What if you could grow natural psychedelics in the comfort of your own home? Well, there’s a mushroom grow bag for that.
If you’re new to growing, or simply want a lower maintenance option, many retailers sell all-in-one bags designed to provide the ideal environment for mushrooms to thrive that don’t require a ton of background knowledge. Put it on a shelf away from sunlight, inject the soil with psilocybin spores or liquid culture (such as trusted genetics sources like Inoculate the World and Basidium Equilibrium), give it a shake once the grow starts turning white from the mycelium and watch the mushrooms bloom.
Here are some of the best grow bags on the market.
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Shroomtek: All-in-One Grow Bag
“Grow dung-loving mushrooms right in the bag!” The Shroomtek bag also requires people to source their spores elsewhere, but the process is beginner-friendly otherwise, “from inoculation to colonization to flush.” The bags contain a blend of sterilized, nutrient-dense organic manure-based compost, grain, cocoa coir and substrate supplements.
The bags also have a “self-healing injection port” where the spore syringe can go, behind a filter patch which blocks airborne contaminants. Depending on the strain, you could have your first flush in just 30 days. The company advises that the use of liquid culture syringes inoculates the bag one to three weeks quicker than spore syringes, “because liquid culture syringes contain live mycelium whereas spore syringes contain fungal spores that need to become mycelium.”
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The Magic Bag: Organic Mushroom Grow Bag
This growbag comes with a disclaimer that it should not be used to “casually or flippantly” grow mushrooms but with intention and respect in the furtherance of healing and growth. It is designed for “dung-loving” mushrooms — such as those of the Psilocybe cubensis variety, for instance — but it can also grow culinary fungi strains like shiitake and oyster.
There is also a “guaranteed to grow” commitment to replacing the bag, free of charge, if it doesn’t produce mushrooms for any reason (each bag produces up to 3oz of dried mushrooms); and its expert mycologists offer support to customers via email during their grow. “Our ultimate goal is to help customers grow mushrooms — and we’ll do whatever it takes to help,” it says. The company says it has donated its profits of $16,000 since 2021 to psychedelic therapy research initiatives.
Denver Spore Company: April All-In-One Kit
These bags come with syringes locked and loaded (“for microscopy and taxonomic purposes only”), with different kits released monthly containing various strains of psilocybin mushrooms. Since it is purveying illegal psychedelics, albeit from Colorado which has decriminalized, the company does not include too much information on its site where the mushroom kits can be purchased. But it has a sister site, Denver Spore Grow, which hosts tutorials, strain information, and more.
“Life is a gift and bringing life to the mushrooms is a blessing,” its founder, Eric, says on the website. “If you take care of them they will certainly show you something profound. Hurrying the process or trying to ‘control’ the mushroom is a bad idea, from growth to experience. I advise you to be patient, listen, and learn.”
Wonderbags: The Original 3 lb Wonderbag
These bags come colonized and ready to go, reducing the risk of contamination. Just watch it fruit from 10 days after receiving it. The company says that “practically nothing that can go wrong since all the more difficult stages are already behind,” and that confidence is reflected in the relatively higher cost (though, again, a refund is offered in case of disappointment). The “original” bag, mysteriously, does not include any information about which strain it is sporulated with — but other Wonderbags include king oysters, chestnuts, and lion’s mane.
“Completing the full path from spores to mushrooms can be a tough journey for many of us,” the company says on its website. “This is why, after experimenting with all the different growth methods, types of substrates, grain, adding and removing components from the bags, we came up with an ultimate solution.”
