23 Sep Unlock the Power of Monotubs: Your Key to Mushroom Mastery
When you are ready to move on from a spawn bag to a monotub setup, first prepare the tub with bulk sterile substrate. Depending on the species you are cultivating, this can be either manure-based or wood chip.
Then sterilize the monotub by rubbing it down with rubbing alcohol. Tape over the holes until bulk substrate is 80-100% colonized.
How to Make a Monotub
A monotub is a clear plastic tub with a lid that you use to grow mushrooms. It has a set of holes cut into it for air exchange. The air flow is very important for mushroom growth because fungi need fresh oxygen to survive. A monotub is often drilled or punctured with multiple holes, typically around four to six, but this depends on the tub size and type. The holes must be spaced evenly and be positioned above the bulk substrate. This setup creates a very unique microclimate that helps produce a high-quality crop of mushrooms.
To make a monotub, find a large, clean tub with a lid that’s large enough for your mushroom project. You’ll want to have a few inches of headroom for your colonized substrate, so choose a tub that is at least 8 inches tall. Some growers use plastic bags to line the bottom of their monotubs to block light and direct the mushroom growth upwards. This setup also makes it easier to harvest the mushrooms.
Once the monotub is prepared, sterilize it with rubbing alcohol and all of your tools. It’s important to be meticulous when working with a monotub because contamination is one of the main causes of poor results in home mushroom cultivation. You’ll need latex or nitrile gloves to protect your hands and to minimize the spread of contaminants. You should also close all windows and doors to keep out drafts and outdoor contaminants.
Using a hole saw or drill, create a series of holes in your new monotub. It’s a good idea to create two holes on each of the longer sides and four to six holes in total, depending on the tub size. Holes are needed for ventilation, but it’s important to cut the holes evenly and at the right height above the bulk substrate. The top holes are vital because the fresh air comes in through these, mixes with the already-humid air inside and exits through the bottom holes.
Once you’ve sterilized your monotub and drilled or punched the appropriate number of holes, you can start to inoculate it with colonized grain spawn. Inoculating a monotub involves layering the substrate and then colonized grain spawn. Begin by adding your bulk substrate to the tub at field capacity, keeping 10% of the substrate back in the bag (to be used as a pseudo-casing layer later). Next, add your colonized spawn and mix them into the substrate using clean hands or a tool.
Substrate
In chemistry, substrate refers to any substance on which a chemical reaction can take place. This can include both inorganic and organic substances, such as rock or soil. The word is also used in biology to describe the surface on which an organism (such as a plant or fungus) lives. For example, algae grow on the surface of rocks in coral reefs. A substrate may also be a semiconductor, such as silicon. It can also be a solid support, such as the ground at the base of a tank, or included in many magic shrooms grow kits.
In the field of cryptography, a substrate is a secure foundation upon which other functions can be executed. In addition to securing data and operations, a substrate offers high-performance and scalable features. Its security is based on a variety of mechanisms, including cryptographic signatures and digital encryption. Its architecture also supports multi-platform compatibility and features validation proofs for relay chain consensus mechanisms. It is designed to run on the Ethereum platform as well as Polkadot and Kusama.
Substrate uses a different model from most other blockchain systems. It separates the outer node and runtime into two distinct architectural elements, which allows for greater flexibility and optimization of the system. It also provides greater security and fault tolerance. In the event of a serious error, the system will not panic but will retrace the steps taken to generate the error and recover from it.
The frontend template of a Substrate node consists of several user interface components, which are displayed in your terminal shell. These components are used to interact with the Substrate node and execute typical on-chain transactions. The top portion of the frontend template includes an Account selection list, which displays accounts that are preconfigured with funds. To initiate a transfer, select an account from the list and enter the amount of money to be transferred to it.
A bioactive terrarium or vivarium substrate is the holy grail of terrarium soil. It contains a balanced blend of nourishing organic material and fibrous materials that supports the needs of your biological helpers. The mix is a harmonious balance that can keep your plants, springtails, and isopods healthy and happy. It is also self-sustaining and renews itself.
Light
The monotub is perhaps the most iconic tool in mushroom cultivation. It is used by amateurs and pros alike to achieve hefty harvests using a simple, low-cost set up that requires no convoluted equipment. In fact, many novices start with this approach and then move on to more sophisticated setups. But no matter what your experience level is, the monotub is a steadfast ally.
A monotub (also known as a fruiting chamber) is essentially a plastic storage tub with a lid that has been modified to provide an ideal microclimate for cultivating mushrooms. These tubs may be transparent or opaque, and they typically have a series of holes drilled in them for air exchange. Some of these holes may be covered with filters or paper tape during incubation and fruiting to restrict the flow of contaminated air.
When you’re ready to inoculate your monotub, you can purchase pre-inoculated grain spawn or you can inoculate your own by injecting mushroom spores or culture into a bag of sterilized grain containing an injection port. Once the grain spawn has been inoculated, it can be mixed with the bulk substrate that will make up your monotub.
After mixing your spawn with the substrate, cover it with a thin layer of casing material like coco coir or vermiculite. This will help to maintain a healthy moisture content of the monotub while the mushroom hyphae develop and form. To prevent the hyphae from drying out and contaminating the monotub, it is recommended that you mist the substrate and casing layer one or two times each day with sanitized water.
The next step is to place the monotub in an area that gets indirect light. Avoid placing it in direct sunlight as this can dry and heat the substrate. Instead, position the monotub near a window where it can get indirect light, but not any direct sun. It is also important to ensure that your monotub has a good distance between the surface of the substrate and the lighting to prevent suffocation and overheating. To measure this, gently squeeze a section of the substrate to see how well it holds together and releases a few drops of water.
Humidity
As your monotub colonizes and fruites, it’s important to keep the environment in which you store it at a constant temperature and humidity level. An environment that’s too warm will dry out your spores and substrate, an environment that’s too cold will slow colonization and fruiting down, and a environment with too much air circulation can quickly reduce the amount of moisture inside your monotub.
A common method of adjusting the amount of moisture in your monotub is to mist it daily. Using a fogger, simply push the tube of your sprayer into one of the poly-fil squares in your monotub (make sure the hole is big enough to fit the tube!). Once the fogger is connected to a humidity controller, place the controller in a well ventilated grow room. Then use the fogger to mist your monotub about 8-12 times a day, but avoid overdoing it – you want small water droplets to form on the surfaces of each block and slowly work their way downwards.
Another simple way to increase the humidity in your monotub is to paint it black. This will keep light from reaching the bottom of the monotub, which can slow the colonization process. Some growers choose to paint the outside of their tub black, while others opt for taping a garbage bag or lawn bag into the interior of the tub. Just be careful not to use a liner that has any chemicals in it, as these could leach into the pinning substrate and prevent the mushroom colony from fruiting.
When you’re ready to use your monotub, be sure to add your bulk sterile substrate evenly to it. You’ll also want to make sure that the substrate is at “field capacity”, which means that if you squeeze a handful of it, it should hold together and only release a few drops of water.
Once your monotub is filled, it’s time to add in your fully colonized grain spawn. Grain spawn is the most commonly used fungus for home growers. It can be purchased pre-inoculated from a variety of online retailers, or you can colonize it yourself in an Injection Port Bag. Either way, once your spawn is fully colonized and you see hyphal knots forming in the substrate, it’s time to put your monotub into fruiting conditions.