How to bulk up your 1.5kg of Wine Cap spawn at home. This same process applies to making your own spawn once you harvest your mushrooms.
(Pictures to follow soon)
What You’ll Need:
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Cardboard (corrugated, clean, and unprinted)
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Wood chip or sawdust (preferably wood chip)
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Plastic woven shopping bag (e.g. “bag for life” from a supermarket)
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Wine cap mushroom spawn
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Large plastic bag (e.g. bin bag)
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Water and a container for soaking cardboard
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Plastic spacer (to elevate the bag during incubation)
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Prepare the Cardboard
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Soak your cardboard in water until it’s fully saturated.
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Allow the cardboard to drain so it’s no longer dripping.
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Peel apart the layers to expose the softer, corrugated section inside.
Step 2: Start Layering in the Woven Bag
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Place a 2 cm layer of wood chip at the bottom of the plastic woven bag.
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Add a sprinkle of mushroom spawn.
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Lay down strips of the damp corrugated cardboard.
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Add another sprinkle of spawn.
Step 3: Repeat the Layering
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Add another 2–3 cm layer of wood chip.
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Lay down more strips of corrugated cardboard (enough to mostly cover but not completely smother the wood chip layer).
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Sprinkle more spawn.
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Repeat this layering process until the bag is nearly full.
Step 4: Seal and Incubate
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Top the final layer with wood chip.
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Fold over the top of the woven bag loosely. Tap with gaffa tape if necessary.
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Cover the entire bag with the larger plastic bag and tuck the plastic under the bottom of the woven bag, creating a semi-sealed environment.
Step 5: Incubation
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Place the bag on a plastic spacer to allow airflow underneath.
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Store it in a warm, stable environment like an airing cupboard.
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Let it incubate for 3–4 weeks.
Step 6: Repeat the Process
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After the incubation period, you can repeat the process to further expand your spawn if needed.
