Materials and Space Needed –

– Clean (sanitized) area with indirect sunlight, temperatures ranging from 40 to 70 degrees F, and a relative humidity of 70% to 80%

– Gloves, isopropyl alcohol, scissors, outdoor raised or in-ground bed

– Good Mushroom Blewit liquid culture syringe

– Good Mushroom Hardwood Substrate Bag

–  Other substrate materials can include wood chip, straw, mulch, and/or wood shavings

– Optional materials include hair net, face mask

Step 1 – Sanitize all materials using isopropyl alcohol including your work space, liquid culture syringe and needle, and the entire outside of the substrate grow bag.

Step 2 – Shake the liquid culture syringe thoroughly to mix the mycelium. Attach the needle to the syringe, and inject 4 to 5 ml of liquid culture through the self healing port of the hardwood substrate bag in 3 to 4 different locations in the substrate by rotating the needle.

Step 3 – Re-sterilize the self healing port with isopropyl alcohol and place the starter substrate bag in a dark, room-temp location, and let it sit undisturbed.

Step 4 – After 30% to 40% of the substrate has been colonized, gently redistribute the mycelium throughout the bag to help increase the rate of growth and coverage. Let it sit until it is 100% colonized.

Step 5 – Prepare your bed in a location with indirect sunlight that includes a soil or mulch floor, is 6 to 12 inches deep, and is free of weeds and sod.

Step 6 – Gently massage your fully colonized substrate bag until there are egg-sized chunks of substrate. Layer the bottom of the bed with your substrate to a depth of 2 inches.

Step 7 – Layer your first layer of substrate with a thin layer of other substrate materials such as wood chips, straw, leaf litter, and yard compost. Repeat this process until you’ve used all your colonized substrate. 

Step 8 – Water your mushroom bed by hand or a sprinkler to evenly build up the moisture, or use a spray bottle to thoroughly moisten your monotub.

Step 9 – Cover the bed with straw or a thin mulch layer, or your monotub with a a lid, to help hold in moisture, while watering/misting when needed.

Step 9 – Blewit mushrooms will typically begin to fruit in the Fall. These mushrooms require cold snaps around freezing to induce pinning. You will notice lavender caps or pins begin to emerge through the top of your bed.

Step 10 – Harvesting your mushrooms will take place when the cap begins to flatten as it umbrellas. Simply pick the mushroom by twisting it from the top of the bed and remove any substrate from the bottom of the stem.