Rice flour 250 grams: the nutrient source in your substrate
Rice flour is one of the oldest ingredients in home mushroom growing. It supplies the starches and proteins the mycelium feeds on, and because it is finely milled it spreads evenly through the rest of the mix. This bag holds 250 grams of organic rice flour. On its own it is not a growing medium: it is almost always combined with vermiculite, which holds moisture and keeps the structure open and airy.
That combination is known as the rice flour cake. Vermiculite, rice flour and water go into a glass jar, usually at roughly two parts vermiculite to one part rice flour. The mixture should be moist but not wet, so that squeezing a handful releases a drop at most. The jars are then sterilised, cooled and inoculated with a spore syringe. How much flour you need depends on your recipe and the size of your jars; at the usual ratios, 250 grams will take you through a fair number of them.
What to watch for
Work as cleanly as you can. Most failed grows do not go wrong because of the substrate itself, but because moulds and bacteria get in during inoculation. A wiped-down work surface, alcohol, gloves and a face mask make a real difference. Store the flour dry and sealed; flour that takes on moisture clumps together and spoils faster. Keep in mind that rules around growing mushrooms differ from country to country.
What else you will need
Avalon Magic Plants carries the rest of the growing supplies in the same category: 1000 cc of perlite, autoclavable microfilter bags, sterile syringes with needle, alcohol preps, gloves and face masks. If you would rather skip the preparation altogether, there is also the sterilised substrate kit. Everything ships in discreet packaging.
