Congratulations! You've managed to successfully grow your mycelium on our organic grains and you now have a colonized spawn bag. Let's take the next steps to create a fruiting block and harvesting mushrooms!
STEP 1: FIND THE RIGHT SPACE
Fruiting blocks should be inoculated in a clean environment. It is best to inoculate your Woodlovers bag in front of a laminar flow hood, but if you don't have access to one you can also inoculate in a still-air-box or in a clean room with minimal air flow. The more unfiltered air movement there is in the room that you plan to inoculate in, the higher the risk of contaminants entering your fruiting block.
STEP 2: GET YOUR EQUIPMENT READY
Make sure you have all of the equipment you will need to inoculate a fruiting block before you begin the process. Here is a list of everything you will need to make a fruiting block:
- An impulse sealer or an airtight bag clip that will prevent contaminants from entering your fruiting block.
- 70 % isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle
- A scalpel or sharp knife with a smooth blade
- Gloves are good practice, but not strictly necessary
STEP 3: DECIDE ON THE NUMBER OF FRUITING BLOCKS TO MAKE
One bag of Myterra Labs' grain can inoculate 2-10 bags of Woodlovers. The ratio of spawn that you will put into substrate depends on your preference and the amount of fruiting blocks you have available. We recommend trying a 1:6 spawn:substrate ratio for beginners. This means that if you have one colonized bag of grain (spawn) you will be able to make 6 fruiting blocks.
STEP 4: CLEAN YOUR WORK AREA
The last thing any mushroom grower wants is to put in the time and effort to get to the fruiting stage, only to lose your fruiting bags to contamination. This is why it is extremely important to clean all work surfaces and tools. Spray your work surfaces with 70% isopropyl alcohol before placing any bags or tools on the surface. Spray all tools with 70% isopropyl alcohol and allow the alcohol to evaporate before placing them on your clean work surface.
STEP 5: REMOVE WOODLOVER BAGS FROM PACKAGING
All Myterra Labs substrates are sealed and packaged in a HEPA-filtered clean room. Woodlover bags are sealed inside of a protective white bag to prevent dehydration of the substrate and denaturing of the chemical composition of the substrate. You will need to remove the white outer packaging before inoculation.
BE CAREFUL when removing the outer packaging to avoid puncturing the unicorn bag inside. Hold one of the corner flaps of the white bag and use your scalpel/knife to make a cut underneath the seal of the bag. You will be able to peek inside of the white bag to see the inner unicorn bag and can continue cutting the bag whilst making sure not to puncture the inner bag.
STEP 6: CLEAN YOUR HANDS AND THE BAGS
Spray your gloves/hands with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Spray your scalpel/knife with alcohol and set aside to evaporate dry. Spray the outside of the Woodlovers bags with alcohol to kill any contaminants which may have been introduced onto the bag after opening the white bag. Spray gloves again if you touch any item or surface that has not been sprayed with alcohol.
STEP 7: POUR GRAIN SPAWN INTO WOODLOVERS BAGS
Cut open the Woodlovers bags in front of the laminar flow hood or inside your SAB or clean room using your clean scalpel/blade. Prop the bags open without touching the inside of the bag. Shake your spawn bag to break up any large clumps of grain spawn, then cut off one corner from the top of the bag to create a hole to pour from. Pour grain into each of your Woodlovers bags, dividing the spawn as equally as possible between the bags.
STEP 8: SEAL THE NEW FRUITING BLOCKS
Seal your bags immediately after pouring spawn. Leaving some air in the bag will help with the next step in this process. Always test the seal of the bag by pressing on any air pockets - if the bag deflates, there may be a leak in your seal and you will need to reseal.
STEP 9: SHAKE IT UP!
Yes, this is it! The final step to creating a fruiting block. Shake the bags to distribute the grain spawn throughout the fruiting block. Once shaken, compress the fruiting block slightly by pressing it down with the palm of your hand. Make sure to label the bag with the species that you are growing in the bag and VOILA! you now have a fruiting block that is ready to colonize! Do not shake the bag after this step - allow the bag to sit in a room with the appropriate temperature until the bag is fully colonized.
WELL DONE! You are officially on the home stretch for harvesting!
Keep following us for more tips and tricks on mushroom cultivation. Feel free to contact us with any questions you might have - our staff are happy to help.
