Mushroom cultivation can be a difficult process. However, it’s an incredibly rewarding experience for people who are passionate about mushrooms. As you get started, you may have a lot of questions about the process; a common one is how long it takes for spawn bags to colonize. We’ll give you the answer and a few tips and terms below.
The Terms
There are a few terms to chew on if you’re trying to learn more about how long it takes for your spawn bags to colonize. A mushroom substrate is what mycelium—the body of the mushroom—grows within. It’s similar to what soil is to plants in that it provides a base for growth. Mushroom substrate bags hold the substrate and give the colony a place to grow.
How Long?
Mushrooms take anywhere from 15 to 30 days to colonize fully. If they don’t colonize during that time, something went wrong in the process. You should monitor the mushrooms throughout the inoculation process for negative mold growth that may prevent healthy fungus from growing. Your mushrooms may not be fruiting properly because of how you colonized them. It may take longer to colonize your substrate bags because various factors can sabotage the process.
What Can Help the Colonization Process?
A few things can help your colonization process achieve its aims.
- Monitor the substrate carefully for signs of growth. Note any changes or delays and try to find the source of the issues.
- Make sure you store your substrate bags in the proper place. The mushrooms should have access to indirect sunlight on a 12-hour schedule. This might mean you need to put it somewhere cold and damp with LED lights on a trip schedule that turns on and off every 12 hours.
- Make sure the temperature and humidity are ideal. You should have a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit and a relative humidity of 95 percent.
In short, spawn bags don’t take that long to colonize. They typically only take a few weeks at most. However, they need to be monitored regularly to grow efficiently. Here at Midwest Organics LLC, we sell all the tools you need to start cultivating! Shop Midwest Organics today!