Liquid Cultures

Mushroom liquid culture is essentially a solution containing mycelium, the vegetative part of a fungus, suspended in a nutrient-rich liquid. This liquid typically includes a mixture of water, simple sugars, complex sugars,  and other nutrients that support the growth of mycelium. The mycelium in this form is often stored in sterile syringes, making it easy to inoculate or introduce into a growing medium, such as sterilized grains. This method is a popular and efficient way to start the cultivation process of mushrooms.

Once the grains are inoculated with the liquid mushroom culture, the mycelium begins to colonize the grains. After sufficient colonization, these grains can be transferred to a substrate, which is the main food source for the mushrooms. The substrate composition can vary depending on the mushroom species being cultivated. For Example Shiitake and Lion’s mane like Hardwood where as White button prefers manure substrate.

The advantage of using liquid culture lies in its efficiency and the speed at which mycelium can colonise the growing medium. It’s a preferred method for many cultivators due to its ease of use and the ability to quickly scale up mushroom production.

Liquid culture is always first introduced to sterile grains, once these grains are colonized they are called mushroom spawn, meaning from which mushroom will spawn or come out.

Looking for grains to go with your liquid culture purchase? Head over to our pre-sterilized Grain bag collections. You may also want to look for our colonized grains spawn that are ready to use. Don’t forget not all mushrooms grow in every season.