Growing mushrooms at home can be a great idea for mushroom lovers. Yet, you should understand how to create the most ideal substrate. As a result, mushrooms can grow well. Interestingly, some people use coco peat bulk as one of the materials. Here, we want to show you the steps to make a substrate for growing mushrooms at home.
Prepare the Critical Materials to Create Coco Peat Bulk
You only need four different materials, which are coco peat, dried vermiculite, gypsum, and water. The standard coco peat you have to use for this project is 650 grams. The dried vermiculite, gypsum, and water you need in this recipe for each are 8 cups, 1 cup, and 16 cups.
Prepare the Media to Mix the Materials
Say the materials above are ready. Now, you also have to prepare the items to mix the materials. The process will be so fun because you can use items you have at home. The items you are about to use in this project are a large pot, a large bucket with a cover, a measuring cup, and a spoon.
You Need Hot Water
You need a bowl of hot water for this project. Because of that, pour the water into a large bowl and boil it at 74 degrees Celsius or 165 degrees Fahrenheit temperature. The function of the hot water in this project is for the pasteurization process. Pasteurization is critical in this project since it helps to kill pathogens that will disturb the growth of your mushroom.
Place All Materials into the Bucket
Place the coco peat bulk, vermiculite, and gypsum into the bucket. Pour the hot water into the bucket with all materials on it once the water is ready. Let this mixture for a few minutes for a perfect pasteurization process.
Break the Mixture into Pieces
In this phase, the pasteurization process is done. Now, get a spoon and gently stir the mixture. The purpose of stirring the mixture is not only to make the materials prevalently but also to break them into pieces. The smaller the materials the better for a mushroom-growing medium. It triggers mycelium to colonize. Mycelium is a fungus that acts as the root structure of the mushrooms. This fungus loves to grow in media with a lot of nutrients and water.
Tightly Close the Bucket
Ensure that the bucket is dense enough with the substrate. After that, tightly close the bucket. Let the bucket in room temperature for about six hours. It helps to cool down the temperature before moving to the next step.
Open the Bucket and Mix the Substrate
Open the bucket after letting it for six hours. Get a clean spoon and mix the substrate in the bucket. In this phase, the substrate should be pasteurized. Squeeze the substrate. The process is successful if it doesn’t fall out and only produces a few drops of water.
Add Mushroom Spawn
Add mushroom spawn on the substrate. This process is known as inoculation. Next, incubate the bucket in a dark area at 18 to 25 degrees Celsius temperature. Keep the temperature and let the bucket cool for 3 to 4 weeks. Now, you can harvest fresh mushrooms at home. Best of all, the substrate is only made of coco peat bulk and other easy-to-find materials. Well done! You can serve delicious meals made of mushrooms anytime you want.
If you interest to know more information about coco peat and othercoconut derivative products , you can visit our website, You can also click link WhatsApp here to connect directly with us.
