Growing at home? Here are the recipes that we use…
MMSH: Masters’ Mix
A substrate blend pioneered by TR Davis of Earth Angel Mushrooms. This is best for all fast growing strains such as Osyter mushrooms.
This makes 1 Unicorn XLS fruiting bag (4kg is recommended for each).
Total /kg | 5kg | 4kg | 3.5kg |
soy hull pellets /kg | 1 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
hardwood fuel logs /kg | 1 | 0.8 | 0.7 |
water /ml | 3 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
WB25: 25% Wheat bran with 75% hardwood sawdust
This is best for Shiitake but also good for King Oyster, Wine Cap, Chicken of the woods, Turkey Tail, Lions Mane, Maitake and Reishi . Other fast growing species such as Oysters will also grow fine on this if you struggle to source soy hulls.
This makes 1 Unicorn XLS fruiting bag (4kg reccomended)
| total | 5kg | 4kg | 3.5kg |
| wheat bran | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.35 |
| hardwood fuel pellets | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.05 |
| water (60% | 3 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
Links to media recipes and sources
Freshcap use 20 cups hardwood pellets, 22.5 cups water and 5 cups wheat bran. Growing Mushrooms on Sawdust Blocks – FreshCap Mushrooms
20% wheat bran from Stamets in ‘Growing gourmet mushrooms’ says 6,400g sawdust, 3,200g woodchips, 800g wheat bran (20%), 100g gypsum, 17,000ml Water (62%).
Grocycle suggest 60% hardwood sawdust (6000g), 20% wood chips (2000g), 18% bran (1800g) and 2% gypsum (200g). 63% Water is 14,000 ml. GroCycle – Grow Mushrooms The Easy Way
Paul Stamets Sawdust Recipe: 73 % Hardwood Sawdust (7300g), 24.6 % Bran (2460g), 2.4 % Gypsum (240g). 63% Water is 14,000 ml.
Shiitaki produces best quality fruits with hardwood sawdust and 40% (w/w) wheat bran: Effects of different levels of wheat bran, rice bran and maize powder supplementation with saw dust on the production of shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Singer) – ScienceDirect
MRCA uses 15% wheat bran:
| total /kg | 5kg | 4kg | 3.5kg | 2.5kg |
| wood chips (30%) | 0.6 | 0.48 | 0.42 | 0.3 |
| saw dust large (56%) | 1.12 | 0.896 | 0.784 | 0.56 |
| gypsum (3%) | 0.06 | 0.048 | 0.042 | 0.03 |
| rye/wheat bran (15%) | 0.3 | 0.24 | 0.21 | 0.15 |
| water | 3L | 2.4L | 2.1L | 1.5L |
UNACR.org – Straw and pasteurization
Straw of many small grains is a suitable substrate for Oysters. The straw is chopped into 1 to 4 inch lengths and pasteurized by submerging for 1 to 2 hours in water maintained at 160 F. After the straw is drained well, it should contain about 65% moisture. Pasteurization is treatment of a substrate, usually by heat, that eliminates certain microorganisms. We typically soak straw for 4 hours, drain overnight on hardware cloth, and autoclave for 1 hour (the straw is then sterile, and must be handled as such ? it may be more susceptible to weed molds if they are introduced since there will exist, by definition, a biological vacuum). A bleach method is described in the text (this method is not recommended since chorine may be toxic). Other substrates suitable for specific mushrooms, especially the Oysters, include cellulose from paper, coffee grounds, seed hulls, corncobs and stalks, and many others.