Mushroom Spawn Bag - A Complete Guide - Mushroom Growing (2024)

This guide will accurately show you how to use a mushroom spawn bag. The guide will provide some more advanced tips to help you best grow mushrooms using a grow bag with many types of mushroom strains and conditions.

Before we move forward, it’s safe to assume you have prepared your mushroom substrate and mushroom spore syringe. If you are new to these concepts, read our guide on mushroom growing at home for a more beginner-focused guide.

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Introduction to the Mushroom Grow Bag

Components of the mushroom spawn bag

  • Each bag has a self-healing injector site, which closes after you pull the needle out.
  • The white square filter patch located towards the top of the bag allows proper gas exchange but will keep contaminates out.


Sterilization tips for mushroom spawn bags

  • It is essential to ensure that all spore injecting activities are done in the cleanest environment possible.
  • Sterilized conditions ensure mold does not form inside your growing substrate, which can ruin your work.


Required Supplies – Mushroom Grow Bags on Amazon

Mushroom Grow Bags

Mushroom Spawn Bag - A Complete Guide - Mushroom Growing (2)Mushroom Spawn Bag - A Complete Guide - Mushroom Growing (3)

Required Supplies – Mushroom Spore Syringes on Amazon

Search Mushroom Spore Syringes on Amazon


Part 1: Inoculating Mushroom Spawn Bag

1. Wipe the syringe needle and the injection site with an alcohol swab and let it dry

2. Pull the syringe needle cover off of the syringe.

3. Push the needle about 1/2 inch into the bag and inject about 1-2 cc’s of spores. Pull the needle halfway out, angle it in a different direction, and inject another 1-2 cc’s of spores. Use a total of 3-5 cc’s of spores per spawn bag.

4. Make sure you inject in multiple locations to help spread your spore solution.

5. Unroll the spawn bag and make sure the filter patch is upright. Slowly pull the two sides apart and be careful not to touch the white filter. The goal is to provide a channel or path from the grain to the filter.

Part 2: Colonization of the Mushroom Spawn Bag

1. Place your spawn bags in a warm, dark location (75-81 degrees) and leave to incubate. Unlike jars, Spawn bags colonize from the inside out, so you most likely won’t see any mycelium growth for 7-14 days.

(Optional) Between 14-17 days, you can break up the bags with your fingers to spread the mycelium. After spreading the white mycelium, gently re-pack the grain to its original shape. This step is optional as you must be careful not to break them up too much and destroy the mycelium network. We only suggest this step when you have very slow-growing bags. This method works best on the Rye bags.

Note: Check out our shop for more mushroom growing supplies.

2. Complete colonization may take 30-45 days, depending on the species and the temperature you incubate. Unlike jars, the speed at that spawn bags germinate and colonize may have much more significant variance. The photo below is a spawn bag full of colonized and ready to move to the next step!

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Part 3: Fruiting Your Spawn Bags

There are three different ways to fruit spawn bags. The most popular and recommended way is the bulk casing method: The yield is four to five times more than the other fruiting methods. Your second-best option for fruiting would be to use a fruiting chamber with perlite like you would substrate jars (See BRF Jars / PF Tek Guide here). The last option is to fruit directly in the bag.

Fruiting using the Bulk Casing Method

This method involves simply breaking up the fully colonized spawn bag into small pieces and mixing it with more mushroom growing substrate in a tub or container. The contents of the mushroom grow bag and new uncolonized substrate re-colonize and form one big fruiting cake.

In order to mix the contents of your spawn bag into more substrate, you will need more of the same substrate you have inside your spawn bag. This means you can buy another spawn bag of the same type, or you can buy a more bulk amount of the same material. This is easy to do if your substrate is a manure mix, straw, or sawdust.

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It will take some time for the substrate from the spawn bag to recolonize the uncolonized substrate, about a week or two. But once it does, the fruiting result will be strong and worth it.

This method provides five times the surface area, resulting in a much larger yield. The bulk Casing Method has become the most popular method for first-time spawn bag growers.

Fruiting in a Humidity Chamber

  • The second most popular way to fruit your spawn bags would be to use a container with dampened perlite (white volcanic rock).
  • In this method, substrate jars are used. You will need vermiculite in this method to provide moisture to the cake and keep it hydrated.
  • Start by removing the colonized grain from the bag. Dunking in water is not recommended with the spawn bags because they will not absorb water directly into the grain. Hence, the need for vermiculite.
  • Place a piece of foil on top of the perlite. The foil should be about one inch larger than the cake on all sides.
  • Place a 1cm layer of vermiculite on the foil. Use a spray bottle and moisten the vermiculite enough, so it’s saturated, but there should be no standing water.
  • Place the spawn cake on the vermiculite and add another 1cm layer of vermiculite. Spray the top layer with water to dampen. You will need to keep the vermiculite damp by misting daily.
  • It can take a few weeks for mushrooms to form. There are typically no set flushes for this growing style; the mushrooms will grow sporadically for the following weeks.

Note: Check out our shop for more mushroom growing supplies.

Fruiting in the Bag

The last method is fruiting directly in the bag. This method is the easiest but typically yields the least. You will need vermiculite for this method to keep the grains hydrated.

  • Cut the top of the bag off. Cut above the white filter patch.
  • Remove the spawn cake. Add a 1cm layer of vermiculite to the bottom of the bag, then use a spray bottle to moisten it enough, so it’s saturated, but you don’t want any standing water. Use spring or bottled water.
  • Put the spawn cake back in the bag and add another 1cm layer of vermiculite on top of the spawn cake. Spray with water like you did the first layer.
  • Fold the top of the bag over and use a binder or paper clip to keep it closed.
  • Open the bag twice daily for a few minutes to allow fresh air to exchange. Mist the vermiculite as needed to ensure it stays hydrated.
  • It can take a few weeks for mushrooms to form. There are typically no set flushes for this growing style; the mushrooms will grow sporadically for the following weeks.

Congratulations, you’ve completed the steps to use a mushroom grow spawn bag!

Visit our main page for more guides and tips!: https://mushroomgrowing.org.

Mushroom Spawn Bag - A Complete Guide - Mushroom Growing (2024)

FAQs

Do mushroom grow bags work? ›

Some mushroom cultivators like to use mushroom grow bags because this method of growing offers several benefits, including: Mushroom grow bags are generally pretty easy to keep sterile, especially if they're equipped with a filter patch (more on this in a moment) Mushroom grow bags can help growers to conserve space.

How long do all in one mushroom bags take to grow? ›

Temperature for incubation shouldn't exceed 75 degrees F or dip below 55 degrees F. Keeping your bag at the higher end of the temperature range will encourage faster colonization. 2. After about 4-8 weeks, you should start to see mycelium growing on the substrate.

Where is the best place to put a mushroom grow bag? ›

In nature, mushrooms grow in the cool, moist areas of the forest where they are sheltered from the weather and wind, so it's best to find a place like this in your house or backyard.

How much mushroom spawn per bag? ›

Usually you can get 5lbs of spawn in a large spawn bag, which, in my experience is a perfect amount. It is enough to spawn a small straw log, or several fruiting blocks. You could even use it to inoculate ten more spawn bags!

What are the disadvantages of grow bags? ›

What are the Disadvantages of Using Grow Bags? They can dry out quickly, especially in hot weather, requiring more frequent watering. They may not be suitable for plants that require deep soil. Growbags can be easily punctured or torn, which can cause soil to spill out.

How effective are grow bags? ›

The end result is that the soil in grow bags warms up much more quickly than the soil in the ground. That turns around and has beneficial effects on the health of your plants. In contrast, pots tend to get very hot during the warmest months of the year. That can impair the growth of your plants.

Should I shake my mushroom grow bag? ›

You can shake up your mushroom spawn bag when the mycelium has colonized about 40–50 percent of the spawn grain. As mentioned previously, this gives access to non-colonized patches of mycelium. You'll be surprised by how much this simple 30-second action can help your yield.

How to speed up mycelium growth? ›

The higher the inoculation rate or amount of spawn added to the substrate, the faster the mycelium will grow through the substrate. The substrate likely will not produce a larger amount of mushrooms, so a high inoculation rate means more money spent on spawn per pound of mushrooms.

How long after inoculation should I see mycelium? ›

Typically, the mycelium covers the baglog about 40 days after inoculation-some media, even less than 40 days.

Do mushroom bags need light? ›

Once your mushroom grow bags are ready for fruiting, you have a couple of options. In most cases, the bag will be moved to a fruiting room with a light source, high humidity and fresh air exchange. All that's needed is to cut some slits into the bag and to mist the openings daily.

What is the liquid in my mushroom grow bag? ›

Moisture in the bag is completely normal. The mushroom mycelium (the white “mushroom roots” that cover the grow block) is alive and there is a cycle of evaporation and condensation in the kit.

How do I know if my mushroom grow bag is contaminated? ›

Spend time getting to know what your mycelium is supposed to look like so you can better identify unhealthy or contaminated patches. While mycelium is typically white and filamentous, contamination generally takes the form of green, blue, gray, or black patches or discolorations in your substrate.

What is the best grain for mushroom spawn bags? ›

Without a doubt, however, the most common grain used for mushroom cultivation is Rye. This is because of Rye's water absorbing qualities, nutrient makeup, and, well, mushrooms seem to like it.

What is the best spawn ratio? ›

Recommended spawn ratios are usually no less than 20% (1 part spawn to 4 parts substrate).

Is bagged mushroom compost any good? ›

Mushroom compost is suitable for most garden plants. It supports various types of plant growth, from fruits and vegetables to herbs and flowers. To get the greatest results when organic gardening with mushroom compost, thoroughly mix it in with the garden soil prior to planting.

Are mushroom growing kits cost effective? ›

I got a couple of oyster mushroom growing kits from Back to the Roots. As far as cost goes, these kits, which vary between $16–$20 dollars, aren't necessarily going to serve as an economical substitute for buying mushrooms from the grocery store. But they are a great way for you to get your mushroom-growing legs.

Do mushroom co2 bags work? ›

Nearly all plants growing in an enclosed environment will benefit from the extra CO² exhaled from mushroom CO² bags. It is standard practice for commercial greenhouse and hydroponic growers to supplement their grow rooms with CO². Mushroom bags are the most natural way to generate CO².

Do mushroom grow kits keep producing? ›

Are mushroom growing kits reusable? Mushroom kits are not reusable, but most of them produce at least 2 harvests' worth of mushrooms. This means that you can get multiple harvests out of a single kit before needing to replace it.

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