How to grow mushrooms at home: Shoebox Tek

This TEK utilizes more substrate than the standard recipe to maximize your flush. With a 1:6 spawn-to-substrate ratio, you want to be extra certain that your spawn is clean/free from bacteria or mold, as the extra moisture in the substrate will promote aggressive contaminant blooms.

A note from CANNA:

The Canna Trichoderma myth:

"Trichoderma spp., or any other microbe for that matter, is not inherent in, added to, or cultured for the coco medium CANNA uses."

There's no issue with Canna, whatsoever.

[Chocongome]

It works! My first successful PE experiment. Thank you S&C.

[Chocongome]

I’ve been growing off and on for years having learned from the Shroomery. I attempted to grow PE with no success, first with PF tek and then with a shoebox bulk grow. The brf cakes dried out and the shoebox went the green route. I came across this tek and tried it. I am encouraged by the fact that I have a shoebox now completely colonized, quickly too, and now in fruiting conditions. It’s looking good. I have my fingers crossed. Thanks S and C! You’re the man!

[ineffably_described]

Bod's shoebox tek has been my first bookmark since he published it. I have been on shroomery for almost a decade now. Glad to see some real knowledge on YT, literally EVERY other mycology channel is a poorly shrouded commercial.

[TheDubHunter]

I found these perfect sized tubs that can fit 3 shoeboxes while being 80 quarts as well. I can also fit a puppy incontinence pad inside as well which will keep humidity up.

[mattswanton]

Excellent video. I noticed you discussed the use of a trash bag liner to prevent side pins. However, you did not use a liner in the video. Does the substrate compression step you do later on accomplish the same benefit as having used a liner?

[TeaTellyWMaria]

@StipeCapI so appreciate the contribution you make to the cultivation community, here and on the Shroomery. There is so much misinformation out there and people are still fanning their tubs and adding unnecessary stuff to their substrate. Your channel is a welcome relief from all of that nonsense. Thank you for your videos.

[Mike_]

I've been using pastywhyte's ez dial monos on 27 and 30 quart tubs. It's never failed me. Great video great information!

[DeathFromAbove_.]

Hmmm is this something new? I'm working on my second grow of APEs and found (from research) a 1:1.5 spawn to sub ratio works. I'm not seeing any blobs and didn't my first time and got 3 good flushes a shoebox. Happy to have found the link on discord to your new channel, i was upset when i noticed your old one was no longer active. Good shit bro, you're giving BoomerShroomer a run for her money lololololol Don't hurt me hahaha

[paulomeara]

What variety of mushrooms do you grow in this? Can you grow button mushrooms?

[LarsLarsen]

I like it a lot, I'm going to try it. You could probably use even more water than that. I use that much water with way less verm and coir.

[TheDubHunter]

just a heads up doggie bags make perfect liners for shoeboxes and they come in a nice roll

[tensiondriven]

Congrats on 100 subscribers! Have some engagement!

Could you provide weights in addition to volume? Weight is a superior measure, right?

[toddwmac]

Thanks man, great stuff. I'm high in the mountains and moisture is always an issue. I love the idea of increasing the sub, ...duh! I've always thought that the traditional guidance of squeezing sub to check "field capacity" was a weak way to test and it always left my sub drier than I thought it should be. Therefore, I looked into what the term "field capacity" actually meant according to real soil scientists and engineers. It turns out that it has nothing to do with squeezing soil and is strictly the amount of water the soil will hold w/out dripping. This is way more than the "squeeze method" allows for and probably accounts for your improved 5l vs. 4l recipe. I've not had a chance to run any grain since I saw your vid or learns about proper field capacity, but looking forward to the tests. I did have a question re the fruiting chamber. Since you have the extra moisture, are you able to set and forget and not bother with misting? Thanks for your great content.

[bofeity]

Glad to see people spreading the true liner knowledge. Thoughts on adding gypsum? Also, why not "dub tub" with the shoeboxes as opposed to buying the bigger "sweater box"?

[LarsLarsen]

You can spawn grain to steel wool. Anything that holds water and air at the same time will work.

[joshiewhite]

At around 7:52 I was wondering where the drums were coming from.

[ixxgxx]

You put the spawn in, then 6 qts sub. Did you even mix it in? You didn’t show it and the spawn was on half of the side. It looked like about have a quart of spawn? Great video. Will try pe this way because a huge 70qt was a cluster.

[abcqer]

The best video on this by far!! Question for you. Does all the extra substrate waste mushroom energy to colonise it or does it just grow threw it when it is so thick? / does it actually colonise it?

[HighTierScrub]

I tried repeating what you did. Right now my substrate is 90% colonized and there is no colonization on my casing layer. Visually the layers are very distinct. I'm concerned that I may have packed my casing layer too compact. Do you think that's a possibility and has that happened to you?

[coryg]

New question, do you have issues with fungal knats? I don't know where they come from but they somehow just appear. Would love a solution if anyone has any ideas.