What is mushroom spawn and why buy mushroom spawn bags? We have the information for you and a variety of strain options for your own successful mushroom grow
Mushroom spawn is the "seed" used to plant mushrooms into a new material. Above you can see what one of our mushroom spawn bags look like. The mycelium has grown through the sawdust and is ready to be expanded onto another material. Spawn is comprised of some sort of sterilized media usually grain, sawdust, or plugs and the mycelium of the mushroom that is going to be cultivated.
Mycelium is the living tissue that creates a mushroom. It is a network of fungal cells that digests food, grows into new territory, and protects the fungus. Fungi spend most of their life as this mycelial network and are coaxed into creating a mushroom occasionally. To be a successful mushroom farmer you must first successfully grow mycelium.
When you buy a
mushroom spawn bag from Fungi Ally, the mycelium of the mushroom being cultivated has already been isolated and expanded. This process starts with mycelium on a petri plate as shown above furthest to the right. The petri plate is sterilized in our laboratory and a small piece of mushroom mycelium is placed onto it in a flow hood. The mycelium grows out and is then expanded onto sterilized grain. This growth process on a quart jar of grain usually takes 2-3 weeks depending on the species. Once the mycelium has encompassed the grain, it is then transferred onto sawdust, plug spawn, or more grain. If you buy mushroom spawn bags from Fungi Ally you are getting spawn that has been transferred and expanded as little as possible. We know from experience that less contamination and better fruiting occurs from young spawn.
If you are going to buy mushroom spawn bags it is very important to get aseptically grown mushroom mycelium. It is possible to grow your own spawn with low tech methods, tools, and techniques but quality really matters. Contamination is not a yes or no answer with lots of contamination being impossible to detect EXCEPT for a decrease in yield.
Many times changing the source of spawn or the strain can help increase yields for growers who are growing their own spawn. It is important to remember the cultivation of mycelium is happening on a microscopic level. There is constant competition for food, space, and resources in the substrate mushrooms are grown in. By ensuring the spawn used is of the highest quality, grown using methods and tools designed to eliminate micro organisms, growers greatly increases their chances of successfully cultivating mushrooms.
Our top 3 strains of mushrooms you can grow with our spawn bags
Shiitake LE 46 (available in grain and sawdust spawn): If you’re a shiitake farmer that wants big yields then the LE 46 strain is perfect for you. Not only will this mushroom produce well, it is also quite beautiful. The shiitake LE 46’s cap will be large and dark, with some white ornamentation on the sides. This strain is a great option for beginners too, because it can handle a wide range of temperatures and it reacts well to shocking.
Blue Oyster 3015 (available in grain and sawdust spawn): This strain is ideal for commercial farmers out there as the spawn runs fast, it produces large fruiting bodies, and the beautiful blue color is a delight to see. Recreational mushroom growers will also love these qualities, and the ability to cultivate on a range of cellulose-rich materials, like coffee grounds, straw or wood.
Yellow Oyster AM1 (available in grain and sawdust spawn): Whether you’re growing indoors or outdoors, the AM1 is a favored strain that yield delicious, buttery-yellow mushrooms. Our yellow oyster grow bags are great for growing indoors or outside when temperatures are between 50 and 80 degrees F.
Want to buy mushroom spawn bags from fungi ally? Visit our
sawdust and
plug spawn pages.
Want to grow mushrooms without using spawn bags? You can use mushroom plugs!
If you have already used spawn bags to grow mushrooms indoors and you want to try something different, then you can try using mushroom plugs. Mushroom plug spawn is best for inoculating hardwood logs or stumps.
Mushroom plugs are made of 1” birch dowels covered with mushroom mycelium. This type of spawn is easy to handle and require no additional tools, although you can use a palm inoculator to make the process go quicker. All of our spawn is produced year-round in a sterile facility to ensure the highest-quality spawn available. The spawn run and inoculation tend to take a little bit longer with mushroom plugs, but if you are inoculating 40 logs or less, then they are likely your best option.
Check out all of the options of mushroom plugs we offer so you can try your hand at growing edible mushrooms on logs indoors or out.
