*Growing psilocybe cubensis is illegal in many places. This information is intended for places, like Jamaica, where cultivation is legal* Grow 5 grams of dried mushrooms EASY!

There are many ways to grow psilocybe cubensis. It can be difficult to wade through all the information on the internet to learn exactly how to grow these mushrooms. This post will walk through easy step by step processes for growing magic mushrooms. One of the hardest things with magic mushroom cultivation is you cannot purchase spawn. Spawn is mycelium that is typically used to introduce the mushroom you want to grow into a substrate. The first step to cultivation is developing spawn. Next inoculating a bulk substrate and finally fruiting the mushrooms.

Step 1: Generating spawn for growing psilocybe cubensis: Use this technique to easily grow 5 grams of mushrooms in a couple of months.

The easiest way to generate spawn right now is to purchase pre sterilized grain with an injection port and spores from an online website. Many mushroom cultivation and supplies websites have pre sterilized grain bags with injection ports available on their website. They usually come in 3 pound increments. These bags can then be injected with psilocybe mushroom spores to create spawn. Many websites like sporeworks.com and spores101.com offer psilocybe cubensis spores for sale. Once you purchase these two things you are ready for inoculation. Simply take the syringe and burn the top 2 inches with a lighter for 30 seconds, the syringe should turn red hot killing any bacteria or fungi that might be on the syringe. Now plunge the syringe into the injection port and squirt half of the syringe into the grain.

It will take about 2 weeks for growth to first appear. After 3 weeks shake the bag to disperse the colonized grain. It will likely take 6 weeks for the bag to become fully colonized. Once the bag looks like the photo below you are ready for the next step! With some strains like B+ fruiting can happen directly from this bag. Waiting for 9 weeks will allow fruit body formation to begin. Five grams of dried mushrooms can be produced from a bag like this in a single flush. AND, the grain can still be used to inoculate a bulk substrate. The top image is a bag of grain spawn fruiting mushrooms, the mushrooms can be harvested, ideally without touching the grain, and the grain used for inoculation.

Step 2: Inoculating bulk substrate for growing psilocybe cubensis

The next stage of growing psilocybe cubensis is to inoculate a bulk substrate. This is a medium used for promoting the prolific fruiting of the mushrooms. In The Mushroom Cultivator, Stamets and Chilton illustrate growing psilocybe cubensis and other Psilocybe species from a variety of bulk substrates. These substrates include rye seed, wheat berries, pasteurized straw, composted substrates commonly used in the Agaricus industry, and others. A very common substrate that is now used is a mixture of coco coir and vermiculite.

It is also possible to purchase pre sterilized bulk substrate. If you go this route it is extremely easy to inoculate a bulk substrate. Simply wash out an 18 gallon tote. Layer the bulk substrate and the spawn like a lasagna. Place the spawn on the bottom of the tote and then place about 5 lbs of bulk substrate on top covering the spawn. Place another layer of spawn on top of the substrate and repeat covering it with about 5 pounds of substrate. Finally place a third layer of spawn on top of the substrate and place the top securely on. Mycelium does not need much oxygen to grow so do not worry about ventilation at this point. Contamination is most likely to come from the bottom, where the substrate touches the container and the top where spores or bacteria are raining down from the atmosphere. This is why spawn is placed in both of these places and in the middle. A 3 pound bag of spawn can inoculate 10 pounds of substrate very rapidly and successfully.  **DO NOT TOUCH THE SUBSTRATE OR SPAWN DURING THE INOCULATION PROCESS.

After inoculation is complete simply place the tote top securely on top. Let the tote sit for 10 days. It is best not to open the lid but you can open in to peak, you should see the mycelium become very fuzzy and start expanding around day 3. Do not touch the substrate or spawn during the inoculation process. The mycelium should fully colonize the substrate after 14 days and be ready to fruit.

Step 3: Fruiting the mushrooms for growing psilocybe cubensis:

Our last step in growing psilocybe cubensis is fruiting. Fruiting can be extremely easy. No need to change the tub or make any cuts or anything. After 14 days simply turn the tote 90 degrees. You may even wait for 20-30 days until pins start forming on the surface of the substrate THEN turn the top 90 degrees to allow more air exchange. For proper fruiting body formation you want to increase oxygen while maintaining high humidity. Mist the substrate and the surrounding bin twice a day. Mushrooms should be fully formed and ready to harvest within 7 days. It is best to harvest the mushrooms just after the cap has broken away from the stem. Consume fresh or dry in the sun for 2 days to dry the mushrooms out.