Alright I've done a fair amount of reading and searching now. Most common forms of bulk substrate seem to be mostly composed of varying amounts of the following:
Straw:
Straw is airy, has a great surface area and many points for mycelium to attach and grow. Due to it's porous nature at the micro level it likely retains moisture fairly well too. Great source of nitrogen.
Grains:
We all know that our mushies need nutrients like carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to eat up and and power their metabolism just as we do. The more food you have the more you can grow. Any grain that retains a fairly firm consistency when hydrated seems to work here. Be it Millet/Milo (WBS) Rye Berries/Grass, Wheat Berries, Quinoi. Choosing grains with high in triptophan seems to be believed my some to increase potency.
Note: It seems the more experienced do not view popcorn as a good choice for a bulk substrate because of it's high cost relative to other options, high surface area/low grain count ratio, mediocre nutritional content, and low triptophan content. Bottom line, there are better options.
Dung/Compost:
There are many forms. Horse manure (h/poo) is generally viewed as the best choice, though store bought stuff works fine as long as most of the bigger chunks of wood and other debris are picked out. Custom composts and cow manure are also used. These things seem to provide food in the form of partially digested or decomposed matter. Plenty of vitamins, minerals and things of the sort in this stuff; mushies love it to death. Some strains require it.
Vermiculite:
Mostly to retain water and fluff things up. Makes substrates more moist and airy. Usually mutually exclusive with the presence of straw, since it does the same job.
Usually found in about a 10-15% by volume ratio.
Gypsum or Calcium Carbonate:
This includes Oister Shells (Calcium Carbonate), Lime (Calcium Carbonate), Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate), Calcium Carbonate can be found straight up in raw form, or as Tums, egg shells are also mostly calcium carbonate. This stuff acts mostly a pH buffer. It buffers against a build up of metabolites (You wouldn't grow well in a pool of your own S**T would you?) and prevents some contams that enjoy altered pH levels. It's also likely is used as a nutrient by the mushies... How? I dunno, but it certainly helps yields, pinning, and potency.
Usually found in a 5-10% by volume concentration.
** This is purely my own theory back up by absolutely nothing, but the sulfur in Gypsum could serve the mushies well since sulfur is used in many different biological processes. Most other ingredients contain plenty of nitrogen, like straw and dung and other decaying matter. Having lots of organic matter for metabolic processes is always a good thing.
Coco Coir:
This stuff is nice and light, airy, cheap, and it seems mushies love coco nut and palm trees. Palm tree woodchips are also a great substrate for any wood loving species, reishi included.
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There are, of course, always other ingredients that are mostly nutritional additives, like kelp, blood meal, honey, and all kinds of other 'secret ingredients' For the purposes of this document I'm going to overlook theses until I read more about them or someone more experienced cares to comment in further detail about them.
I woulds love to hear some comparison from the more experienced in regards to a few things. Straw both hold moisture and is a great nitrogen source. Hence why dung/straw is such a great combination. But how does it compare to coir with verm to retain moisture and air it up with dung? Finding straw is sometimes a pain, but most any garden store has coir, dung, and verm. I would imagine coir contains more nutrients than straw; and the verm holds moisture making the coir/verm/dung a better choice? Not only for availability but nutritional value as well?
My next personal experiment will likely be with a coir/verm/dung mixture supplemented with some millet/milo/rye grass(WBS)and Gypsum. I'd also be willing to edit this document into some kind of TEK if enough people give input and it all can be condensed into one document. That way people can make educated choices about making their own complex bulk substrates.
May your mycelia multiply and be fruitful.
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