A sterile syringe with needle: the tool for inoculation
Inoculation is the moment a grow is made or ruined. You introduce a small amount of liquid carrying mycelium or spores into a sterilised substrate, and anything that tags along gets the same head start. A sterile syringe with needle is therefore basic equipment: the needle passes through the injection port without the box ever being opened.
The syringe holds 10 cc, or 10 ml, and carries a clear scale along the barrel. That lets you measure exactly how much goes in per injection point, a couple of millilitres at a time for instance. The needle supplied sits under a protective cap and is long enough to reach the bottom of a liquid culture vial, so you can fill the syringe in one go. Needle and syringe connect with a twist, after which the joint stays put while you inject.
How to work with it
Clean your working surface first and put on gloves. Wipe the rubber cap of the vial and the injection port of your substrate kit with an alcohol prep and let the alcohol dry. Shake the vial, draw up the liquid and spread it over the injection points. Turn and shake the box gently afterwards so the suspension spreads through the substrate. Then store the kit in the dark at room temperature and leave it alone while the mycelium runs.
Using it safely
The needle is sharp and stays sterile only while the packaging is closed. Use the combination once, then keep the needle capped in a sealed container and out of reach of children. Never push a used needle back through the same spot and never use one that has touched anything else.
At Avalon Magic Plants the same category also holds liquid culture vials of 5 and 10 ml, alcohol preps, sterile gloves, a mouth mask and a sterile scalpel. Everything is shipped discreetly packaged.
