MAKING - WHERE TO BEGIN

The natural next step in my research was to begin growing my own composites and test my research on substrates in practice. As the mycelium will usually take 2-3 weeks to colonise the substrate enough to mould into a shape, this report will only document setting up the first stages of the growing process. Collecting the substrate from waste streams, inoculating the substrate with grain spawn, and the beginning of the growing.

These steps are drawn from my own research and follows the basic steps used by Myco-works (MycoWorks Media, 2016). Each substrate requires slightly different methods of preparation, but the basic method remains the same. Many mushroom growers recommend combining a variety of substrates together, a sort of ‘recipe’ to provide the enhanced nutrients and an enriched growing environment. This method is generally geared towards quicker and larger mushroom blooms. As I am trailing cultivations for a different purpose, to grow a new material, have decided to keep the substrates separate to clearly see which substrate is more suited to mycelium-based composites. I may combine substrates in future test depending on the results of this test.

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Figure 28. Sugarcane Substrate day 1. Credit Author