“HOW TO MAKE SPORE PRINTS”

This is a detailed 5-picture step on how to make a spore print from your own homegrown mushrooms.  Once you are successful in mushroom cultivation you will no longer need to purchase any more spores to grow future crops because you can now make your own spore prints.  Even though the mushroom in the pictures looks small it still provided enough spores to easily inoculate twelve new substrate jars.

"STEP ONE"

This is a mushroom grown right out of the substrate jar (mycelium cake) instead of casing it.  I handled the cake using a paper towel to help prevent the oil in my skin from touching the mycelium.  Doesn't this mushroom have a beautiful purple skirt?

"STEP TWO"

The next thing you will need to do is to cut the mushroom stem just above the mycelium cake (or soil) with a clean pair of scissors. Notice how I am harvesting this mushroom after the veil has broken (the cap has pulled away from the stem leaving a skirt) but the cap is still rounded at the top and not flattened out yet. This is the best time to harvest if you want to collect the spores.

"STEP THREE"

The next step is to get a 3x5 index card ready for making the spore print on.  You will need to take a 3" by 5" index card and put it on a cookie sheet in an oven for 10 minutes that has been preheated to 200 degrees".  This will ensure that any contaminates that might be on the index card are destroyed.  Next you should cut the stem off as close to the mushroom cap as possible with your scissors.

"STEP FOUR"

Place your mushroom cap on one end of the index card with the gill side facing down.  Place a bowl or cup on top of the mushroom cap and let sit for 24 hours.  The reason to place the mushroom cap on one end of the index card is so that when you are finished making the spore print you can fold the index card in half without folding the spore print itself.

"STEP FIVE"

The last and final step of the process is to remove the bowl and carefully pick-up the mushroom cap from the index card.  You should now be looking at a nice dark spore print.  Fold the index card in half and then fold strips of scotch tape over the three sides to trap the spores inside and to help keep any contaminate spores out.  Write the date and the strain of mushroom spores on the card with a pen and you're finished.  Now all you need to do is store your spore print in a cool dark place where it will last for many years.

ADVANCE to Chapter 10: HOW TO MAKE A SPORE SYRINGE