edible or medicinal wild mushrooms that you come across and cultivate more of them.
To clone a mushroom strain, you will need to start with a mushroom mycelium that is healthy and free from contamination. Clean the surface with alcohol to sterilise it. Using a sterile scalpel or razor blade, carefully remove a small piece of tissue from the stem or cap of the mushroom. The tissue should be no larger than a grain of rice. Place the tissue on a sterile agar petri dish and incubate it at the appropriate temperature and humidity for the species of mushroom. Over time, the mycelium will grow and form a new colony on the agar, which is referred to as a clone. This clone can be used to start a new culture or to inoculate a substrate for mushroom cultivation.
It is important to note that every time you transfer tissue and clone a mushroom, it moves further away from the original mushroom. Eventually, it will develop a genetic mutation that reduces the viability of the culture. Therefore, it is recommended to limit the multiplication of spawn to three times as the strain will start to lose vigour.
Additionally, it is not advisable to harvest gill tissue for cloning, as it is challenging to ensure cleanliness, and it may be covered in mushroom spores that could create a novel strain different from your clone. Instead, some of the best sites to harvest tissue are the stem butt, close to the gills underneath the cap, or the middle of the stem.
Cloning mushrooms is a simple and effective way to propagate a specific genotype for further study or cultivation, and it can be easily done at home without expensive equipment.
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How to collect and prepare sorghum seeds
To multiply mushroom spores, you can purchase a bag of spawn online and transfer it into jars. Make sure to sterilise the jars and anything that comes into contact with the spawn. Shake the jars vigorously to distribute the spawn evenly. Place the jars on a shaded shelf at 20-24 degrees Celsius. The jars should be fully colonised with white strands of mycelium within a week. If you see bluish mould, discard the contents. Once completed, you can use the mycelium to inoculate more jars or store it in the fridge for later use.
Now, here is a guide on how to collect and prepare sorghum seeds:
Sorghum seeds can be collected by direct sowing or transplanting. To direct sow, wait until the danger of frost has passed and the soil temperature reaches 55-80˚F. Sow the seeds 1/4" to 1/2" deep and 8-12" apart in rows that are 2' apart. Thin seedlings so that mature plants are 8" apart. To transplant, start the seeds in plug trays in a greenhouse about a month before planting outdoors. Sorghum grows best in fertile soil but can tolerate drought and sandy soil.
Harvest the seeds when they are fully mature and dry. You can tell they are ready when they feel dry and resist denting when pressed with a fingernail. Cut the seed heads with several inches of stalk still intact and hang them to dry for a week. Then, thresh the seeds by rubbing the seed heads by hand or stripping the seed stalks. Screen and winnow the seeds to remove any chaff. When stored in a cool, dark, and dry place, sorghum seeds will remain viable for up to 10 years.
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The process of sterilisation
Prepare the Containers and Agar
Use containers with tight-fitting lids, such as glass jars, plastic containers, or disposable plastic cups. Fill the containers with an agar medium, a substance used to grow microorganisms, mixed with the appropriate nutrients and water. Leave enough headspace in the containers for the agar to expand during sterilisation.
Seal and Sterilise the Containers
Seal the containers with lids or foil. Some also use breathable micropore tape, which allows gas exchange while keeping contaminants out. Sterilise the sealed containers and agar using a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot. This step kills any contaminants that may be present. The required temperature for effective sterilisation is 121°C (250°F) or above, and this temperature must be maintained for at least 2 hours. This high temperature can only be achieved by increasing the pressure, as boiling water alone does not reach this temperature.
Allow the Containers to Cool
After sterilisation, turn off the heat and let the pressure cooker cool down. Wait for the pressure to drop naturally, which may take 30-60 minutes depending on the equipment used. Then, carefully open the lid and remove the jars. Place the jars on a heat-resistant surface and allow them to cool to room temperature.
Inoculate the Containers
Once the jars have cooled, it is time to introduce the mushroom spores or mycelium. Use a sterilised syringe to inject the spores or mycelium into the liquid culture through a self-sealing injection port. It is crucial to maintain a clean and sterile environment throughout this process to minimise the risk of contamination.
Venting and Pre-germination
Ensure that all air in the container is vented and replaced by steam to avoid pockets of compressed air that can remain unsterilised. Additionally, allowing the prepared substrate to sit for 12-24 hours before sterilisation can be beneficial. This waiting period allows many spores to germinate, making them easier to eliminate during the heating stage.
By following these steps, you can effectively sterilise your equipment and substrate, creating a clean environment for mushroom cultivation and reducing the risk of contamination.
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Inoculating the substrate
Before inoculating the substrate, it is essential to prepare it properly. This includes ensuring that the moisture content is optimal and that the substrate is clean and free of contaminants. Mixing substrates is also an option. For nitrogen-poor substrates, sterilization is not necessary, as they are challenging enough to colonize on their own. However, nitrogen-rich substrates are more prone to contamination and require a careful sterilization process. If using grain or sawdust, indoor inoculation in a sterile space with an air filter is recommended.
The inoculation rate, or the amount of spawn added to the substrate, is another important factor to consider. A higher inoculation rate will result in faster mycelium growth, but it may not produce a larger yield of mushrooms. For new cultivators, a high inoculation rate can boost success rates, but as skills improve, the rate can be lowered to optimize the process. Even distribution of the spawn across the substrate is crucial to successful colonization.
There are different methods of inoculation, such as spore syringe inoculation, liquid culture, and grain-to-grain inoculation. Spore syringe inoculation involves injecting a spore solution into a sterilized grain spawn. Liquid culture facilitates rapid mycelium growth by creating a nutrient-rich liquid medium that is then injected into the grain spawn. Grain-to-grain inoculation is a method of transferring colonized grains to new sterilized grains for expansion.
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Frequently asked questions
Although it is a gamble as you won't know what type of genetics you will end up with, you can collect spores from wild mushrooms to multiply and propagate them. Alternatively, you can clone mushrooms by taking tissue from the mushroom fruitbody and placing it in a nutrient-rich agar medium.
Take three of the largest mushrooms from your grow and place them on tin foil. Drop one or two drops of water on the caps and cover them with shot glasses. After 12-24 hours, remove the caps to find your own spore prints. Take a clean shot glass and a syringe, suck up 10-12ccs of distilled water and squirt it into the glass. Scrape the spores into the water, suck the solution into the syringe, and flick and shake. Repeat this process a few times and you will have a spore syringe.
Transfer live tissue from any part of the mushroom fruitbody, such as the stem butt or the inside of the stem, to a nutrient-rich agar medium. The cells will spring into action and propagate mycelium across the plate.
When you place spores on an agar plate, they will germinate and grow "hyphae", single-celled filaments that contain half the genetic information required to form a fruitbody. To form mycelium, two hyphae need to meet and create a new strain.
Starting from spores is unpredictable as there can be any number of potential genetic variations. Commercial growers tend to start from copies of proven strains rather than spores. Spores are also more difficult to keep clean, especially when taking tissue from the gill tissue or stem butt of the mushroom.
