Phase One: (Step 9) Let it GROW!! Growing Mycelium into Grain Spawn

Disclaimer: What are Your Intentions For Growing or Using?

Last Step of Phase One - Let it Grow

You have done it!!! This last step is by far the easiest of phase one. 

Be patient. I remember at around day 10 after inoculation, I was ready to throw out the whole lot, because NOTHING was growing in those jars. I couldn't see any of the white of the mycelium, or any other weird stuff growing (which is great!). 

I would look everyday, sometimes twice a day. I was praying over them, talking to them... and nothing!

It was around day 12ish that I saw the first growth. I was so crazy excited! From there it just took off. I was shocked that it took a full 4 or 5 weeks to colonize the whole jar. It was so long ago, I don't remember the exact time. It felt like in my mind that it was about a month. 

I also remember that I was not ready for phase 2 yet. I was able to wait about a week, but there were sooooo many hyphal knots, I was sure it was going to start pinning anytime. 

I'll talk about timing of this later in the article. You can make it last a couple weeks longer or make it grow a week, maybe two faster.  

What You Need:  

🟧 Black sharpie marker

🟧 Label or painters tape

🟧 Box with a lid (not clear... the mycelium needs the dark). It can be multiple boxes if needed. The quart jars will need to fit in the box, with the lid on. 

🟧 Thermometer and Humidity Reader, you won't need the humidity part for phase one, but the thermometer is helpful to find out what temperature your grain spawn is growing in. 

What to do

Now that the jars have been inoculated, it's time to get these jars into the darkness, and let the mycelium grow.   

• Label the inoculated jars. 
• I personally didn't need to do this, because all of my jars had the exact same mycelium growing. 
• Additionally, this was going to be my only grow for years to come. But if you do need to label them, be sure to do this before you put them away for a month. 

• Place the jars in a box with a lid - or in a dark cupboard. 
  
• The jars will need to be in darkness as the mycelium is growing. Think about how nature does this. Mycelium grows under the ground... in the dark! We are trying to create those same circumstances.
  
• After I bought my pressure cooker, I realized that box was the perfect size for this. It fit all 10 jars, with some extra room. I just shoved an old towel in there, so the jars were packed in tight. 
• If you don't want to use a box, that is fine. You can put them under a bed, or in a cupboard. You just want to make sure they have darkness. Some ambient light will be fine. 
• The box is helpful so you don't accidentally drop one of the jars as you are looking at them. You can pull all of the jars out at once.
  

•  Place a thermometer next to the jars, to keep an eye on the temperature.
  
• Depending on the type of mushroom you are growing, you are going to need to keep a certain temperature range for the mycelium to grow at. 
• You want the mycelium to grow as fast as possible, decreasing the chances of other contaminants to take hold. 
• For instance, I grew Golden Teachers (psilocybin cubensis). They love warm climates. The mycelium really likes to grow when it's between 78-80 degrees. 

• Check on the jars at least twice a week.  There are several reasons for this. 
• It's really fun to do! Watching the progress of the mycelium growing is quite satisfying. 
• It help you figure out how much time you have until you need to start phase 2.
• It will also let you keep an eye out for any contamination. If there is contamination, you will need to throw it out immediately. I will write more about contamination in another post. 
• Keep an eye on the moisture. Once the mycelium is growing, the inside of the jars should have beads of water on them. If it's getting to dry, you might need to have a different type of heat source. See below for other ideas about keeping the mycelium warm. 

• Do not ever open the jars. 
• This might be tempting, if you think they might need more moisture, or you are curious. 
• If you open the jars you will most likely get a contamination. The food source in those jars WANTS to be colonized. So keep those jars closed until they are fully colonized and ready for phase 2.

• Let it grow! This part is easy... just wait. 
• When the mycelium is first growing, you don't want to disturb it by shaking the jars. I talk more about this in the next section about encouraging growth. 

 

How to Encourage or Discourage Mycelium to Grow

 

Because of timing (maybe you will be out of town for a long period of time, or you are having surgery or something) you might want to encourage or discourage growth of the mycelium. 

 

If you want to encourage growth, make it warmer (not too warm though!), and break up the mycelium so there are strong patches of it throughout the jar. You want at least 30% of the jar established before you shake it up. If the temperature is right, this can happen between week 1-3, depending on the type of mycelium you are growing, and the growing conditions. 

 

To discourage growth you will do just the opposite. First, you can make the temperature cooler, but realize you will risk more contamination, so beware! If the mycelium grows too slow, it can give other contaminants the chance to start growing. 

 

Secondly, you can also just leave the jars without breaking up the mycelium.  

 Temperature 

 

Temperature plays a crucial role in both the growth of the mycelium and the then the fruiting of it, to make the mushrooms. So do the research on the type of mushrooms you are growing.

Here are some common mushrooms types and the temperatures they like when growing and fruiting. 

Psilocybe Cubensis (Golden Teacher, B+, penis envy, hillbilly, etc.) mushrooms are tropical mushrooms. The mushrooms and mycelium are generally the happiest between 70°F – 80°F (21°C – 27°C). While they will grow in colder temperatures, their growth rates will be be far from nominal, and not ideal for cultivation. Sometimes the mushrooms will not fruit if the temperature drops below 68-70°F (20°C – 21°C). So if you are struggling to get them to fruit, this might be the reason. 

 

Psilocybe Cyanescens (wavy caps, potent psilocybe) are very different than cubensis. You can grow the mycelium in 65-75°F (18-24°C). However, fruiting will only begin with the simulation of a fall environment, at temperatures between  50-65°F (10-18°C). So these are great to grow during the winter! You can grow the mycelium indoors, and then just put them outdoors when you want them to fruit in the fall and spring.

  

Temperature Control

 

Temperature can be super tricky. If you don't have an HVAC system to control the temperature, and you have to use a smaller AC/Heater unit, this InkBird heat thermostat is a really helpful tool to keep the temperature even. 

 

InkBird Thermostat Power Draw Considerations

This thermostat can be used to accurately to regulate grow room temperatures. This is required as both the ACs and heaters are not sensitive enough to accurately control the temperature by themselves. The InkBird thermostat in the link is a reliable device which works well, and supports electric devices that draw up to 1800W.

So do your homework. Make sure your device you hook up to this doesn't draw more than 1800w of power, or this won't work. 

Too Warm or Hot

Mycelium likes it warm, but not hot. Mycelium will struggle growing at 96.8° F (36° C), and will die at 104° F (40° C) . 

Keep in mind that the temperature surrounding the jars is different than the temperature INSIDE the jars. 

If the temperature around the jars is lets say 80° F (26.5° C), the internal temperature of the jar could be as high as 84° F (29° C). This is what I've heard. I have not done any experiments with this myself. 

You will be shocked how warm those jars feel! As they mycelium is growing and eating the grains, they produce heat. They feel like little hand warmers. 

So be careful not to kill your mycelium by overheating it.  

If you have an AC in your home or grow room, then keeping the optimum temperature is just a matter of setting your AC temperature control between 74-76°F (23-24°C).

If you don’t already have an AC, you have two options. 

I am an amazon associate, thus if you click on this link and purchase that way, it does help me out. I have not bought or used either of these specifically. I have a home HVAC system.

• You can purchase a portable air conditioner, although these are pricey ($250-$500). These usually require a vent hole from your grow room to the outside, which is typically done through a window. 
  

• A slightly less expensive option is a small portable misting air cooler. This cooler chills the area directly in front of it and can be used in any size space. 

AC Unit Strength (BTUs) and Grow Room Size Considerations

A British Thermal Unit, or BTU, is an international energy measurement. By definition, a British Thermal Unit is the amount of heat needed to raise one pound of water, 1° Fahrenheit. The table below gives a rough estimate of the AC Unit Strength (BTU) which you will need for cooling your space, according to its size. For a more precise calculation, you can visit this link.

BTUs per Hour	Room Size (m²)	Room Size (ft²)
5000	9-14	100-150
6000	14-23	150-250
7000	23-28	250-300

Too Cold

This can be a serious problem too. The mycelium won't grow well, or many mushrooms won't fruit if it's too cold. Many of the commonly easy to grow cubensis like it really warm. They are tropical mushrooms.

If it is on the cooler side, expect the mycelium to grow slower, potentially allowing other contaminants to take hold. 

You can always wait until the spring, summer, or fall to grow, and make sure you grow enough to last until next year. You can freeze mushrooms, as well as store them in honey for long-term storage. 

If you REALLY need to grow in the winter (like I did) there are a few tricks I have heard of and learned in my search for understanding all of this: 

Warm Room Or Closet

I'll tell you what worked for me. I'm lucky to have a room in my home that is warmer than every other room. If I set my thermostat to 68 degrees, that room is 70 degrees. That was super helpful for my mycelium! 

When I later needed the mushrooms to fruit, I needed it even warmer. I increased the thermostat to 70 degrees, and that room was between 72-74. It was perfect! 

Space Heater

You should choose a heater that is appropriate for the size of your room. To this end, you can refer to the table below. 

Please, please, please be careful with these! They cause hundreds of home fires each year. Here are 10 basic space heater safety tips: 

1. Check the space heater’s safety certifications, choosing one with a safety certification label from a respected independent testing organization, such as Underwriters Laboratories, Intertek or CSA Group.

2. Make sure the space heater has safety features like it  automatically shuts off when it starts to overheat or tips over. 
   

3. Don’t use extension cords and power strips if possible. If you have to, the InkBird heat thermostat is the best choice because it is meant to control units like these, and is another fail-safe if the unit overheats.  
   

4. Place the space heater out of harm’s way, keeping it at least three feet away from anything flammable, such as curtains, rugs, beds and clothes. Also, avoid placing space heaters on carpet or in high-traffic areas where they could become a tripping hazard. 

5. Keep kids and pets away from space heaters

6. Place space heaters on a flat and level surface to avoid tip overs.

7. Don’t hide space heater cords by running it under a rug or pice of furniture. This poses a fire risk.

8. Turn off your space heater when you can’t monitor it. If you need to, using the InkBird heat thermostat will be another fail-safe in case the safety mechanisms in the heater fail.
   

9. Get rid of space heaters running too hot. If your space heater or its power cord is hot to the touch, turn it off and unplug it ASAP. Don’t plug in the space heater again. Throw it away. 

10. Regularly inspect your space heater, and immediately replace it if there is a cracked or frayed cord, damaged prongs or loose connections.
    

You should pay close attention to safety considerations when choosing a heater. I am an amazon associate, thus if you click on this link and purchase that way, it does help me out. 

I like this heater: Ceramic Space Heater 

This heater has an auto shut off if the heater falls over, an auto shut off it it gets too hot, thus preventing fires. If you intend to use the InkBird Thermostat Regulator I recommended above, make sure your heater doesn’t draw more than 1800W. This space heater I'm recommending pulls 1500 w.

Heater Strength (wattage) and Thermostat Considerations With Grow Room Size

Heater Watts	Room Size (m²)	Room Size (ft²)
250	4	43
500	7	75
750	12	129
1000	14	150
1500	21	226

Heating Pad / Blanket

I've seen many people saying that they use a heating pad or heated blanket successfully. However there are some serious concerns to take into consideration.

Heating pads or heating blankets are not meant to stay on 24 hours a day for 2 months! They could easily cause a fire. Here are basic safety tips if you choose to go this route:

1. Check the heating pad/blanket for safety certifications, choosing one with a safety certification label from a respected independent testing organization, such as Underwriters Laboratories, Intertek or CSA Group.

2. Make sure the heating pad/blanket has safety features like it automatically shuts off when it starts to overheat. 
   

3. Don’t use extension cords and power strips if possible. The InkBird heat thermostat will not work with these because it only controls the temperature of the room itself.   
   

4. Get rid of heating pad/blanket running too hot. If your heating pad/blanket or its power cord is hot to the touch, turn it off and unplug it ASAP. Don’t plug it in again. Throw it away. 

5. Regularly inspect your heating pad/blanket, and immediately replace it if there is a cracked or frayed cord, damaged prongs or loose connections.

Additionally, keep in mind that heating pads/blankets fluctuate in their temperature (you could kill your mycelium). Often they run way too hot, and dry out your grain jars. If your jars of grain get too dry, you are out of luck. You are not able to mist them with additional water. This will contaminate them. 

If you choose to use the heating pad method, there were several good ideas that people proposed to help with these issues listed above.  

• Put the heating pad on top of dresser, with the jars in the top drawer. 
• Place the heating pad on top of your box or bin.
  
• Be sure to place the heating pad above the jars. This is safer and will not dry your jars much.

Oven Light

A method I've seen in forums is to put the jars in the cabinet above the oven light and keep the oven light on...the heat from the oven light gets the temp above 80 degrees! 

Keep a close eye on the temperature. As mentioned above, the internal temperature of the jar is different than the temperature in the surrounding area. It's a LOT hotter inside the jar by several degrees. 

Lamp / Incubator

How do you keep small animals warm at night? You can use a special lamp for this, or an incubator. These were intended to be on for long periods of time. It seems like a lot more safer route to me.

This could be a great way to maintain temperature in the area. 

Keep the jars in a box (for darkness), and possible think about wrapping it in a blanket. However, this might not give enough oxygen to the mycelium. So watch it closely. 

The InkBird heat thermostat will help keep the temperature in the room stable if you use this method.

Aquarium Heater With Tubs

First get two of the big rubbermaid tubs, the same size. 

Then get a fully submersible fish tank heater. You can set these to an exact degree, and are very consistent in their temperatures.

Secure the heater so it is slightly elevated from the bottom but don't let it float so that it doesn't touch any plastic. Also make sure the heater is completely submerged. 

Now put the heater and some water in the bottom tub. Then put the second tub inside the first one. The second one will will be floating on top of the water, but will stay dry. 

The containers together fit snugly, but you can still let the power cord come out between the containers.

Put the inoculated grain jars into the top tub, and make sure there's always enough water in the bottom tub with the heater, or you'll start a fire. 

Aquarium Heater with Jars of Water

Get an aquarium heater, 50 watts is enough. Put the heater in a jar of water. One guy used two of these, one in each corner of the box the grain jars are in. 

Watch you water levels. You can cause a fire if the water levels get too low.

Water Bed

One guy mentioned that he used his water bed to keep them heated. Clever! 

Reptile Heater

Go to a pet store and in the reptile section they have heaters that look like rocks. One guy bought a small one and use it in conjunction with other methods mentioned above.

Water Heater

One person puts the jars on top of a hot water heater. Its always about 86 degrees. the perfect temperature. Since the heat radiates to the bottom it encourages the bottom to colonize faster, too. It costs no extra money, and its a dark area where no one ever goes, so its discreet.

How Long Can I Wait to Start Phase Two?

Once the jars are fully colonized, you can't wait too long to start phase two. At the top of the jars you will see huge masses of beautiful white mycelium, ready to grow some mushrooms for you (fruit bodies). 

Grain spawn contains a lot of energy or food for the mycelium to consume. It’s a bit like rocket fuel for mushrooms. Once it’s added to your substrate, it will grow like wild fire.

Eventually, the mycelium wants to start fruiting. To do that it will first create something called a hyphal knot. You can think of a hyphal knot as the beginning of a young mushroom, which is also knows as a primordium. These baby mushrooms or "pins" form a pinhead as it starts to evolve and sprout from it's mycelial phase. This phase is also called pinning. 

The picture below shows both pins and hyphal knots. The pins are colored brown, and look like the tiniest of baby mushrooms. The knots are white concentrated spots, that look like some thread has knotted up (what a great name for it... "knots").

When you read about others growing mushrooms, they will talk about "pins", and now you know what they are talking about. It's the smallest form of a fruiting body of the mushroom starting to grow. They look just like the top of a sewing pin. 

 

If you try and wait, even in the darkness, the mushrooms will start to pin and WILL start to grow! You don't want this, because you will have a tiny flush of mushrooms. 

You want to get the mycelium it into substrate (kind of like dirt) before the mushrooms start pinning. That way, you will have a HUGE yeild of mushrooms. 

You have not put in all this effort, time, and money to get it wrong now!!

I prayed over these grain jars from the very beginning of this process. I was growing these mushrooms for medicine, and see them as a sacred medicine. I pray over them in gratitude and love, asking God to watch over them, and to help me know how to take care of them. 

Please read this article to understand my intentions and for you to understand yours as well:

What are Your Intentions For Growing or Using?

My prayers were answered! I was helped every step of the way. 

I recommend you do the same. If you don't believe in God, then pray to the universe or the energy of the earth. Pray for help. You will get it. 

With 10 jars of grain, I was able to grow over 420 grams of dried mushrooms, in which the majority I gave away. I just kept the little that I needed for my own medicine, to treat the suicidal bipolar depression I have.

 

9 Steps of Growing Psilocybin Mushrooms: Making Grain Spawn

1. (Step 1) Planning - Timing and Schedule Breakdown
2. (Step 2) List of Items You Need
3. (Step 3) Making the Lids
4. (Step 4) Prepare the Rye Berries for the Pressure Cooker
5. (Step 5) Clean Room - Set up and Cleaning 
6. (Step 6) Using the Pressure Cooker for the Grain Jars
7. (Step 7) Last Prep for Clean Room
8. (Step 8) Inoculation of Grain Jars
9. (Step 9) Let it GROW!! Growing Mycelium into Grain Spawn