WHAT ARE MAGIC MUSHROOM SPORES?

Underneath the mushroom are spores - also called the seeds of a mushroom. They are the reproductive cells from which fungi multiply and grow. On healthy mushrooms, they occur in huge populations. And these mushroom spores are far more fascinating than you might say at first glance. For instance, they act as the fingerprint of a mushroom and can reproduce with their spores. What exactly are mushroom spores and what you can do with them? You can find out in this article.

Mushroom spores, what are they?

Under the cap and between the lamella of the mushroom are the so-called spores. They are the seeds of the mushroom. Not only ordinary mushrooms contain them, but so do magic mushrooms. They are unicellular, small in size and often occur in huge populations. The spores allow mushrooms to reproduce by ejecting them.

How do magic mushrooms produce spores?

A mushroom does not produce spores non-stop. Like most plants that give fruit or flower, a mushroom does not produce 'fruit' all the time either. This only happens when there are enough nutrients and water in the soil. This is because producing spores takes a lot of extra energy for the mushroom.

Once the mushroom has produced spores, it can drop or eject them. Air currents can pick up and disperse these tiny particles. By no means all seeds end up in a fertile spot, but a few do find a place to reproduce. In the soil, the tiny spores search for fellow spores to connect and expand into a new fungal system.

The fingerprint of a mushroom

Besides allowing a mushroom to reproduce, spores also act as a fingerprint. By making a spore print, you can find out which species of mushroom it is. A must if you plan to eat psychedelic mushrooms, for instance.

How do I make a spore print?

You can easily make such a spore print by first cutting off the cap and then placing it pore-side down on a designated spore print. A piece of light-coloured paper, glass or foil also works. Then place a cup over the mushroom and this can be left like this for 2-24 hours. The fresher the mushroom, the faster you will have made a print.

Grow your own mushroom spores

Not only nature is capable of reproducing mushrooms, you can also grow mushroom spores yourself. For example, you can use a grow kit to grow mushrooms and have them reproduce by using the seeds. But you can also buy mushroom spores in the form of spore syringes, ampules and prints.

Grow kit

One of the easiest ways to grow mushrooms is a grow kit. The spores come in a fertile substrate and are already germinated in the mycelium. Of course, it still needs a lot of care and attention, but for a novice grower, this is a good option.

Spore syringes, ampoules and prints

With spore syringes, you can easily apply the seeds of the mushroom into the growing container. Spore ampoules contain a liquid that comes from the seeds of the mushroom and often work slightly better than syringes. With a spore ampoule, you get a collection of spores and can quickly start growing your mushrooms.

To consider

Whichever option you choose, it is important that you always work in a sterile manner. In case of contamination, your harvest could fail completely, and of course you don't want that.