When you walk through the forest on a sunny autumn afternoon, you will spot a lot of mushrooms! They pop up in all shapes and sizes. Imagen how it would be if you could cultivate your own outdoor psilocybin mushrooms! In this blog, we will explain the difference with growing magic mushrooms indoors, which step-by-step preparation plan you should follow to guarantee a successful harvest.
Growing indoors versus growing outdoors
Since 2008, the sale of magic mushrooms by smart shops has been banned. However, the growing magic mushrooms yourself is not forbidden! That is why it is done frequently and there are now handy tools that make growing mushrooms yourself as easy as possible. Think of so-called ready-made and grow kits.
The majority of the grow kits, however, are set up for growing magic mushrooms indoors and use cereal grains as substrate. Grain contains important nutrients for the fungus, making it a great medium. However, this only works in a very hygienic environment where the chance of cross-use is small. You can achieve such an environment indoors, but outdoors it becomes very difficult. Because of the higher chance of bacteria and pathogens, there is a special grow kit for when you want to grow magic mushrooms outside.
What should you pay attention to when looking for a growing place outside?
First of all, pay extra attention to where most mushrooms grow. Your own magical mushrooms will thrive best in similar places. These spots often contain the following properties:
- Indirect daylight
Mushrooms love the sun, but also don't want to be in the blazing sun for a long time. Best is a place with indirect sunlight, a somewhat shaded spot without being too dark
- Border of forested areas
Wild mushrooms often seek out the boundaries of forested areas. The place where grasses and shrubs come together
- Slopes and ditches
Have you found a spot on the edge of a wooded area? Look out for ditches and slopes. It is often moist in these places, which is beneficial for the growth of the mycelium. w
- Accessibility
Maybe very logical, but make sure that you can easily reach your growing spot. The magic mushrooms can grow super fast in one night. It is therefore very important that you check your offspring every day around harvest time.
Supplies
Have you found the ideal spot in your garden or in a forest close to your home? Then you can get started! First of all, make sure you have the right supplies at home:
- A 10 liter bag with small beech wood chips, size +/- 5mm. These are available at pet and garden stores
- A brown cardboard box, max depth 15 cm (30 x 30 x 15 cm)
- A 1 liter plastic container
- A liter of soil (optional)
- Grass seeds (optional)
Preparing the outdoor cultivation
As with everything in life, there are several ways to prepare and accomplish the outdoor grow. In this article, we assume that you are using an outdoor growkit, such as the Azurescens Outdoor Growkit available in our Mushroomshop.
Note: This magic mushroom strain is relatively easy to grow, but is very strong in terms of effects! The use of these magic mushrooms is therefore not recommended for novice psychonauts.
Step-by-step plan for growing magic mushrooms outdoors
Most of the work is in preparing your outdoor growing spot and making your own substrate! Did you do this well and accurately? Then you can enjoy two to three harvests in one year. Of course, in principle, the mushrooms reappear every year.
Are you ready to create your own magical place? Then follow below step-by-step plan:
Step 1: Take a 1 liter plastic container (with lid) and fill it 2/3 full with wood chips. Then fill the container with boiling water.
Step 2: Leave the container of submerged wood chips overnight (or 12 hours) and then drain the water.
Step 3: Now wash your hands thoroughly (good hygiene is extremely important to avoid contamination of your grow kit). Open the grow kit and gently break the mycelium with, for example, a fork.
Step 4: Add the contents of the grow kit to the moist wood chips in the plastic container. For example, use a clean fork to evenly distribute the mycelium and wood chips.
Step 5: Once mixed and divided, cover with a layer of wet cardboard. Plain brown cardboard is best. Place the lid loosely on the container, protecting the mycelium from dust, but still allowing it to breathe. Without air the mycelium will not grow.
Step 6: Leave the plastic container at room temperature in a clean, dust-free area for about a month to allow the wood chips to be fully inoculated. You'll know when it's fully inoculated because the content has turned white. Your substrate is now ready for outdoor use.
Step 7: Pour the rest of your wood chips into a large bucket or similar and submerge them in boiling water. You can also use a large pan and put it on the stove.
Step 8: Leave the wood chips in the water overnight. When you're done, drain the water.
Step 9: Wash your hands again and fill your cardboard box with both your wood chips colonized by mycelium and your moist wood chips.
Step 10: Take a clean fork or similar and mix everything evenly.
Step 11: Bury the (open) cardboard box in a shady spot under a bush or tree. Ideally, after burying the box, add a top layer of 1 cm of moist soil with grass seeds on top.
When to start growing and when to harvest
It is best to start growing your magic mushrooms outdoors between the end of March and the beginning of June. After the site is completely set up, leave the grow site alone for six months. During that time, the mycelium colonizes all the wood chips. Depending on the mushroom species and the climate in which you live, you can harvest the mushrooms in the months of November to January.
Growing outdoors has advantages and disadvantages
It is certainly possible to grow your own magic mushrooms outdoors, but there are pros and cons to this. You have much less influence on the environment, which means that the chance of contamination from another fungus is much greater. However, have you found a place that is only inhabited by your own magic mushrooms? Then you can harvest multiple harvests and even enjoy it for several years! Do you not know much about growing psilocybin mushrooms? Then we recommend an indoor grow kit.
