Every Aspect of Sterile Technique is Crucial

This list is in no particular order of importance because keeping sterile in every step of mushroom growing is as crucial as the next! Aside from properly prepared substrate and effective culture to start colonization, sterile technique is arguably one of the most important things to consider when growing mushrooms. We will look into some of the most common mistakes and ways to prevent them. As well as good practices to start doing if you do not already do so.

Tip 1: Heat Sterilize Your Injection Needles

Injection of liquid culture is a popular way to start colonizing your substrate. While most needles are already pre-sterilized, it is good practice to sterilize using a heat source. Simply hold a lighter or other fire source to the tip of the needle and wait for it to become red hot. This will kill off any bacteria and will also make the injection process feel more smooth. Extra tip: Move the needle around and try to spread the liquid to as much substrate as possible for better results.

Tip 2: Always Sanitize Yourself Before Starting Your Work

For maximum sanitization we recommend to wash your hands and arms with soap first. Then, put on gloves (nitrile gloves work). Lastly, spray your hands with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Do not spray the alcohol directly on your skin! Make sure you have gloves on when spraying.

Tip 3: Protect Yourself

This tip is more towards protecting yourself from the precautions you take to protect your mushrooms. When using alcohol for sanitizing, as mentioned in tip 2, we suggest wearing both goggles and a mask. This will protect your eyes from vapor, and prevent you from inhaling the fumes of the alcohol. Additionally, it prevents any contamination to the mushrooms from your mouth. The mouth is one of the most bacteria-infested areas…a very disturbing truth. It is entirely possible that bacteria from your mouth could reach your mushrooms and cause contamination. If you are feeling a sneeze coming, make sure to look away from your work area!

Tip 4: Utilize Flow Hoods and Still Air Boxes

Flow hoods and still air boxes serve the same purpose, although in completely opposite ways. Flow hoods are meant to provide constant airflow that prevents contaminated air from getting to your work area. They use HEPA filters to keep nasty airborne bacteria away. Still air boxes, also known as SABs, attempt to keep a clean work area by having absolutely no airflow. The idea is to sanitize the area within the SAB and keep it sanitized by preventing any new and dirty particles from entering. If you can manage to get your hands on either a flow hood or SAB, we highly recommend using one.

Tip 5: Keep Yourself Clean

Air is filthy, and that filth sticks to us. It is entirely possible that the filth stuck on us gets stuck on our mushrooms as well. Working with dirty clothes and unwashed hair could be a liability and cause the contamination of your mushrooms. This is why lab and health workers use lab coats or scrubs. So, keep yourself clean before working. Consider showering and washing your hair before doing mycology work. Take that extra 10-15 minutes to prevent the potential contamination of your mushrooms.

Conclusion

The process of growing mushrooms can last months, and the realization of contamination could take weeks to appear. Save yourself the trouble and take every possible precaution you can think of. Our top 5 tips here are a good start but more research is always good! If interested, please take a look at our mushroom products that include the All in One Mushroom Grow Bag and Coco Coir Substrate.