Inoculation: A Full Guide with Tips & Tricks

 

Inoculation: A Full Guide with Tips & Tricks

The word "inoculation" can seem daunting for people that lack the knowledge and experience that comes with time spent growing Magic Mushrooms, but its a pretty basic concept. The definition of inoculation, at least in the context of mycology, is to introduce a (micro)organism into an environment that may provide optimal resources and conditions for the organism to thrive.

*If you already know all of this information, we recommend you check out the next section of our guide: How to Inoculate Grain Spawn.

Tools and Supplies

 #1. Spores

To start off we need to find our organism, and lucky for you we have that covered. At CanadianMagicMushroomSpores.com we are currently offering high-quality products such as our 15 unique strains to choose from in the form of Spore Syringes, as well as our recently added strains of Live Culture (LC) that we are confident will leave you satisfied. 

If you're interested in other options, we also offer already-inoculated Grow Kits that even the most novice of growers can easily and consistently use to produce large flushes of the strain of Magic Mushrooms that they feel best suits their needs. If you're a bit more experienced, perhaps our selection of Spore Prints is of interest to you!

*If you don't know the difference between Spore Syringes and Live Culture Syringes, we recommend you check out our guide: Spore Syringe vs Liquid Culture Syringe - Which is Better?

   

 #2. Substrate

Once you have your choice of either Spore Syringe or Live Culture Syringe, you'll need a substrate. A substrate is a sterile environment usually consisting of grain that has been made sanitary with heat and is then isolated from any possible contaminants; this acts as a little ecosystem for our mycelium to grow and protects our very fragile fungi from any other spores or bacteria causing an infection.

 This is commonly done by using a grain jar, which is exactly what it sounds like: a jar that has been filled with sanitized grains, oats being one grain that is commonly used for this purpose. Other common substrates include straw, sawdust or even coffee grounds.

        #3. A Sterile Environment

A very important part of growing mushrooms is the ability to keep everything sterile. Keeping a clean workspace is essential for making sure that your grow is safe. Always wear a clean change of clothes and sanitize all surfaces using Isopropyl Alcohol that you think you might come into contact with when doing anything that could disturb the delicate ecosystem of your mushroom or mycelium. 

 Magic Mushrooms are incredibly susceptible to infection by both spores from other species of fungi/mould and from bacteria. These unwanted spores and bacteria live almost everywhere and tend to be airborne making it difficult to ensure that your space is free of contaminants. Making sure that the air in the room is still and isn't being circulated is always a good idea, so try to turn off any nearby fans. 

Once infected, all your hard work will be gone as no mushrooms will be able to grow in the presence of a competitive strain of bacteria or fungi. To make matters worse, there is no chance at saving them once the infection has set in. To avoid this issue, we recommend the following:

1. Isopropyl Alcohol

        A cheap and reliable way to disinfect a surface, this is a must-have. 70-99% is ideal. 

        2. Medical-Grade Gloves

        Also a must-have. Food-grade gloves will work if medical-grade isn't an option.

             3. Alcohol-containing wipes

    Not 100% necessary but very nice to have for quick decontamination.

   4. A Cigarette Lighter

        This will be used for sterilizing the needle tip of the Syringe.

     General Information with Tips & Tricks

#1. To inoculate your substrate, you will need mycelium/spores that are contained within a solution-filled syringe; the reason for this is that exposing your substrate to the outside air will greatly increase your chances of infection. 

  #2. When attempting to inoculate your substrate, never actually open the lid on whatever package your substrate is contained in. Grain jars and Grain bags will almost always have small holes or ports used specifically to inject your solution from the syringe and into the substrate without anything becoming contaminated.

#3. Before injecting your solution into the substrate, always use a flame to sterilize the needle tip of your syringe and make sure that you cool down the needle tip with an alcohol wipe or similar before use. The average jar of substrate only needs around 2CC/MLs of solution.

  #4. When injecting the solution, make sure to inject directly into the substrate as opposed to on top of it to ensure that the mycelium can grow quicker and more efficiently. By placing the spores on top of the substrate, you lose a lot of surface area which makes the process much slower.

#5. If you plan on inoculating multiple jars or bags, be sure to resterilize the needle tip between each injection to avoid infection. Sterilizing the containers that hold your substrate is also necessary.

#6. Before attempting to inoculate your substrate, be sure to look for signs of contamination in your syringe if it has been sitting for a long time. If you bought your substrate rather than making it yourself, it is also a good idea to know if the vendor is reliable in keeping their product to a useable standard of sterility. 

#7. Be sure to wear always wear a clean change of clothes when inoculating; wearing a mask as well is never a bad decision. Be sure to sanitize everything possible including any bare skin near your hands, such as your wrists and your forearms if wearing a T-shirt.

#8. When setting up the area you plan on using for the inoculation, it is important to keep in mind that any air that is circulating means a higher chance for contaminants to reach your substrate. A small room without any fans is ideal, and if you can sterilize the air using a sprayable cleaner it will really help minimize any possible risks.

c#9. A single Spore Syringe can usually be used for more than one jar of substrate depending on the size. If using a Spore Syringe purchased from CanadianMagicMushroomSpores.com, you can expect to be able to inoculate around 5 jars per syringe. 

#10. An excellent strategy for mitigating a lot of potential risks is to use the "Oven Method". This method makes it much harder for airborne contaminants to reach your substrate which can make the process much less tedious and stressful.                   

To learn how to Inoculate a grain jar using the oven method (highly recommended) you can follow this link to the next part of our guide: How to Inoculate Grain Spawn.