Hello... Welcome to the Blazed and Infused blog where we will talk about various subjects related to natural medicine. Specifically, the home cultivation of medicinal and gourmet mushrooms.  My purpose for this page is to show everyone how easy it is to grow their own natural medicine. Just like anything. you will fail a few times and often be discouraged to continue this wonderful hobby.  If you ask 100 people how to grow mushrooms you are going to get 100 different answers. It is all about finding what works for you. Hopefully, we can get a community going full of growers so we can all learn from each other. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and can't wait to learn something from all of you. 

The first thing you will need is a large plastic container. the size will be up to you and your available workspace.  Choose a container that will allow you to reach your arms inside. You can either cut openings into the sides like I do, or you can place both in the front. You will be doing all your sanitary work inside this container. You may find it necessary to cut a view port into your container and cover with cling film. Some containers are not fully transparent and can hinder your sight.   The next piece is your fruiting chamber.  The size will once again be up to you. 1 standard 10cc spore syringe can inoculate around 10 jars. If you go that route, I recommend starting with at least a 20qt container. We will be making a shotgun fruiting chamber. You can either heat up the tip of a nail or drill 1/8th inch holes around your chamber. Be sure to leave a 3–4-inch gap from the bottom for your perlite layer. 

Now that the DIY portion is done, we can focus on the next steps.  This form of growing is known as PF tek, a popular growing method that was made famous in the 90's by the Psylocibin Fanatics forum.  The most basic substrate recipe uses a combination of brown rice flour, vermiculite and distilled water.  in order to make approximately 12 jars you will need to mix 6 cups of vermiculite, 3 cups brown rice flour and 3 cups distilled water. It is very important to mix the water and vermiculite together first to help the brown rice flour stick to the vermiculite. you will end up with a thick oatmeal consistency.  Next, you will want to check the field capacity (moisture content) of your mix. if you can take a handful and squeeze with all your might and only get a few tiny drops, then you are at the right spot. If too wet, add a little more vermiculite to the mix. If too dry, add tiny amounts of water.

Once your substrate is made you will now need to put it into your jars. You will need 1/2-pint mason jars with four holes poked into the lid for your inoculation points. Fill your jar up to the point the threads start then top off with vermiculite. The extra vermiculite will act as a filter layer for other microbes protecting the substrate. once all of that is done take a sheet of aluminum foil and cover the lids of your jars

Once all of your jars are filled the next step is sterilization. the best method is to place your jars into a pressure cooker but not everyone has access to one. The next best thing is a simple crockpot. you will need to place your jars in a crockpot filled with around 2-3 inches of water set on high for around 4-6 hours. this will effectively destroy any contaminates in your substrate.

now that you have sterilized jars you can store them in a cool dark place or use immediately. 

The next post we will discuss inoculation and proper sanitary techniques.       

 One of the most important steps in cultivating mushrooms is the inoculation process. If you are not extra mindful in your sterilization process; you will set yourself up for failure straight from the beginning. You will need several things. Make sure you have plenty of 70% isopropyl alcohol. You may think that using 90% would be better but it will evaporate too quick and not allow for a proper sterilization. Also, avoid using the green kind. This type contains extra artificial fragrances and other synthetic ingredients you will want to keep away from when growing organically. You will also need the following items

1. Spore syringe

2. Still air box

3.Sterilized substrate jars

4.Spray bottle for alcohol

5.gloves

6. Alcohol lamp or torch (do not use a regular lighter) 

There are several sources of contamination you need to be aware of.

1. Your environment

2. Your tools

3.YOURSELF

You will want to set your still air box (SAB from now on) in an area that can be easily sanitized, away from high traffic areas and free from moving air. A great location oddly is......a bathroom. A well cleaned bathroom using bleach and a spray sanitizer will provide you a great place for doing your inoculation. If your SAB is too large for your bathroom you will want to pick an area that meets the prior criteria and try to avoid carpeted areas. 

Your tools and your body are the primary source of contamination (assuming you properly sterilized your jars). Before you begin inoculation make sure you are freshly showered with an anti-bacterial soap and dressed in freshly washed clothes. Also, turn off your air conditioning to keep the air as still as possible.  

Once you are ready and in your sterile environment place all your tools inside your SAB and spray with alcohol along with the inside and lid. Place your gloved hands inside and spray both of your hands. Allow some time for the alcohol to evaporate. Begin by opening your spore syringe and remove the needle cap. Use your torch or lamp to flame sterilize the needle and hold at red hot for around 3 seconds. Then, take a pre opened alcohol wipe and swipe the needle to remove any carbon that may have built up. Position your needle tip so you can see the slanted opening and insert following the wall of your jar. This practice will help keep your needle from becoming clogged. Once fully inside lightly tap the plunger of your syringe and aim for 1/4 of a cc per hole. You will see the contents of the syringe disperse against the jar and be absorbed into the substrate. Once you are done place your syringe down, replace the foil top and set aside in another container. If done properly the jar can be exposed to the environment for a short period. Follow the same steps as before with each jar and with a little luck you will have contamination free jars. 

Now that you have jars rich with spores they now need to be incubated. A great way to get them started is to place them in your cabinet above your refrigerator. The heat from the back will provide a nice dark and warm place for your mycelium to thrive. If that is not possible you can use another plastic container placed on top of a heating pad set to low (make sure it does not have an auto-off feature) with a folded towel in between them. Cover with a thick towel or bedsheet to create a dark environment. After around 5-7 days you should see mycelium begin to grow. In the next post we will discuss How spores germinate, what mycelium is and different contaminations that may occur.