Learning to grow golden teacher mushrooms has become a popular pursuit as its attractive appearance, mild taste and powerful effects make it one of the most sought-after varieties of mushrooms. With this guide, you’ll learn the step-by-step process for growing your own delicious golden teachers—from where to buy the supplies to cultivating your own crop!

How to Choose the Right Substrate.

Your substrate is the base you will use to create your mushrooms’ growth environment. You’ll need to choose a material that is not prone to contamination by other fungi and bacteria, such as coir or sawdust. Substrates may also contain a supplement like gypsum or straw, as well as some type of nutrient mixture. It’s important to use sterilized substrates and materials whenever possible to prevent contamination and maximize success.

For golden teacher mushrooms, the best substrate options tend to be ones that have a low pH and provide plenty of nutrients. Examples include compost, wheat straw, milled grain, and rye grains. It’s also important to make sure you are using fresh and non-contaminated substrates — avoid those with pesticides or other chemicals.

Once you select your substrate, ensure it has been sterilized in order to minimize any chances of contamination from outside fungi or bacteria. With these tips in hand, you’ll be ready to get growing with golden teacher mushrooms!

The next item you will need is some Golden Teacher Liquid Culture or Golden Teacher Spores. Here at Fungal Kings we provide this part for you! Here you can but the best golden teacher genetics available.

We suggest using our premium live liquid mushroom cultures over spores. Our liquid cultures contain small bits of live magic mushroom mycelium that contain the genetics of previously grown mushrooms. This allows for guaranteed results versus spores which contain millions of different genetic combinations.

Related Article: Everything You Need to Know About Liquid Mushroom Cultures

Preparing Your Substrate and Spawn Bags.

Once you’ve prepared your substrate and spawn bags according to the instructions above, it’s time to combine them.

Before you combine your spawn and substrate, it is good practice to make sure everything is clean and sterile. Wash your containers thoroughly and then spray the inside with a 500ppm solution of Hypochlorous Acid. This will ensure that you keep contamination at bay.

During this process you should also help to minimize further contamination by wearing gloves and a mask.

Place your culture bag in a container with a lid that fits snugly, then fill the container with the colonized grain spawn. Be sure to leave some room at the top, as mushrooms can expand significantly as they grow!

Fill any remaining space in the container with your prepared substrate and mix until uniformly distributed. Seal tightly and wait for growth to begin!

Once the spawning process is complete, place the container in an area with moderate to high humidity and indirect sunlight. It’s important to keep the atmosphere consistently moist within the container – if needed, mist with distilled water at least once a day.

After several weeks, you should start to see small fruits of Golden Teacher mushrooms emerging from their substrate. With some patience and perseverance, you should have a beautiful bountiful harvest!

The Benefits of Cold Shock Treatment.

Cold shocking your newly colonized mushrooms is a great way to stimulate growth and improve yields. What this process involves is submerging your sealed container in a cool water bath of approximately 10-14°C (50-57°F) for 24 hours. During the cold shock, mycelium breaks down cellulose cells more easily, resulting in better colonization rates and larger fruits.

There are several methods of ensuring a successful cold shock, some of which include partially submerging your container in a chilly, circulating water bath. For best results, the water temperature should be between 10-14°C (50-57°F).

Once the time is up, move your container to a room that maintains a consistent range of temperatures suitable for fruiting mushrooms like the Golden Teacher — temperatures between 21-25°C (70-77°F) with high levels of humidity. In addition to increased yields it should also allow the fruits to grow faster than before the cold shock.

Establishing Humidity and Temperature Parameters for Fruiting Golden Teachers.

Fruiting your newly colonized golden teacher mushrooms is relatively simple, and requires a few key parameters to be met. Most importantly, establish an environment with 85-90% humidity, since this will create a ‘greenhouse’ effect and helps the mushrooms fruit faster. Also make sure the temperature falls between 20-24°C (68-75°F).

You can easily adjust these parameters using common terrarium components like pump misting systems, humidifiers or dehumidifiers. Once you have established ideal conditions for your fruiting chamber, you are on your way to successful yields!

Once you’re ready to start fruiting, make sure to give your mycelium plenty of indirect light. Substrate materials should preferably have a neutral pH balance and air space in the system. The most common substrate materials are cow manure, vermiculite/perlite mix and sterilized rye grains.

Put your substrate in mason jars with pre-activated carbon filters to reduce bacterial contamination and pest infestations. As your mushrooms begin to form, restrain yourself on touching them, since this may compress the growth pattern causing mutations. Provide the correct temperature and humidity levels during these key stages and you’ll soon be snacking on some tasty golden teacher mushrooms!

Managing Your Growing Area For Optimal Yields.

To get the best yields, it’s important to limit air flow into and out of your fruiting chamber. If too much air flows in or out, humidity levels can drop below the desired threshold and you’ll end up with low yields. To reduce airflow, make sure your light sources are properly insulated and that there are no big openings in the walls of your fruiting chamber.

Additionally, avoid having cold water dripping on top of the mushrooms as this could create localized changes in humidity and temperature which could affect overall yield.

To maintain the correct level of humidity and temperature, use a self-regulating terrarium. They’re designed to only let in or out as much air as is necessary to keep humidity and temperature levels within ideal ranges. Additionally, set up a fan system which can be used to circulate air inside your growing area, ensuring the whole space stays at the same temperature and moisture level.

Finally, make sure to seal any openings that could be letting in extra air; the golden teacher mushrooms require their environment to be very strict in order for optimal yields.