Contents
Mushrooms as food
The impact of mushrooms on human health
Fighting cancer with mushrooms
Improving the immune system and supplying the body with vitamins
Magic Mushrooms Medical Use
How Magic Mushrooms Work
How To Grow Magic Mushrooms at Home
What equipment is needed to grow psilocybin mushrooms
First step
Second step
The First Step of The Cultivation of Magic Mushrooms
Sterilization – the first action
Vaccination – the second action
Waiting – the third action
The Second Step of The Cultivation of Psilocybin Mushrooms
Preparing the camera – first action
Seizure of ‘magic mushroom cakes’ – second action
Spraying – third action
Shelter – fourth action
Care
Harvesting
Harvesting, Storage, and Dosage
Where to hold
How Much Are Psilocybin Mushrooms to Use
It’s hard to overestimate the benefits of mushrooms; they really are of great importance to mankind. If you don’t quite know what we’re talking about, take a quick look at biology.
You could say that without mushrooms it would have been difficult for a man to come into the world. At the beginning of the world, they were saturated with phosphorus from rocks and provided it to plants, which made photosynthesis much easier for the “green friends”, hence more oxygen was produced. Conclusion: without the helpers of fungi, mankind would have been at risk. In addition, the stems with their caps would decompose almost anything that dies or rots. Not everyone would want to trip over rotting organisms on the way to work, would they? Mushrooms protect us from this nuisance. People don’t even think about the effects of fungi on their lives, and this needs to be rectified.
Mushrooms as food
Fungi are the fleshy, fruiting bodies of fungi that are capable of forming the spores necessary for reproduction. Most often, members of this kingdom develop above ground and are a small part of a larger organism. This organism is found in the soil and lives among the roots of trees and other plants.
There are poisonous mushrooms, but there are also edible mushrooms that are good for human health, so it is recommended to eat them. Among the mushroom delicacies one can find shiitake, chanterelles, truffles, and even the edible morels, despite their unappetizing name. Foods with fungus may not contain mushrooms at all: cheese, grains, fruit, beer and wine, and bread. A fungus can be found in all of this food and is beneficial to the body. Baker’s yeast, also called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is an important ingredient in the preparation of baked goods. Natural yeast based on the fungus has been providing us with staple foods for thousands of years.
The impact of mushrooms on human health
The nutritional value of mushrooms has been assessed as somewhere between meat and vegetables. There is some debate about their usefulness, but it is recognized that they have a positive effect on the human body due to the proteins, minerals, and B, C, and D vitamins they contain. Each of the components has a noticeable effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular and central nervous system in a positive way. They also all stimulate the strengthening of bone tissue.
Use of mushrooms in the fight against cancer
A study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology and Medicine concluded that all popular varieties of mushrooms reduce the number of breast cancer cells by 1/3. Breast cancer is not the only disease the fruiting bodies help to cure. Scientific work on prostate and stomach cancer has similar findings.
Improving immunity and supplying the body with vitamins
Two compounds in mushrooms, beta-glucan, and lentinan, are beneficial to consumers because they are natural immune boosters. Mushrooms are packed with important vitamins. Many varieties are high in vitamin D and the Cremini variety is renowned for vitamin B12. Cremini is a great option for vegetarians, as B12 is abundant in animal products and hard to find in plants.
Magic Mushrooms Medical Use
The earliest recorded medicinal use of fungi is considered to be red yeast rice, developed in China in the 8th to 9th centuries AD. Cultivation of yeast in rice yields a pharmaceutically active mix of compounds. In today’s world, many patients with life-threatening illnesses receive mushroom-based medicines every year. Science has recognized the medical value of their metabolites.
Probably the most effective but controversial mushroom medicine is psilocybin mushrooms, which have been used for centuries for their medicinal properties. Psychologist Michael Pollan, in “How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Death, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence,” tells the story of the drugs presented. The mycologist argues that psychedelics were previously legal and successfully used in the United States to treat mental disorders, as well as to relieve anxiety, depression, and addiction. Pollan says that in the 1950s and 1960s, many doctors in psychiatric hospitals regarded LSD and psilocybin as miracle drugs.
How Magic Mushrooms Work
Psychedelics alter perception, mood, and other conscious and subconscious processes. Using psychedelics activates specific receptors called HT2A (2AR), which are most often triggered by serotonin. These changes in the brain allow the individual to experience new emotions and vivid impressions. A person who has taken magic mushroom spores noticeably sharpens their senses: colors appear richer, sounds louder, taste and aroma are more intense. The mushroom lover will focus on his surroundings and feelings, foreign thoughts, dreams, and memories will disappear from his mind.
After the drug leaves your body, the dramatic effects will remain in your mind for a long time to come. People who have tried psychedelics told us that anxiety and depression left them after the first use. They also reported what they called a spiritual awakening, which caused their consciousness to change constantly. They said it was easier to focus on the present when using psychedelics, and that magic mushrooms helped them understand the interconnection of all things around them.
If a person is troubled by mental illness or wants to try out the proverbial spiritual enlightenment and suspend the flow of thoughts, the use of psilocybin mushrooms is an excellent option. In this case, information on growing these helpers can be helpful.
How To Grow Magic Mushrooms at Home
Once one is familiar with the great benefits of magic mushrooms, one might want to cultivate different varieties oneself. You should consider that they are much more difficult to grow than conventional crops, but having the right information, the cultivation process will become much easier. The cultivation technique described in this article applies to most mushrooms, but the focus here is on magic mushrooms.
The cultivation of psychedelics mushrooms is now banned in most states. On the other hand, medics are trying hard to convince political bodies of the therapeutic efficacy of drugs such as psilocybin. It is possible that in the near future such medicines will become legal, as will their cultivation. If you want to grow psychedelic mushrooms, it is advisable to research the legislation on the legality of such activity first, so as not to encounter serious problems.
Beginner magic mushroom growers usually ask about the length of the growing process. It has several stages:
- During the first week there should be inoculation of psilocybin fungal spores until its germination;
- The next 2-4 weeks the spores will germinate until the substrate is fully colonized;
- The beginning of the fruiting cycle is about 14 days.
After half a month the base will begin to turn blue and the fruit will stop forming. All in all, it will take about a month and a half before fruiting.
What equipment is needed to grow psilocybin mushrooms?
It takes a lot of effort to get a bountiful harvest. In addition to this, the magic mushroom grower must have a whole arsenal of items. Simply put, the whole cultivation period can be divided into 2 parts, each requiring different materials.
First step
What you will need:
- 10 sterilized inoculation jars with liner. It is recommended to use one jar for each cube of spores in the syringe. You can use ordinary wide-necked jars with lids. Brown rice flour or another substrate is excellent as a substrate. In this case, however, be sure to sterilize the equipment;
- Rubber gloves;
- Paper towels;
- A face mask (thanks to famous events this is now a popular accessory);
- Medical alcohol;
- Syringe with magic mushroom spores;
- Hypodermic needles of the right size for the syringe being used (if not in the kit with the syringe, you will have to buy them separately);
- Lighter;
- Disinfectant spray.
Second step
At this stage, arm yourself with the following tools:
- A sprayer made of plastic;
- A cultivation chamber (a food container will do, with a few holes of a couple of centimeters in diameter on each side for air circulation);
- A clean place without direct sunlight that is rarely visited (a basement and cellar are good options);
- A temperature and humidity meter;
- Vermiculite (can be replaced by perlite, but there are differences between them, so study each and choose the most suitable material).
To get a rich harvest, watch out for 4 important aspects:
- Hygiene;
- The moisture level;
- The temperature;
- Ambient light.
More specific instructions for each aspect are described below.
The First Step of The Cultivation of Magic Mushrooms
First, you need to create what is known as a “cake” for germination. “The ‘cake’ is the base on which the magic mushrooms grow. It will be ready when the mycelium colonizes the jar completely and sets it on the substrate. When you take the base out of the glass jar, it will look like a psilocybin mushroom cake. It is now clear what ‘cake’ has to do with it.
Sterilization – the first action
The most important enemy of psilocybin fungi during cultivation is harmful bacteria that enter the jar during the inoculation process. They thrive in a climate that is optimal for the cultivation of fruiting bodies. For this reason, their multiplication and spore infestation is an inevitable outcome. To reduce their numbers, read the following advice carefully.
You need a “secret laboratory” that acts as a preparation room. A small room or bathroom is a good choice. Gather all the tools you need from the list above, put on a face mask, enter the room and lock the door behind you. You should now spray the room with disinfectant. After that, put on rubber gloves and wipe the jars with medical alcohol using prepared towels. Pay particular attention to the top of the container as most of the bacteria collect there.
Vaccination – the second action
Heat the metal part of a hypodermic needle with a lighter until it turns red. This instrument is usually sterilized before it is released for sale, but it is better to protect yourself.
Do not place the needle on any surface until it has cooled. Then shake the syringe to distribute the spores evenly, insert the needle into the port and inject one cc into the container. The same procedure will need to be repeated with all jars. Remember to sterilize the needle before each use.
Waiting – the third act
After the injection, the jars should be placed in a pre-prepared box, covered, and left in a warm place without light. Keep an eye on the temperature: it is advisable to keep it between 26 and 30 degrees Celsius. You have to allow 5 days without checking for magic mushroom spores. This is difficult, but it will pay off.
After a few days, a white-colored substance will appear inside the jar. If you see a similar picture, it has worked! The light color in the glass container is mycelium – the vegetative part of the mushroom. It can be compared to plant roots and the fruiting body to a flower or a fruit. The mycelium should develop for about half a month. When the jars are fully colonized with a white substance, you will have to wait another week and move on to the second phase.
The Second Step of The Cultivation of Psilocybin Mushrooms
The second part of cultivation begins with the need to take the ‘cakes’ out of their containers. After a month you will see magic mushrooms on them. Collect the glass containers with the sprouts and all the equipment from the list above in one place.
Preparing the camera – first action
Make a layer of vermiculite or perlite on the bottom of the container and moisten it thoroughly with a sprayer. A sprayer should be used; water should not be poured onto the substrate. Vermiculite is used to maintain the required level of humidity inside the container and should therefore be moistened occasionally.
Seizure of ‘magic mushroom cakes’ – second action
To carry out this stage, you need to read the following algorithm:
- Wear gloves or wash your hands thoroughly (gloves are best).
- Open the lids of the containers, put something flat on top to cover them, and turn them upside down.
- Tap them with your hand to get the mycelium off the walls and down into the substrate. Sometimes the “cake” does not respond to the usual tapping, so be prepared to give the jar a good shaking.
- Do this procedure until the jars run out. Make sure to leave enough space between each “cake” so that there is enough room for the future psilocybin mushrooms, which should have their own space
At this stage magic, mushroom growers can already watch the sprouts forming. This means that the ‘vegetable garden’ is developing properly. To check the health of the mycelium, you can simply smell the base. A healthy product has a faint scent that is similar to that of fresh store-bought mushrooms. An unpleasant aroma indicates the presence of harmful microorganisms.
Spraying – third action
Spray the “Cakes” with a sprayer, but be sure to keep the amount of water in mind: the base should be moist, not waterlogged.
Shelter – fourth action
Cover the chamber with a lid and put it in a dark and well-ventilated place.
Care
For the next month, it is advisable to spray the mushrooms twice a day. Keep the humidity and temperature at an optimum level. The temperature should be at least 22°C and the humidity should preferably be kept at 35%.
Harvesting
When the magic mushrooms have ripened, remove them from the ‘cake’ and place the resulting crop in an airtight container which should be kept in a cool place (you can put it in the fridge). Do not reuse the substrate, so dispose of it or use it as compost.
Harvest, Holding, and Dosage
One ‘cake’ can produce quite a lot of fruit. We advise using 10 cans at a time, as this is the number that is grafted from one standard-sized syringe. 10 containers – 10 mycelium bases. That’s enough harvest to last a lifetime. You can start with a smaller number of containers, but in this case, there will still be spores left for which no use has been made. They remain viable from 8 months to a year, but dried psilocybin mushrooms can be kept for a longer period.
Where to hold
The magic mushrooms will still be fresh after 2 weeks if you are lucky. This period is often shorter. Store the fruit in the refrigerator, then dry it and place it in an airtight container. Afterward, put them back in a cool place without light.
How Much Are Psilocybin Mushrooms to Use
There is no set dose for psilocybin mushrooms, so the amount of fruit consumed depends on the individual case. It varies according to body build, tolerance of the body to psychedelics, metabolic rate, and the desired effect on the mind. In addition, the potency of a particular species is important, depending on its narcotic content. Just 1 magic mushroom can have a strong effect on the human body, so it is better to start with a small dose and increase it little by little based on how you feel. Do not consume too many caps if this is your first tasting experience. If you do not feel any immediate change, wait a little longer before increasing the dose as the first effects can appear even an hour after consumption. The world around you, your mood, and your attitude towards psychedelic products are just as important as the dose you take. Take all of this into account when determining the number of hats.
Conclusion
There are plenty of magic mushroom cultivation methods available on the internet. When you have finished cultivating one or more batches, it can be helpful to talk to an experienced psilocybin mushroom grower about the complexities of producing the perfect crop. If you are just starting out as a “gardener”, try out the simple method first, adapting it to your own particular situation and location before experimenting with more advanced options.
If the number of steps and phases makes you uncomfortable, read all the instructions again to understand and memorize the whole process. Once you are familiar with each point, they will no longer be intimidating and will seem quite simple.
Most importantly, you don’t have to concentrate on the result and fear making a mistake. Enjoy the process and gain knowledge and experience. Growing ordinary crops is already a feat, but coping with the magical substance that affects the human mind is something more. The very act of doing so should give you confidence and improve your self-esteem because not everyone will do it.