How to Grow Mushrooms From Spores

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By Philip McIntosh
eHow Contributing Writer

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A collection of Agaricus Mushrooms

Mushrooms can be grown from spores or from tissue culture. Spore culture results in a genetically diverse mushroom population. Spore culture is useful when isolating and testing new strains. Procedures for growing mushrooms are species-specific. It is assumed that the grower knows how to grow a particular mushroom of interest once sufficient spawn is obtained.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Mushroom spores Malt extract agar (MEA) Petri dishes (plates) Species-suitable substrate Alcohol lamp Inoculating loop Sodium chloride solution (0.9 percent W/V) Pressure cooker Test tubes Erlenmeyer flasks Parafilm or plastic wrap Jars or bags for spawn production

Preparing the Materials

Step 1

Prepare 500-1000 ml of MEA in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Step 2

Place the sodium chloride solution in test tubes and the MEA in Erlenmeyer flasks. Do not fill tubes and flasks more than half-full and cap loosely.
Step 3

Sterilize the sodium chloride solution, MEA and Petri dishes (if unsterile) in a pressure cooker at 121 degrees C and 15PSI for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 4

Remove MEA, sodium chloride solution and Petri dishes from the pressure cooker and allow to cool.
Step 5

When the MEA has cooled enough to handle, but before it solidifies, carefully lift the cover of each Petri dish, pour in 10 to 20 ml of molten MEA.
Step 6

Let MEA plates and sodium chloride cool to room temperature.

Plating the Spores

Step 1

Sterilize the loop in an alcohol flame. Let the wire get red hot, then cool for 5 seconds.
Step 2

Dip the loop into the sodium chloride solution to collect a drop of fluid. Spread the drop over a small area on the spore print (or other source of spores) to create a liquid/spore mixture. Repeat several times, sterilizing the loop in between.
Step 3

Dip the loop into the sodium chloride/spore suspension to collect spores in the loop.
Step 4

Lift the cover of an agar plate just far enough to allow access of the loop.
Step 5

Smear the spore suspension in the loop over the surface of the agar, and recover the plate. Repeat for as many plates as desired (at least five or six).
Step 6

Seal the agar plates with Parafilm or plastic wrap to prevent drying. Incubate the spores at temperature and light conditions suitable for the species.
Step 7

Agaricus Mushroom Spores

Observe the plates every few days to look for germination. White fuzzy growth (a mycelium) on the agar surface indicates the presence of a fungus (but it might not be a fungus that grew from the spores).

Isolating a Pure Culture

Step 1

Compare the mycelium with published descriptions of the mycelium you are trying to grow.
Step 2

If the mycelium looks as expected, purify the culture by cutting out pieces and transferring to fresh agar plates.
Step 3

Continue cutting out pieces from the leading edge of the expanding colonies until a pure, bacteria-free, isolate is obtained.

Spawn Preparation

Step 1

Cut out and transfer pieces of purified mycelium into jars of sterilized grain or wood chip substrate. The type of substrate used depends on the mushroom species.
Step 2

Incubate the spawn masters in conditions suitable for the species, until the substrate is fully colonized with mycelium.
Step 3

Periodically shake the spawn containers to break up the substrate and speed colonization.
Step 4

Use the spawn masters to inoculate other spawn containers to produce more spawn.

Inoculating the Mushroom Growing Substrate

Step 1

Shake the spawn containers vigorously to break up the spawn.
Step 2

Pour the spawn into bags or trays of mushroom growing substrate.
Step 3

Thoroughly mix the spawn into the substrate by stirring or shaking.
Step 4

Proceed according to published methods for growing out the mycelium and initiating fruiting for the species under cultivation.