Which Cultivation Method is Right for Me?

Mushroom cultivation can feel complex, but at More Than Spores, we simplify it with our premium liquid cultures, pre-sterilized grain spawn bags with injection ports, and pre-pasteurized bulk substrate bags. These lab-tested products ensure fast, high-yield grows with minimal effort. We’ll explore three practical methods for home growers: PF Tek, Bag Culture, and Monotub/Shotgun Fruiting Chamber, emphasizing why monotubs paired with our products offer the best value and output. This guide is straightforward to help you choose confidently.

Whether growing gourmet edibles like oysters or lion’s mane, our methods and products guarantee success. Subscribe to our YouTube channel @PhunGuyBob for step-by-step video guides. New tips drop weekly!

Let’s dive in and see why monotubs are your top pick.

Why These Three Methods?

We focus on PF Tek, Bag Culture, and Monotub/Shotgun Fruiting Chamber because they’re accessible, scalable, and effective for beginners to intermediates. Each requires sterile techniques to prevent contamination, and our liquid cultures accelerate growth with vigorous genetics. Unlike competitors’ all-in-one grow bags (like North Spore’s ShroomTek or Out-Grow’s kits, yielding 0.5-1 lb with limited customization), our separate grain spawn and bulk substrate bags allow tailored ratios for 2-5x higher yields, especially in monotubs. This component system boosts profitability and flexibility.

1. Monotub/Shotgun Fruiting Chamber: Best for Big Yields and Profit

A monotub is a modified plastic storage bin (like a 54-66 quart Sterilite) with holes for air exchange, lined with a black trash bag to prevent side pinning. The shotgun fruiting chamber is a smaller, perlite-filled version. Both maintain humidity and air for fruiting, but monotubs shine for bulk production in minimal space.

Pros: Huge yields (2-5 lbs or more per tub over multiple flushes), cost-effective (setup under $50), and fits in a closet or corner. It’s low-maintenance once set up, far surpassing all-in-one bags for returns.

Cons: Needs basic DIY (drilling holes, see our guide below) and humidity/temperature monitoring, but our pre-sterilized products simplify it.

Best For: Growers seeking abundant harvests for meals, sharing, or selling surplus. For maximum output and profit, monotubs are unmatched.

How Our Products Fit In: Inject our liquid cultures into our pre-sterilized grain spawn bags for rapid colonization (7-14 days). Once colonized, mix with our pre-pasteurized bulk substrate bags at a 1:4 ratio in a homemade monotub. Unlike competitors’ all-in-one bags (e.g., North Spore or Shroom Supply, yielding under 1 lb due to fixed ratios), our system optimizes for bigger flushes and cleaner grows. See our blog How To Build A Monotub for setup details.

Monotubs are the go-to for efficiency and profitability. Watch our video Monotub Mushroom Growing Setup on YouTube and subscribe at @PhunGuyBob for pro tips!

2. Bag Culture: Simple but Limited

Bag culture uses filter-patch grow bags filled with pasteurized substrates (like straw or our bulk bags), inoculated with spawn or liquid culture, then fruited by opening or slitting the top.

Pros: Easy setup with minimal equipment, strong contamination control via filter patches, and versatile for various substrates. Yields up to 1-2 lbs per bag, better than PF Tek but less than monotubs.

Cons: Requires space and often a grow tent ($50-100) for proper placement and environmental control, adding cost and complexity. Competitors’ all-in-one bags (like Out-Grow or Midwest Grow Kits) underperform due to nutrient imbalances, capping yields.

Best For: Growers wanting simplicity and decent yields, or transitioning to monotubs. Great for oysters in small spaces.

How Our Products Fit In: Use our liquid cultures with our pre-sterilized grain spawn bags to create robust spawn, then mix into our pre-pasteurized bulk substrate bags. This outperforms all-in-one bags by allowing custom ratios for faster colonization and bigger harvests, priming you for monotubs.

Bag culture is a good step, but monotubs yield more. See our video Bag Culture for Beginners on YouTube and subscribe at @PhunGuyBob!

3. PF Tek: Great for Learning, Small Yields

PF Tek (Psilocybe Fanaticus Technique) uses half-pint jars with brown rice flour and vermiculite substrate, sterilized, inoculated, and fruited in a perlite-humidified chamber.

Pros: Super beginner-friendly, cheap materials (under $20), and compact (fits on a shelf). Perfect for learning sterile techniques with minimal investment.

Cons: Low yields (a few ounces per jar, needing many for bulk), time-intensive jar management, and less efficient than bags or monotubs for profit-driven grows.

Best For: Complete beginners testing the waters before upgrading to bag culture or monotubs for bigger harvests.

How Our Products Fit In: Our liquid cultures inject directly into PF Tek jars, colonizing 2-3x faster than spore syringes (common in competitors’ starter kits like those from Sporeworks). This reduces contamination risks and speeds up your learning curve, preparing you for monotubs.

PF Tek is a great start, but monotubs are where the rewards are. Watch our PF Tek Step-by-Step Tutorial on YouTube and subscribe at @PhunGuyBob!

Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Method

Here’s how to pick the best method, with a focus on why monotubs are the smartest choice:

Experience: PF Tek is great for learning basics, but monotubs are accessible with our pre-sterilized products and yield far more, even for beginners.

Space: Monotubs fit in a closet or corner, needing no more room than PF Tek jars. Bag culture often requires a grow tent, adding cost and space needs, while monotubs are self-contained.

Time Commitment: Monotubs need less ongoing work than managing PF Tek jars or setting up a grow tent for bags, offering higher yields for minimal effort.

Species and Goals: Cubensis species thrive in monotubs and bags. For abundant harvests to eat, share, or sell, monotubs win.

Budget and Profit: All methods are affordable, but our liquid cultures (from $20), grain spawn bags, and bulk substrate bags make monotubs the most cost-effective, yielding 2-5 lbs per $30-50 setup versus 0.5-1 lb from competitors’ $20-40 all-in-one bags.

Sterilization is CRITICAL, and our lab-tested cultures and pre-sterilized bags ensure clean grows, especially for monotubs where big harvests rely on contamination-free setups. SEO keywords like “mushroom cultivation methods,” “best monotub setup,” “PF Tek guide,” “bag culture mushrooms,” and “monotub for beginners” are included for discoverability.

Getting Started with More Than Spores Products

Our premium liquid cultures, pre-sterilized grain spawn bags, and pre-pasteurized bulk substrate bags are designed for ease and high yields. Unlike all-in-one bags from competitors (like North Spore, Out-Grow, or Midwest Grow Kits, which limit customization and output), our component system gives you control for bigger, cleaner harvests. Shop now at www.morethanspores.com/shop to grow like a pro!

Subscribe to @PhunGuyBob on YouTube for free tutorials on monotubs, bag culture, and more. Check out Liquid Culture Inoculation Basics for a primer, and hit that bell for weekly updates!

Conclusion

PF Tek is great for learning, and bag culture offers flexibility, but monotubs with More Than Spores’ liquid cultures, grain spawn, and bulk substrate bags deliver unmatched yields and profits in minimal space. Skip the limitations and extra costs of all-in-one bags or grow tents—our customizable system is built for success. Start today, scale up, and harvest pounds of mushrooms with ease.

Sources

Our guide “Which Cultivation Method is Right for Me?” draws from trusted mycology resources to ensure accurate, practical advice for research and microscopy purposes. We consulted Shroomery (https://www.shroomery.org) for its extensive discussions on PF Tek, bag culture, and monotub techniques, Mycotopia (https://mycotopia.net) for insights on contamination prevention and high-yield setups, Cornell University Small Farms Program (https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/projects/mushrooms/) for research-based guides on fungal biology and sterile techniques, and North American Mycological Association for foundational knowledge on mushroom growth cycles and substrate ratios.

For hands-on guidance, check out our YouTube channel @PhunGuyBob for video tutorials on monotubs, bag culture, and more. Subscribe for weekly updates to level up your grows!

Note: This content is for educational and microscopy research purposes only. Always check local laws before cultivating mushrooms.

Sources

Our guide “Which Cultivation Method is Right for Me?” draws from trusted mycology resources to ensure accurate, practical advice for research and microscopy purposes.

We consulted PF Tek discussions on Shroomery for insights into jars and beginner methods, as well as contamination prevention strategies on Mycotopia for clean and high-yield setups. Research-based guidance from Cornell University’s Small Farms Program helped shape our focus on fungal biology and sterile technique, while the North American Mycological Association provided foundational knowledge on growth cycles and substrate ratios.

For hands-on guidance, don’t miss our own free resources:

Subscribe to @PhunGuyBob on YouTube for weekly tutorials that walk you step-by-step through monotubs, bag culture, PF Tek, and more.

Note: This content is for educational and microscopy research purposes only. Always check local laws before cultivating mushrooms.