Mycology 101: A Beginner's Guide to Mushroom Cultivation
Everything you need to know to start growing mushrooms at home or commercially. Learn the fundamentals of mushroom biology, cultivation methods, and best practices.
Mycology 101: A Beginner's Guide to Mushroom Cultivation
Welcome to the fascinating world of mushroom cultivation! Whether you're looking to grow gourmet mushrooms for your kitchen, start a commercial operation, or simply explore the science of fungi, this guide will give you the foundation you need to get started.
What is Mycology?
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including mushrooms, yeasts, and molds. For cultivators, understanding basic mycology concepts is essential for successful mushroom growing.
Fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants! They don't photosynthesize like plants—instead, they absorb nutrients from their environment.
The Fungal Life Cycle
Mushrooms are just the fruiting bodies of fungi—similar to how an apple is the fruit of a tree. The main body of the fungus is the mycelium, a network of thread-like cells called hyphae that grow through the substrate (growing medium).
The basic life cycle looks like this:
- Spore germination - Spores land on a suitable substrate and begin to grow
- Mycelial growth - Hyphae extend and colonize the substrate
- Primordia formation - Environmental triggers cause "pins" or baby mushrooms to form
- Fruiting body development - Pins mature into full mushrooms
- Sporulation - Mature mushrooms release spores, completing the cycle
Essential Cultivation Concepts
Substrate Types
The substrate is the material that provides nutrients for mycelium growth. Different mushroom species prefer different substrates:
| Substrate | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hardwood sawdust | Shiitake, Lion's Mane | Must be supplemented |
| Straw | Oyster mushrooms | Easy for beginners |
| Grain (rye, wheat) | Quick Expansion of mycelium and efficient transfer to fruiting substrate | High nutrient content |
| Liquid culture | Bulk expansion of mycelium | Can be skipped entirely |
| Agar | Culture work | For isolation and storage |
Start with oyster mushrooms on straw—they're the most forgiving species for beginners and can fruit in a wide range of conditions.
Sterile Technique
Contamination is the biggest challenge in mushroom cultivation. Molds, bacteria, and competing fungi are everywhere in our environment and will quickly outcompete mushroom mycelium if given the chance.
Work in a Clean Environment
Use a still air box (SAB) or laminar flow hood to create a clean workspace. Turn off fans and HVAC systems to minimize air movement.
Sterilize Your Tools
Flame-sterilize scalpels and inoculation loops before each use. Wipe surfaces with 70% isopropyl alcohol.
Practice Good Hygiene
Wash hands thoroughly, wear clean clothes, and consider using gloves and a face mask during sensitive operations.
Work Quickly
The less time your cultures are exposed to open air, the lower the chance of contamination.
The Cultivation Workflow
A typical cultivation workflow progresses through several stages, each with specific requirements:
Stage 1: Culture Work (Agar)
Working with agar plates allows you to:
- Isolate clean cultures from tissue or spores
- Store genetics long-term
- Verify culture health before scaling up
When you create a new agar plate, log it in MycoQR with the strain, source, and date—this becomes your reference point for everything that follows.
Never skip the agar stage when working with new genetics. It's your first line of defense against contamination.
Stage 2: Liquid Culture (Optional)
Liquid culture (LC) is a nutrient-rich broth that allows mycelium to grow in suspension. Many cultivators use LC as an intermediate step between agar and grain—especially those doing bulk inoculations or working without a sterile lab environment.
Why Use Liquid Culture?
- Closed-system inoculation - Inject through self-healing ports without opening bags to air—ideal if you lack a sterile lab or laminar flow hood
- Bulk inoculation efficiency - One healthy LC jar can inoculate dozens of grain bags quickly
- Reduced contamination risk - No need to expose sterile grain to open air during inoculation (unlike agar transfers)
Use LC if you:
- Plan to inoculate many grain bags at once (bulk operations)
- Don't have a laminar flow hood or sterile lab environment
- Want to inoculate injection-port bags without opening them
Skip LC if you:
- Have a laminar flow hood and can do clean agar-to-grain transfers
- Are working with small batches where agar wedges suffice
Basic LC Recipe:
- 4% light malt extract (or honey) in distilled water
- Sterilize at 15 PSI for 20-30 minutes
- Allow to cool completely before inoculating
When preparing a batch of liquid culture, record the recipe and grain lot in MycoQR so you can correlate it with downstream results.
Healthy liquid culture should be clear with white, wispy mycelium. If your LC turns cloudy, smells sour, or develops colored blobs, it's contaminated and should be discarded.
Stage 3: Spawn Production (Grain)
Once you have a clean culture (from agar or LC), you'll transfer it to grain spawn:
- Grain provides high nutrition for rapid mycelium growth
- Colonized grain can be used to inoculate bulk substrates
- Proper grain preparation is critical—moisture content should be around 45-50%
Log each grain jar as a new item when you inoculate—note which culture it came from and the grain lot used. This lineage tracking pays off when troubleshooting later.
Stage 4: Bulk Substrate
The final growth stage before fruiting:
- Mix colonized spawn with bulk substrate (sawdust, straw, etc.)
- Maintain proper humidity and temperature during colonization
- Watch for signs of contamination
Create a new item for each substrate block or bag, linking it to its parent grain spawn. Record the spawn-to-substrate ratio and substrate recipe for future optimization.
Stage 5: Fruiting
When fully colonized, introduce fruiting conditions:
- Increase fresh air exchange (FAE)
- Maintain high humidity (85-95%)
- Provide indirect light (12 hours on/off)
- Harvest when caps are still slightly curled under
Move items to the "Fruiting" stage in MycoQR and record each harvest weight—this data drives your yield analytics and helps you identify your best-performing genetics.
Contamination: Prevention and Troubleshooting
Contamination is inevitable—even experienced cultivators deal with it. The key is minimizing its occurrence and learning from each incident.
Common Contaminants
| Contaminant | Appearance | Common Causes |
|---|---|---|
| Trichoderma | Starts out white like mycelium and turns into green patches | Poor sterilization, old substrate |
| Cobweb mold | Gray, wispy growth | High humidity, poor FAE |
| Bacterial | Wet, slimy spots | Too much moisture, dirty technique |
| Black mold | Dark spots | Environmental contamination |
The Value of Traceability
When contamination strikes, the first question is always: where did it come from?
If a batch contaminates, being able to see that it all used the same grain lot and SAB session helps you pinpoint the weak link. Maybe that bag of grain wasn't fully sterilized. Maybe your SAB had a draft that day. Without records, you're just guessing.
Say you notice green mold on three substrate blocks. Checking your records, you see they all came from grain jar G-042, which was inoculated during the same session as five other jars. You can immediately inspect those siblings for early signs of trouble—and trace back to whether the issue was the LC, the grain prep, or the transfer technique.
When you mark an item as contaminated in MycoQR, sibling items are automatically flagged as at-risk, prompting you to inspect them before problems spread.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Rushing the process - Mycelium needs time to fully colonize before fruiting
- Poor moisture control - Too wet causes bacterial contamination; too dry stalls growth
- Inadequate sterilization - Don't cut corners on sterile technique
- Wrong temperature - Most species prefer 70-75°F (21-24°C) for colonization
- Not keeping records - You can't improve what you don't measure
Building Good Habits Early
The cultivators who improve fastest are the ones who track their work from day one. It doesn't have to be complicated:
- Log each item when you create it (agar plate, LC jar, grain bag, substrate block)
- Record the lineage so you know which parent culture each item came from
- Note environmental conditions like temperature and humidity
- Track outcomes including colonization time, contamination, and harvest weights
This data compounds over time. After a few grows, you'll start seeing patterns: which strains perform best on which substrates, which techniques minimize contamination, and where your process has room to improve.
Create your first cultivation items in MycoQR to begin tracking your grows. The data you collect now will be invaluable as you refine your techniques.
Next Steps
Now that you understand the basics:
- Choose your species - Start with oyster mushrooms for the easiest experience
- Gather your supplies - You'll need a pressure cooker, still air box, and basic lab supplies
- Start with a kit - Consider a pre-made grow kit for your first attempt
- Join a community - Local mycology clubs and online forums are great resources
- Keep learning - Every grow teaches you something new
Continue Your Education
Ready to go deeper? The Mycology series continues with advanced topics:
- Mycology 102: Mastering Sterile Technique & Culture Work - Deep dive into agar, liquid culture, and contamination prevention
- Mycology 103: Substrate Science & Spawn Production - Master grain preparation and bulk substrate formulation
- Mycology 104: Environmental Control & Fruiting Mastery - Optimize conditions for maximum yield
- Mycology 105: Troubleshooting, Optimization & Scaling - Diagnostic skills and scaling considerations
Happy cultivating!