Warning: Wall of Text. Its not usually how I roll, but I cant think of another way to present this right now.
Its clear how these things are appealing. You've never grown shrooms before, and you don't really know where to start. Someone, somewhere points you toward a grow kit (Probably Midwest Grow Kits) and it appears to have everything you need included. It seems like "no brain-er", you can just buy that kit and get started immediately. But there are a lot of problems with these things that Im going to go over below.
Lets take a look at what you get in these things, and Im gonna put a link in here that is a non sponsor, hopefully I can get away with it because Im not endorsing the product but rather specifically advising against it. Here is the example Ill be referring to:
http://www.midwestgrowkits.com/comparison-chart.html
That is a comparison of the different products that they sell. Lets go through the components and see what we have:
- Container Size: The largest size they offer is 56 qt. Plenty big for a PF Tek grow, and one of the items in this kit that is reusable. Comparable 58 qt from Walmart for about $5
- Substrate jars: Those jars shown are the wrong jars. We want the short wide mouth half pints for PF Tek. Those deeper jars have a long history of stalling before full colonization. Here are the correct jars from ACE Hardware for $13
- Thermometer with Hygrometer / Humidity Gauge: Nothing to link to here. This is totally unnecessary as long as you have a Proper Fruiting Chamber.
- Ultra fine premium Perlite: The coarser Perlite works better IME. And again, can be sourced locally from a garden shop or hardware store. Lowes has vermiculite for less than $5. If you build a monotub from the link above, you dont need the perlite.
- 110V 5000k Plug in Fluorescent Light: Again, not necessary. And the wrong product for the job. Ambient sunlight coming in through a window works just fine. If you did need the light, then it wouldn't be this one. Instead you would use a 6500k Spectrum not a 5000k. No link required because no additional light is required.
- LED Grow Light: Again, not needed. Now there are two different lights that we don"t need included. At least they are getting closer on the light spectrum at 6000K, but its still not the 6500k that is optimal. If you're going to use a tool, then use the right one for the job. Again no link required.
- Hospital Grade Gloves: These are easily found in every grocery store. Usually in the pharmacy section. Looks like there is a single pair of gloves in these kits. You can find an entire box of these for cheap. Heres a whole box on Amazon for $5.50
- Isopropyl Alcohol swabs: Again, wrong tool for the job. Dont ever wipe your needle with alcohol. Alcohol sanitizes, not a sterilizes. A flame is the only way to properly sterilize a needle tip. No link needed, because this item isn't necessary.
- Step by step instructions: Instructions....you want instructions...Here you go 1, 2 That should cover pretty much everything you'll need for quite a long time.
- Electric 50W adjustable heater: One more item that isn't needed. Ill go so far as to say that its likely to be detrimental to your grow. As long as you are comfortable walking around in a T shirt in your house, then your mushrooms will be fine. Adding heat encourages the growth of contamination more that the growth of cubensis. Leave incubation out of your grow completely unless you have a problem with really low temperatures in your house.
- Silicone Air hoses with built in HEPA filters: Yet one more extraneous item that isn't necessary. Fresh Air Exchange and humidity control should be inherent and passive if you have a fruiting chamber like in the link above.
- Electric air pump: Refer to what I just wrote one paragraph up. We don't need it.
- Electric 24 hour timer with 24 on/off settings per day: Don't need it. Remember that bit about the window and sunlight above? Unless you are in a place that has 24 hour long nights, it doesn't serve a purpose in an amateur grow.
- Hydroponic Humidifier: This may serve a purpose if you are trying to bump up the humidity in a green house. But for a tub, we don't need it. Assuming you used a fruiting chamber from the link above.
As you can see, there is a whole lot of things in that kit that we don't need to do an effective grow. It seems like a lot of the items in there are based on info that has been proven ineffective, and in some cases detrimental. And on top of all that, you aren't even provided with the supplies or equipment to refill your jars and do a second grow!
We have come a long way towards understanding in a very short amount of time in mycology.
So now that I've beat down your hopes of an easy, all inclusive, mail delivered kit that is going to produce huge amounts of mushrooms. Lets break it down and see what we actually need to do this right.
The standard grow for a new cultivator is usually the PF Tek. And I provided links up above for most of this already. So lets make a list:
This is a list of one time gear, its reusable. You only need to purchase once.
- 2 of the clear tubs, one will be a fruiting chamber, and the other will become a still air box (About $10 total)
- 2 bags of Perlite (About $10) and not necessary if you use a monotub.
- 1 Box of wide mouth half pint mason jars ($13)
- 1 Big ass pot, you probably already have on in your kitchen. Check a thrift store if not.
Total so far: $33 (Roughly)
This is a list of your consumable/disposable ingredients. You will need this for every grow.
- Spores (Check the Sponsor List for reliable products. The most inexpensive way to do obtain spores is to buy one of the "Their Choice" deals and mention you are a Shroomery member. This usually will get you your first spore syringe plus an additional freebie. Cost ($15 roughly).
- Vermiculite: You can find it on the shelf right next to the Perlite you bought above for about the same price ($5). One bag will do several grows.
- Grain Flour: Brown Rice Flour has always been the standard, but any grain will work. If you have a blender you can toss any grain that you find for cheap in and grind it to flour. One small bag of brown rice is about $3 locally here and will do several grows.
Total price of consumables: $23 (Roughly)
Take into account as well that the consumables are bought on a scale that allows several 12 jar PF Tek runs. That $23 does several grows, and you can now refill your own jars and you have the correct equipment on hand to replicate it at will. Learn to make spore prints and you can refill those syringes yourself and cut out the most expensive consumable.
Total cost for your first grow is about $56. Lets round it up to $60 and include a few cents worth for a lighter to sterilize your needle, plastic gloves and a shot of alcohol on them to sanitize. Its possible you already have those items in your bathroom.
For that cost, you have exactly what you need, no extraneous crap, no items that are detrimental to your grow, and you are set up to do subsequent grows without relying on a companies overpriced items for subsequent grows. Plus, its all scale-able. If you want, you can easily pick up more jars and another fruiting chamber.
The cheapest kit presented by that company linked above is $55 and is not refillable. The most expensive is $139 and is chocked full of crap that you don't need and can possibly derail your grow. And in the end, you really haven't learned half of what is available to you in the process of cultivation.
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