Fellow psychedelic lovers, fungi are among us.
And no, these aren’t your average oyster mushrooms or
button mushrooms.
These are magic mushrooms.
The type capable of changing your life.
The kind that helps many users manage debilitating conditions like:
- Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Manic Depression
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
As a war veteran from the Iraq war, I was diagnosed with Complex PTSD. I have lived the better half of the last 10 years wanting to disappear. Mind Mend has given me my life back.” -Tyler Bishop
Psilocybin mushrooms have always existed around us.
Mushrooms grow in dewy grass, coffee grounds, rainy forests, and even on cow dung. That’s before they make their way to shroom lovers watching Have a Good Trip for the first time.
The spoils usually come after a tedious but rewarding mushroom foraging expedition.
However, now it’s easier than ever to get cosmic caps and spooky mushroom spores. We’re talking from the comfort of your own home.
Harvesting mushrooms at home?
Who would’ve ever thought?
How Hard Is It to Grow Mushrooms at Home?
Growing mushrooms at home is pretty easy.
Heck, anyone can do it. From psilocybin varietals to lion’s mane, mushrooms don’t take a green thumb (or mushroom-colored-thumb) to grow.
But there are a couple of important factors to consider if you decide to grow mushrooms at home.
We’re listing some of the top mushroom growing do’s and don’ts for city dwellers.
Especially those of us who grow mushrooms in the closet or under our shameful lofted beds. (We’re not pointing any mushroom fingers.)
Besides, there are more risks involved when you’re sharing a sub-800-square-foot apartment with three roommates.
We don’t want you yielding a pile of moldy mushrooms from your mushroom spawn once you get your grow kit.
Benefit from our step-by-step guide and a couple of scenarios to prepare you to grow and care for your mushrooms indoors.
Do’s and Donts
No Pets Near the Grow
Do you want to mess things up when growing mushrooms at home?
Just tamper with the inoculation process; where you inject psilocybin mycelia into a pre-sterilized growing substrate.
We cannot emphasize this enough: keep your growing medium sterile.
To reduce the chances of contamination, avoid getting mold and cat hair/fur in your mycelium jars.
Now, this is important because cat fur in particular may cause Cronenbergian boomers to sprout up.
Next thing you know, you’ve got mushrooms spotting full-blown whiskers, fur, and making meowing noises at you as you pick them.
Just kidding.
Seriously though, if you’re not careful, your pets can contaminate your mushrooms. Usually after rubbing against your body and clothes.
So what’s the solution?
- Start with a proper shower, wash your hair, and dress in clean clothing.
- Select the most spotless room in your home, switch off all fans and AC units, and fumigate thoroughly.
- Glove up (rubber please) and wipe your work surface with isopropyl alcohol. We’re talking mycelium jars to pretty much everything around you.
- Give yourself the ol’ double-pits-to-chest Axe-style spray down with Lysol. Then it’s time to slip on your surgical mask and get down to business. Keep your pets strictly in another room.
Remember to add water to your hardwood sawdust and grain to create your base for growing mushrooms. A 5-pound block should be enough to start with.
Use sawdust picked from oak, alder, and sweet gum trees to grow your mushrooms. Sawdust is popular due to its nitrogen-poor nature.
The sawdust mixture forms the perfect food for your budding mushrooms.
Play Music for Your Shrooms
Research proves that plants do in actual fact benefit from listening to music as they grow. Just read The Secret Life of Plants.
Maybe the same can be said for mushrooms?
Well, mushrooms are technically fungi, not plants. But there’s similar anecdotal evidence suggesting music helps mushrooms grow and thrive.
When we think of music and mushrooms, we think of Ernestus Chad.
His album titled Music to Grow Mushrooms To is described as,
The culmination of countless hours of rigorous research and experimentation involving the listening habits of mycelium.”
The record label claims mushrooms exposed to the music under controlled conditions grew “on average, 30 percent faster than mushrooms growing in silence”.
What a way to grow mushrooms.
You may not have a talented band or a well-equipped studio on-hand. But at the very least, curate a personalized playlist for your mushroom growing operation.
This will make you feel more connected to the process and aid your focus.
It may make the mushroom cultivation process feel, well, magical…
And that’s what we’re all here for, right?
Just choose the type of music you’d personally listen to during a psychedelic trip.
No Matter What, Don’t Dry Your Mushrooms in One Big Pile
Imagine nailing every single step in the mushroom growing process.
- Sterilization, check.
- Inoculate mycelia properly, check.
- Temperature and moisture control on lock, double-check.
After several weeks, your grow box is full of beautiful, plump mushrooms. Everything is going peachy and nothing could possibly go wrong – right?
Wrong.
Not when you make a huge misstep.
Placing all your fresh mushrooms in a single covered bowl will blacken the mushroom spores and produce a foul smell.
You could quickly try and place the drying mushrooms in front of a fan.
But this won’t save them from looking like burnt matchsticks, practically screaming “Don’t eat me! Poisonous!”
This happens because of the collected moisture and mold coming from the center. And you really don’t want to lose weeks of progress in a single day.
DIY cultivation is no walk in the park.
But when you’re personally invested and willing to take the time to grow mushrooms at home, you gain a certain reverence for the medicine.
For the magic in the mushrooms.
How Long Does It Take to Grow Mushrooms?
This completely depends on the mushroom variety and growing conditions. But one to two months is the ideal time frame.
Make sure you keep a close eye on your mycelium cakes. Pretty soon, you should start seeing white bumps that later sprout into ‘pins’.
Your mushrooms should be ready for harvest 5–12 days after your first sighting. We highly recommend you pick them before the veil breaks to reveal the gills.
Despite all these guidelines, it boils down to the mushroom grower’s personal research.
Remember, you must understand all rules and regulations about the cultivation of mushrooms in your state.
Mind Mend: The Real Magic You’ve Been Looking For
Or you could just let us bring ready-made magic directly to your door.
We offer you the best quality magic mushrooms out there. Not only that, but we also guide you along your shroom journey.
Whether you’re a beginner,
Very knowledgeable staff and honest. Walked me through my first experience and you can tell these guys want to legit help people. Needed advice when it came to coming off medications and they were super helpful.” – Tung’ Le
Getting back in the mushroom swing,
I just recently rediscovered mushrooms after 30 years. I love how the next day my mind isn’t so loud and I can focus. I need to learn more about how this amazing product works!” – Kathie Pearlman
Or a seasoned mushroom user,
I’ve tried lots of products on the market and they seem very inconsistent when it comes to dosage and quality. Mind Mend has never let me down. Top-notch quality with consistency.” – Bruce Ingraham
We’re here to answer all of your questions.
Featured Image: wikimedia
