The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Substrate for Each Mushroom Type

When growing mushrooms, the type of substrate you use is critical to your success. Substrates act as the nutrient base that supports mushroom growth. Not all mushrooms thrive on the same substrates, so here’s a guide to choosing the right one for each type of mushroom.

Common Substrates and Suitable Mushroom Types:

1. Hardwood Sawdust

   • Best for: Shiitake, Reishi, Lion’s Mane.

   • Benefits: Hardwoods like oak and beech are preferred because they are rich in cellulose and lignin. Shiitake especially loves hardwood sawdust.

2. Straw

   • Best for: Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.), King Oyster.

   • Benefits: Straw is easy to find, inexpensive, and has an ideal structure for fast mycelial colonization. It’s also easy to pasteurize at home.

3. Coffee Grounds

   • Best for: Oyster mushrooms.

   • Benefits: Coffee grounds are a readily available and eco-friendly substrate, making them great for beginners. They work particularly well for oyster mushrooms, but proper pasteurization is still necessary to avoid contamination.

4. Coco Coir and Vermiculite

   • Best for: Psilocybe cubensis (commonly used for hobbyists).

   • Benefits: Coco coir is easy to handle, and when mixed with vermiculite, provides the right moisture retention for mycelial growth.

5. Grain (e.g., Rye or Wheat)

   • Best for: Many species during spawn production, including Shiitake, Oyster, and Lion’s Mane.

   • Benefits: Grain spawn is nutrient-rich, allowing for vigorous mycelium growth, and serves as an intermediary for bulk substrate inoculation.

When choosing a substrate, think about the ease of sourcing and preparing it, as well as the mushrooms that you’d like to grow. Each substrate requires slightly different processing, such as pasteurization or sterilization.