2. Seven Stages of Cultivation - Cornell Small Farms (2024)

FAQs

How long after inoculation should I see mycelium? ›

Colonization occurs after inoculation. This is when the mycelium will start to take over the grain that was inoculated with spores. This period usually lasts between 3 to 6 weeks depending on strain and environmental conditions.

The mycelium (the 'body' or 'roots' of the mushroom) grows through this substrate and excretes enzymes to convert it into an absorbable form. There are four basic stages to the life cycle of a mushroom: Spore germination, colonisation, fruiting, and sporulation.

After about 4-8 weeks, you should start to see mycelium growing on the substrate. You'll notice the white mycelium growing outward from the point of injection. When the mycelium has grown three to four inches, without opening the bag, carefully break up the colonized substrate and mix it into the uncolonized substrate.

Fungiculture is the cultivation of fungi such as mushrooms. Cultivating fungi can yield foods (which include mostly mushrooms), medicine, construction materials and other products.

Radial growth of the mycelium was faster under dark incubation rather than under light incubation.

Mycelium grew best during spawn-running when the temperature was kept at 75° F. (23·9° C.) During pre-cropping a temperature of 65° F. (18·3° C.)

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.

You can tell when mycelium is fully colonized when the entire substrate (such as a jar or a bag) is covered with a dense, white, and fuzzy network of mycelial threads. There should be no visible uncolonized areas or contaminants, and the mycelium should appear healthy and vigorous.

Mycelium is easily distinguished by white and stringy (Hyphae), as shown below. Once the substrate is fully colonized it will require the proper environmental triggers to set formation of mushroom formation.

Step 5: Place your bag in a place that is subject to minimum disturbances and will maintain a temperature between 75 and 81°F. It doesn't matter if it is dark or light. You should see signs of growth 3-10 days after inoculation.

What temperature do spawn bags colonize at? ›

Keep your spawn bags in a warm, dark spot (75-77 degrees optimally) and try to leave it alone! Spawn bags colonize from the inside out so you will most likely won't see any mycelium growth for 7-14 days.

If your mycelium has completely colonized the substrate, begins to get denser, and forms white blobs or bumps, you know the pinning process is beginning. These bumps or hyphal knots continue to grow from the surface of the substrate and develop into tiny matchstick-like primordia or mushroom pins.

Kennett Square, PA, is known as the Mushroom Capital of the World because over half of all U.S. mushrooms come from this area. The tradition of mushroom farming in Kennett Square dates as far back as the late 19th century.

Mushroom cultivation can be profitable due to its low startup costs and the ability to produce a high yield in a small amount of space.

The hyphal knot is the first point at which the pinhead and body of the mushroom begin to sprout but not yet take form. The transition from hyphal knots to the baby mushrooms, also called pinheads, is a process visible to the naked eye.

Incubation is the time after inoculation and before the mycelium has fully colonized the substrate. This is the time at which the fungus has not yet consolidated its hold on the substrate. During this stage, the nutritious substrate is more susceptible to contamination.

In home cultivation, it's the white-ish growth we see on substrate blocks, plates, and jars. Mycelium can appear transparent or opaque, bumpy, fluffy, crystalline, webby, hairy, wispy, filamentous or clumpy and will often excrete an odorless, yellow liquid called exudate.

You can tell when mycelium is fully colonized when the entire substrate (such as a jar or a bag) is covered with a dense, white, and fuzzy network of mycelial threads. There should be no visible uncolonized areas or contaminants, and the mycelium should appear healthy and vigorous.

Temperature Fluctuations:

Each mushroom strain has an ideal temperature range for growth. If the ambient temperature veers too far from this sweet spot, colonization can slow down or even halt.