Using All in One Mushroom Grow Bags

Using all in one grow bags…

Using all in one mushroom grow bags is relatively easy, provided you do things correctly. Given that nobody is born with this knowledge we thought it might be helpful if we explained what you need to do!

It takes a while to explain things step by step, and a little while to read the instructions, but the actual work involved is quite small. Patience is the key when using all in one grow bags – patience to read instructions, patience to ensure everything to do and touch is sterile, patience to wait while mycelium takes over your grow bag and then a little more patience to wait for the actual mushrooms to start fruiting.

Before we get started on the ‘how to’ part, it will help if you understand some of the basics and vocabulary involved.

Things you need to know..

All in one bags
Our all in one mushroom grow bags are supplied with two basic components: sterilised rye grain and substrate. All in one bags are effectively the garden for your mushrooms. In order to grow mushrooms you will need inoculate material in the form of liquid culture, which you provide yourself.

CVG All in One Grow Bags
Our CVG all in one grow bags are only truly suitable for ‘manure loving mushrooms’ and are unsuitable for ‘wood loving’ mushrooms. Before buying you should check what type of substrate the type of mushroom you want to grow requires.

Inoculation – Inoculating your bag
Inoculating your grow bag is effectively the process of ‘seeding’ it by injecting it with inoculate material such as liquid mycelium culture

Spore Syringes
When using all in one grow bags we would never recommend using spore syringes because (1) it is a slower process than using liquid mycelium culture and (2) the risk of contamination is significantly higher.

Liquid Culture Syringes
You will find liquid culture syringes for almost all types of mushroom readily available online. Liquid culture syringes contain live mycelium floating in a nutrient solution.

Colonisation
When mycelium is added to a suitable food source it will start to grow and colonise the grain. What this means in practical terms is you will see white growth starting to occur in the regions of the bag where you injected your liquid culture. Your grain will change appearance until it is fully covered with healthy white live mycelium. This is called colonisation.

Using All in One Grow Bags

Basic process

In order to grow mushrooms you need to inoculate the grain section of the bag with your chosen inoculate material – ideally liquid culture. It probably helps to think of this as ‘seeding’ your grow bag. After inoculating the bag, mycelium will (hopefully!) start to form, giving the appearance of white mould which slowly spreads through the grain. This is what you want to see!

At a later stage, you can gently manipulate the bag in order to mix together the mostly colonised grain with the substrate. Once the whole block is colonised within the bag, you’re ready to move too the ‘fruiting’ stage, which is when the actual mushrooms start to grow. It’s a slow process (multiple weeks, not days), even when using all in one grow bags and the environment you store the bags in is perfect, so patience is always essential.

Before you start – Traceability

Avoiding contamination is a battle all mushroom growers face and, when it occurs, working out what caused it is very important (otherwise it will happen again and again). Grow bags provided by commerial suppliers are produced in strict sterile conditions and the contents sterilised to kill any possible contaminants. However, we advise to set aside any grow bags you buy for a week, leaving them in a cool location away from sunlight. This allows you to confirm the sterility of the bag contents and will help you better trace where any subsequent contamination came from. Typically, contamination is caused by inadequate sterile working, contaminated inoculate syringes (or needles) or incorrect handling. Most contamination is visible 3-7 days after being introduced to a grow bag, so if you keep a simple diary of all contact you have with your grow bags you will better be able to trace the cause. We will not offer replacement bags or refunds for bags that have been inoculated, so this check is most definitely in your best interests.

Step 1 – Prep

When using all in one grow bags, clean your hands, all surfaces and all the equipment you will be using with 70% alcohol. If you have them, wear disposable nitrile gloves (and a facemask if you have one). Once done, you’re good to go.

Step 2 – Inoculation

Mycelium liquid culture

Next, get your liquid culture syringe ready for use. Remove it from its packaging and attach the needle that should have come with it. Take care not to touch the needle itself, just its outer packaging when you attach it.

If you are re-using a needle or using one that did not come in sealed sterile packing, flame sterilise it before use (it needs to glow red hot) then cool it by sucking in and ejecting a small amount of liquid culture.

Use a sterile wipe or paper towel sprayed with alcohol and wipe the black injection port on your grow bag. Gently invert the syringe a few times or gently shake it to distribute the mycelium evenly inside the syringe (otherwise you’ll only be injecting water). Firmly push the needle into the bag via the injection port and inject 5-10ml of culture into the bag. To avoid the injection port getting knocked off and exposing the hole your needle made, putting a strip of tape over the port is a good idea.

Gently manipulate the bag by pulling the neck gussets apart, allowing a small amount of air to enter the bag via the air filter – never touch the filter. Mycelium, like you, needs air to breathe and grow properly. Pulling the gussets apart around the filter will cause air to be drawn inside. All you need to do is make sure there is an open space behind the filter to allow air to travel down to the bag contents – more air will be drawn in naturally over time. Note that your grow bag will have been sterilised at high temperature, which makes bags more ‘brittle’, so take care not to handle them roughly as this can cause holes and tears to appear, especially on folds, seams and creases. It’s all too easy to get over-enthusiastic and burst the bag or dig holes with fingernails.

Store your inoculated all in one grow bag in a place where it can sit and incubate, undisturbed by curious hands, where temperature will be a constant 19-23C (the exact incubation temperature will vary according to the mushroom type you are growing) and where it is out of sunlight. Airing cupboards are rarely a good idea as temperature will vary significantly. Leave the bag undisturbed for at least a week before you take another peek.

Step 3 – Mixing

Live Mycelium

After one to two weeks, the first faint signs of colonisation will begin to appear. You’ll see white blotches starting to pop up, which will be mycelium growing. Once you’ve satisfied yourself that life exists, leave the bag alone for a couple of weeks before looking again. By then, a large percentage of your grain will have been colonised by mycelium. Once it is at least 75% colonised, (100% is best) take the bag and gently manipulate it to break up the grain and mix the contents of the bag together evenly. This will speed up the remaining colonisation process. Never open the bag at this stage!

Once the mix is evenly distributed, put the bag back into its storage spot and leave to incubate again and wait until the bag contents become one solid lump, covered in mycelium. Once you’re happy this has been done, leave the bag alone for a further 5 days to ensure the very centre of the ball is fully colonised. If you see tiny mushrooms (called pins) starting to appear, this simply confirms full colonisation.

Step 4 – Fruiting

Once your grow bag is fully colonised, it’s time to start the ‘fruiting’ process. Mushrooms won’t start growing properly if you simply leave the bag as it is. They need a trigger to start their reproduction process (which is what causes the mushrooms to grow). We do this by cutting the top section of the bag off, just below the heat seal, leaving it in a loosely folded position, allowing small amounts of air to enter whilst still  trapping humidity inside the bag. Maintaining humidity in the bag is very important.

Keep the bag out of direct sunlight and maintain the recommended fruiting temperature (this will vary according to the specific mushroom type you are growing). 4-5 times a day, ruffle the bag in order to force an exchange of air inside the bag. Your mushrooms need fresh oxygen. You need to maintain a constant level of humidity (you want to see traces of condensation in the upper sides of the bag). With a FINE spray, gently mist water inside the bag once or twice a day, spraying the sides of the bag and not the growing block itself. To avoid damaging your mushrooms, it’s best to stop misting once the first mushrooms start to appear.

Step 5 – Harvesting

As your mushrooms get bigger they’ll develop a veil under their caps, a bit like a thin layer of skin. Once this veil tears, a mushroom is ready to be picked. Hopefully your mushrooms will all grow at the same time and speed, but it often doesn’t happen that way! To pick a mushroom, grasp the lowest point of the stem and gently twist, pulling gently as you do. You want to disturb the mycelium it grew from as little as possible.

Step 6 – Eat

Step 7 – Additional Flushes

Each harvest is referred to as a flush and if you do it right, you should get 2-3 flushes from your bag. You’ll often find that mushrooms from the 2nd flush are the largest. Once you have picked all the mushrooms from your first flush, spray the insides of the bag again and put it back into incubation again. Typically, a second flush will appear a week or so later.