Growing your favorite mushrooms just got a lot easier with our all-in-one grow bag system, the ShroomTek. This pre-sterilized grain and manure substrate mix is all you need to grow your favorite dung-loving mushrooms with ease - no prior experience growing mushrooms is required! The ShroomTek is designed as a self-contained growing chamber, but it can be used in conjunction monotub with a Boomr Bin monotub or BoomRoom II grow tent for improved temperature and humidity control.
Why use the ShroomTek All-In-One Bag?
ShroomTek contains all the necessary ingredients to grow dung-loving mushrooms without the hassle of mixing different substrates or the expense of sterilization equipment. Simply inject your favorite spores or live culture into the bag, wait for the mycelium to colonize, slice a hole in the bag just above the substrate for fresh air exchange, and wait for your mushrooms to fruit! It offers peace of mind through convenience, reduced contamination risk, a controlled environment, and a beginner-friendly approach to growing mushrooms at home.
How to use Your ShroomTek
Your ShroomTek all-in-one bag is easy to use and requires minimal maintenance. However, it is important to read through all of the instructions and FAQs before you begin for a understanding of the entire process from inoculation to fruiting.
Gather your materials
• Latex or nitrile laboratory gloves
• Spray bottle of 70% isopropyl alcohol
• Spray bottle of previously boiled or distilled water
• Scissors or a utility knife
• A rubber band
• Spore syringe or liquid culture (if your liquid culture or spore syringe has been stored in refrigeration, take it out several hours before you intend to use it) Note: ShroomTek is designed for manure-loving species of mushrooms!
• Kitchen paper towels (optional)
• Alcohol wipes (optional)
• Alcohol burner (optional)
• Still air box or flow hood (optional)
• Alternative fruiting chamber such as a BoomRoom II or Boomr Bin (optional)
Sanitize your materials & workspace
1. Sanitize your materials and workspace.
2. For best results work in a still air box (SAB) or in front of a flow hood. If you do not have access to either, any well-cleaned space can be used but contamination is more likely.
a. Choose a location with little air movement, shut windows and doors, turn off any heating or cooling units, and choose a surface you can sanitize with isopropyl alcohol.
b. Sanitize your ShroomTek bag with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Let the bag sit on the surface until dry or for several seconds before wiping dry with a clean paper towel.
Put on gloves and clean with isopropyl.
Using a spore syringe vs. liquid culture syringe
Shroomtek works with both spore syringes and liquid culture syringes. However, spore syringe users will not see growth for an additional 1-3 weeks during the germination process. This is because liquid culture syringes contain live mycelium whereas spore syringes contain fungal spores that need to become mycelium.
⚠️ IMPORTANT: If using a spore syringe, DO NOT shake the bag immediately after inoculation. Doing this may prevent the fungal spores from germinating.
How to use Spore Boostr
Your ShroomTek includes a 5ml vial of Spore Boostr, which a nutrient-rich broth that turns slow-growing spores into fast-growing liquid culture. Before inoculating your ShroomTek bag, simply inject some of your spores into Spore Boostr and draw the spore boostr liquid back into your syringe and allow them to germinate. After 1-2 weeks, when you see visible mycelium, it’s time to inject!
How to inject your ShroomTek
For those who have purchased and received ShroomTek bag(s) in the mail, it is best practice to wait a minimum of 1 week post arrival before injecting with a spore or culture syringe to ensure the bag was not compromised during transit. Keep in mind that your purchase is 100% guaranteed and if your bag was compromised, North Spore will replace it.
1. Prepare your spore or culture syringe for use according to the manufacturer's instructions. (Looking to turn a single culture syringe into many? Or looking to make liquid culture from a spore syringe? Try using our Liquid Culture Kit.)
NOTE: The needle comes sterile but subsequent use of the culture syringe will require sterilization of the needle as well. Sterilize the needle with alcohol or flame sterilize with an alcohol burner or lighter. If using a flame to sterilize, the tip of the needle should be heated until it glows red and then allowed to cool before injection. Do not use an open flame or alcohol burner inside a still air box.
2. Repeat sanitization of the injection point with 70% isopropyl alcohol or an alcohol wipe.
3. If the culture doesn’t look uniform you may shake it for a few seconds to disperse the mycelium or spores.
4. Remove the needle cap and insert the sterile needle through the injection port. Use 2.5 to 5 ccs per ShroomTek bag.
Storage & Colonization
1. Allow your bag to colonize undisturbed and out of direct sunlight. Temperature for incubation shouldn't exceed 75 degrees F or dip below 55 degrees F. Keeping your bag at the higher end of the temperature range will encourage faster colonization.
2. After about 4-8 weeks, you should start to see mycelium growing on the substrate. You'll notice the white mycelium growing outward from the point of injection. When the mycelium has grown three to four inches, without opening the bag, carefully break up the colonized substrate and mix it into the uncolonized substrate. This will dramatically speed up the colonization process.
3. Your spawn is ready to use when the bag is completely white with mycelium. This may take an additional 2 to 4 weeks or more depending on the species and vigor of your culture.
Initiate Fruiting
After your bag has colonized you are ready to initiate fruiting. The ShroomTek is designed to help you achieve the proper environmental conditions for optimal mushroom growth. If you are a beginner, we recommend fruiting within the bag, however if you choose to use an alternative fruiting chamber such as a BoomRoom II or Boomr Bin, please refer to the instructions below.
Environmental Conditions
Fresh air, humidity, light, and temperature are the four main environmental variables that trigger fruiting from fully colonized substrates. ShroomTek is designed to achieve optimal fresh air exchange and humidity while the cultivator will have more control over light and temperature.
1. Light
Unlike plants, mushrooms don’t use light as an energy source to grow, but they do need some light to grow properly. Indirect light from a window or artificial lighting can be used. If you use artificial lighting we recommend it be on for 12 hours a day, and a digital timer can assist in automating this process.
2. Temperature
When cultivating mushrooms indoors, the ambient temperature of your setting is an important variable to consider. The fruiting range for most mushrooms is between 60-80 degrees F with some exceptions. It is a good idea to select species that have fruiting ranges closer to the temperatures you can provide if your options are limited.
3. Fresh Air
As the mycelium colonizes and reaches the edge of the substrate it senses a lower CO2 concentration which helps trigger the fruiting process. Sufficient fresh air exchange is essential as the mycelium must sense this lower CO2 concentration (and therefore higher oxygen concentration) to trigger the mushrooms' growth.
4. Humidity
The mushroom fruit body you are trying to grow is primarily composed of water. For this reason, the mycelium will wait until rainfall or humid conditions to produce mushrooms. Proper moisture content within your substrates and a humid growing environment is essential for high mushroom quality and yield. Even short dry spells can cause mushrooms to abort their growth.
Fruiting your ShroomTek
1. Begin by sanitizing your workspace, scissors, or utility knife as well as the ShroomTek bag. Let the bag sit at the workspace for several seconds before wiping dry with a clean paper towel. Lastly, put on gloves and clean with isopropyl.
2. Place your rubber band(s) around the fully colonized block roughly 1” below the surface. Try your best to work any pockets of air up above the rubber band so the bag is tight around the bottom of the block. The rubber band will cut off oxygen to the bottom of the block to help prevent side pins from forming. Next, cut a slit 1-2 inches above the substrate matching the width of the filter patch. While not required, if you have a BoomRoom II, Boomr Bin or another enclosed grow chamber, feel free to place your ShroomTek bag inside.
3. Let the bag sit until primordia (pins or baby mushrooms) appear on the surface of the block. This process usually takes about a week but can take longer depending on environmental conditions.
4. Once pins have formed, extend your cut line across the front to introduce more fresh air exchange.
NOTE: For fast-growing species such as Oysters, it is recommended to cut the full hood as soon as pins have formed. You can either fold it back or close it in order to trap more moisture within the growing environment if necessary.
5. As the mushrooms continue to develop beyond the pinning stage, you should cut a hood into the bag. This is accomplished by extending the cut line around the sides of the bag, but leaving the back of the bag completely intact. You can now humidify the inside of the growing environment by spraying up into the hood. It is okay if droplets roll down into the substrate but try not to spray the growing mushrooms or substrate directly.
6. Harvest when mushrooms are ready! (see Harvesting section below)
7. For multiple flushes:
a. Add humidity to the growing environment by spraying the sides and up into the hood of the bag several times over the course of a few hours, this will give the added moisture time to be absorbed rather than pooling at the bottom.
b. Close the bag up by tilting the hood down around the bottom of the bag. This will once again trap in the CO2 and humidity needed for a second flush.
c. Repeat steps 3-6 until your block is spent and stops producing mushrooms.
NOTE: As your hood will already be fully cut, adjust the position of the hood to allow for greater fresh air exchange as your mushrooms grow in lieu of extending the cut around the sides.
Harvesting
Unlike plants, mushrooms grow incredibly fast and can reach and exceed their peak harvest time over a single day. Keep a close eye on your mushrooms so you don’t miss the opportune time to harvest! Observing a few key indicators will help you determine when your mushrooms are ready to harvest. The general rule is that mushrooms should be harvested before their caps flatten or become concave. For mushrooms with a veil, harvest just as it begins to break.
To harvest, reach your hand around the base of the mushroom cluster and twist. This motion should be enough to pop your mushrooms off the block. You can also use a knife or scissors if you prefer. Be sure to remove all of the fruiting body remaining on the block down to the myceliated substrate to prepare for a second fruiting and prevent rotting and possible contamination.
Alternative Fruiting Chambers
Although the ShroomTek is designed as a self-contained growing chamber, it can be used in conjunction with others such as monotubs and grow tents. Combining ShroomTek with a fruiting chamber gives you more control over environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity.
BoomRoom II Martha Grow Tent
Once the ShroomTek is fully colonized you can place it in a grow chamber like our BoomRoom II. You can follow the instructions for the ShroomTek or follow the instructions in the fruiting block booklet for initiating the fruiting of your species of choice. Note that if you follow the instructions for the ShroomTek, spraying up into the hood will be unnecessary as your humidifier and controller will maintain the proper humidity within your BoomRoom II.
Monotub
A monotub can be used to simplify fruiting multiple ShroomTek bags at once, and the Boomr Bin can be used as is or fully automated. Monotub set-ups range from simple to fully automated, and a simple set-up consists of a bin with filter patches over the holes. You can either follow the instructions in the fruiting block booklet for initiating fruiting of your species of choice or transfer your ShroomTek bags to the monotub when you reach step 2 in the Fruiting Your ShroomTek section (see above), in either case, humidity will have to be maintained manually throughout the growing process.
Spray the sides and top of the interior of your monotub at least a few times a day to ensure the humidity is high enough for the quickly developing mushrooms. A layer of vermiculite at the bottom of your monotub can be helpful in maintaining proper humidity. If the filter patches are not providing adequate fresh air exchange, the lid of your bin can be left ajar to allow for more air flow.
If your monotub is fully automated you can follow the recommendations for the BoomRoom II above.
Troubleshooting your ShroomTek Grow
Your ShroomTek all-in-one bag is easy to use and requires minimal maintenance. However, it is important to read through all of the instructions and FAQs before you begin for a understanding of the entire process from inoculation to fruiting. The 3 most common questions we receive about ShroomTek are:
Why isn't my bag colonizing? / There is no growth. If this is the case for you, one of the simplest solutions is to wait longer. Many species take several weeks (sometimes months) to colonize the bag depending on species, environmental conditions, and/or the vigor of your spores or culture. This can also be caused by a problem with the product, in which case we will replace it for you. It may also be caused by a faulty culture or spore syringe. Regardless, please feel free to shoot us an email if you have any concerns!
Which mushrooms can I grow in the ShroomTek? ShroomTek is designed for manure-loving species of mushrooms. We have seen some success with some wood-loving species, but you will have the most success with dung-loving species of mushrooms.
How much of my liquid culture or spore syringe should I inject into ShroomTek? We recommend 2.5 - 5 cc's per ShroomTek bag.
Final Thoughts
The ShroomTek All-In-One Complete Grow System is part of our continued commitment to innovation and convenience within the culinary, edible, and medicinal mushroom space. The simple bag design streamlines the cultivation process, eliminating the need for complex equipment, meticulous sterilization, and extensive maintenance enabling literally anyone to experience the joy of growing on their own. We look forward to seeing your grows!