How to Grow Magic Mushrooms?

Written and Fact Checked by S. Zulfiqar

Mushrooms have been used by humans for thousands of years due to their amazing properties. These are rich in vitamins and used in food to boost immunity. Beta-glucan and lentinan in mushrooms are known to give our immune systems the boost that they need. In addition to that, numerous types of mushrooms are filled not only with vitamin D but B12 as well.

Mushrooms are also used as medicine. Studies reveal that they have the potential to fight serious diseases like cancer. According to a report by the Journal of Experimental Biology and Medicine,  mushrooms reduce breast cancer cells by a massive 33%. Researchers believe that breast cancer is not just the type of cancer mushrooms help with, they react similarly to prostate and stomach cancer as well.

Since they’re just so helpful you must be thinking where do they grow? If that’s the question in your head then you should know that they grow all around us. There are a lot of different species of mushrooms like the Psilocybe semilanceata and they are commonly grown throughout North America and various parts of Europe. Other species like Psilocybe cubenis are typically grown in tropical climates. This certain type of mushroom is believed to be one of the easiest to grow at homes.

If you’re looking to grow mushrooms in your backyard, you must closely identify the type of mushrooms you’re looking to grow. The reason is that there are plenty of mushrooms that may look similar to what you have in mind but are extremely poisonous. If not correctly noticed, they can have adverse reactions. The reactions can range from mild sickness to even death. So this is the most essential part to look at that just can’t be ignored.

However, growing your mushrooms at home is quite simple. Of course, it requires a decent amount of attention and a lot of patience. All you need to do is to find the proper equipment and the right information. We’re here to give you just that.

Mushroom Grow Kits

Perhaps the easiest way to grow magic mushrooms is by using the grow kit. The mushroom grows kit comes with a syringe and a grow bag. That’s pretty much everything you’ll need. Some kits are available in the market that have a substrate as well as mycelium which is the main part. All that’s left for you to do is to add water, that’s it.

On the other hand, if you’re not okay with buying the kit from outside, there’s good news that you can create your kit at home. For making your mushroom kit at home, here’s what you’ll need:

• 12 cc spore syringe
• 2/3 cup vermiculite (per jar)
• 1/4 glass of drinking water (per jar)
• 1/4 cup of brown rice flour (organic) (per jar)
• Disinfectant
• Air sanitizer
• Torch lighter
• Rubbing alcohol
• Latex gloves, surgical masks

Additionally, equipment includes:

• About a dozen shoulder less 1/2 pint jars
• One large pot with a tight lid
• Hammer and tiny nails
• Heavy-duty tin foil paper
• Micropore tape
• Perlite
• Drill with 1/4 inch bit
• 50-115L clear plastic storage boxes
• Mixing bowl
• Strainer
• Spray bottle
• Small towel

For the preparation of the jars, we start by disinfecting the hammer and the nails and punching 3-4 holes in the lid. Make sure that the holes are evenly spaced.

To make the substrate, we take our mixing bowl to combine 2/3 cup vermiculite and about 1/4 glass of water. After disinfecting the strainer, we shall remove the excess water. After that, we add 1/4 cup of organic brown rice flour. Note that these amounts are for one jar.

After sterilizing the glass jars, fill them with the substrate to the full. It is recommended to fill the jar by about one inch under the rim.

Tightly screw the lid of the jar and shield it using foil, ensuring no water can get inside the jars. Place the jars on top of the towel that’s already on the pan and fill it up halfway with water. Make sure that the jars and standing up straight throughout this process. Also, the key would be to let them boil slowly. If the pan runs dry of water, add more water and let them steam for about 80-90 minutes. Let them cool overnight at room temperature.

Grab the lighter and heat the needle of the syringe until it’s red hot. Be careful not to touch it – use rubbing alcohol to wipe and cool it. Now comes the delicate part where you use soft hands to slightly pull the plunger. Shake and mix.

(For safety purposes ensure wearing your gloves and the mask)

Take one of the jars and remove the foil from it. Using one of the holes we made earlier and insert the syringe as far down as possible. Now slowly inject about 1/4 cc of the solution. Tape the lids of the jar using micropore tape. Do the same with the rest of the jars and using alcohol, clean the needle after filling every single jar.

Keep the jars in a safe environment, away from direct sunlight. The ideal temperature should be between 70-80° F. Now we wait.

After a week, you’ll start noticing small white mycelium. If not, wait for another week. After 3-4 weeks, you’ll start seeing colonies in more than half of the jars. These colonies are also called ‘cakes’. An additional week should be given so that the mycelium is completely strengthened.

However, if any of the jars start showing signs of ‘the thing’ running bad. Any sign of contamination is a red flag. Use proper bags to carefully dispose of them outside and make sure not to open the lids before disposing of them.

Drill holes all over the storage container. The holes should be 1/4 inch and should evenly cover all the area including the lid as well as the base. Place the container on top of four steady objects so that air can flow from underside of the container. You may cover it with a towel to keep the moisture level to the optimum.

Soak the perlite in cold runny tap water but keep it in the strainer. After it dries, even spread it all over the bottom of the chamber. The process shall be repeated till we have a fat 3-5 inch layer of perlite.

Rehydrate and roll the cakes and transfer them to the chamber. With proper watering and ventilation, the mushrooms will begin to appear. Don’t lose hope as it may take a while. It usually takes between 6-12 days for the mushrooms to harvest.

More interesting reads:

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References

• Martin K, and Brophy S. Commonly consumed and specialty dietary mushrooms reduce cellular proliferation in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Volume: 235 issue: 11, page(s): 1306-1314