Growing mushrooms with a mushroom substrate kilo kit

The mushroom substrate kilo kit is a pre made substrate bag with a spore injection port. This mushroom grow kit contains sterilized substrate made of  vermiculite/brown rice flour , also called PF Tek or BRF. The mushroom substrate bag comes with a 25ml vial of liquid culture, a medium were you can germinate your mushrooms spores in before inoculation. The mushroom substrate bag is easy to use. You only have to inject the mushroom spore strain of choice into the substrate to start growing your mushrooms. The substrate is big enough to produce a great yield, Let's get started!

How to use the Kilo mushroom substrate Kit to grow mushrooms

Make sure your work environment is clean and has no draft if you cultivate mushrooms. Wash your hands and wrist before handling the mushroom substrate kit.  As an extra protection use gloves and a face mask.

Lay out all the materials you need on a disinfected work space.
You will need:

  • Mushroom kilo kit substrate bag
  • Mushroom spore syringe or liquid culture with germinated mushroom spores,
  • A lighter or spirit burner
  • Alcohol preps
  • Disinfectant spray

Inoculation of the mushroom substrate kit

Prepare your mushroom spore syringe with 5-10 ml of spore solution. This is enough spores to inoculate the mushroom substrate. Locate the injection port on the kilo kit . Open the injection port by pulling the cap off and clean it with an alcohol prep. Now get you spore syringe and heat the needle, red hot with a lighter to make it sterile. Let the needle cool off for a few seconds and inject it into the port. Add 2-3 drops of mushroom spore solution in every corner of the substrate and in the middle of the mushroom substrate bag. Every drop of spore solution is a point were the mycelium will start to grow.

Colonization of the mushroom kit

To let the mycelium grow and colonize the substrate keep the mushroom kilo kit in a dark space with a temperature between 23* -27* degrees Celsius. After 1-5days you will see the mycelium starting to grow from the spots were the spores were dropped. The mycelium looks like cotton and becomes more stringy while developing and colonizing the mushroom substrate. It takes 2-4 weeks for the mycelium to colonize the substrate in the bag. No empty spots of substrate should be left. Wait an additional 5-7 days to make sure the inside of the substrate is colonized by the spores too. Now that mushrooms substrate is fully covered by the mycelium the kit is ready to be prepared for fruiting.

Growing mushrooms with the Kilo kit

When the substrate is ready (fully colonized) the fruiting of the mushrooms or growing process can be started.

First ready the vermiculite. Mix the vermiculite with 100 ml of water in a clean bowl. Stir till all water is absorbed and the vermiculite is moist.
Now get the mushrooms substrate bag, grab the plastic bag in the middle and cut it open 3-4 cm above the substrate.
Add a layer of the moist vermiculite on the substrate. Spread it evenly over the cake, do not press it.
Put the prepared substrate in the fruiting bag. This bag forms your grow chamber. Mist the grow chamber to get the humidity up. Always spray against the sides of the fruiting bag, never on the substrate or mushrooms.
Close the grow bag by holding the top a few times and fix it with a paper clip.
Pick a warm and bright spot for the kit. Do not put the grow kit in direct sunlight. Optimal temperature is 22*C-25*C. Keep the fruiting chamber moist, by spraying water every 2 (two) days.
The first pins can appear within several days and up to two weeks. When the mushrooms are mature harvest them for the collection of the spores or consumption.
Re-hydrate by misting the kit after the harvest to create a new flush of mushrooms. Two till tree flushes of mushrooms is what you can expect form the kilo kit substrate.

20% Discount on mushroom spores when purchased with the mushroom substrate kilo kit.