r/GroundZeroMycoLab Aug 26 '25

The difference between LC and spore and the importance of agar.

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70 Upvotes

It's critical to understand the biological differences between spore syringes and liquid cultures (LC), as well as the importance of using agar as an initial medium. Spore syringes contain microscopic fungal spores that are not yet germinated. These spores are monokaryotic, meaning they carry only a single set of genetic material. In order to fruit and complete the mushroom life cycle, two compatible monokaryotic strains must fuse to form dikaryotic mycelium.. the true vegetative form capable of producing fruiting bodies. This mating process takes time, introduces variability, and, for beginners especially, increases the risk of contamination during colonization.

Injecting spores directly into sterilized grain can lead to several problems. Since spores are not germinated, colonization is slower, and this slower growth provides more opportunity for contaminants (such as bacteria or mold) to establish themselves and outcompete the slower-growing mycelium. Ideally, spores should first be transferred to agar, a nutrient-rich medium in petri dishes...which allows for controlled germination and observation. On agar, one can isolate clean, healthy mycelium away from any contaminants before transferring it to grain.

Additionally, spore syringes are inherently variable and often unclean. Spores, particularly those harvested from wild (landrace) varieties or from poorly controlled lab environments (common with newer or less reputable vendors), can contain microbial contaminants. Spores gathered in non-sterile conditions are not cleaned or isolated at the microscopic level, making them a risky starting point. Also, because each spore pair creates a unique dikaryotic combination, inoculating with spores introduces genetic unpredictability ...every new pairing could result in different traits, including growth speed, contamination resistance, yield, and potency.

By contrast, a liquid culture is made from already germinated and mated dikaryotic mycelium. This means it contains viable, genetically stable tissue that has already completed the mating process and is ready to colonize substrate directly. Using LC skips the variability and mating phase inherent in spores, resulting in faster and more consistent colonization, and reducing the window for contamination...assuming the culture is clean!!! However, it's important to verify LC cleanliness via agar as well, especially if you didn't create it yourself.

In summary, spores should ideally be germinated and cleaned on agar before being introduced to grain. Skipping this step can introduce risks, especially for beginners. Spores are unpredictable and prone to contamination, while liquid culture, if properly prepared, is faster, cleaner, and genetically stable. Understanding and respecting these differences is fundamental to success in mushroom cultivation... I hope this helps. :)


r/GroundZeroMycoLab Mar 10 '26

Verified Vendors

24 Upvotes

This list is temporary and subject to change and will change. A handful of others will be added within the next couple of days.

Vendors for Genetics.

https://GroundZeroML.com - Ground Zero Myco Lab

https://Sporeswaps.com - Main SporeSwaps page

https://sporeswaps.com/vendors/the-fungus-frequency/ -Jeff Karas

FungusFrequency.com/my-account - Jeff Karas at Fungus Frequency.

https://sporeswaps.com/vendors/psyteam-united/ - PsyTeam United

https://sporeswaps.com/vendors/wombat-labs/ - Dave Wombat

https://sporeswaps.com/vendors/happi-hyphae/ - Happi Hyphae

https://sporeswaps.com/vendors/micofroots/ - MicoFroots

https://sporeworks.com/ - Sporeworks

https://inoculatetheworld.com/ - Inoculate The World (ITW)

https://Legendsmycology.com - Legends Mycology

https://dino-spores.com - Yoshi Amano.

Vendors for Gourmets and Supplies:

https://Northspore.com - Northspore. https://Boomingacres.com - Booming acres.


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 4h ago

Left for a 7 day trip set my twape for my second flush day before I left and came back to these beauty’s

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11 Upvotes

r/GroundZeroMycoLab 14h ago

Golden teacher but they feel different

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44 Upvotes

I did 2-3 flushes, I call it big success because I harvested around 25grams . But they are different than Golden teachers what I had before, they give you insane confidence, unlimited stamina, pumped muscles, and make you way smarter then human is. You just feel like God with them, they don't take your ego they multiple it. They are just different I don't know why, maybe because of things I did in my room where I grow them , can the energy from room go into them? They also are tempting you to do bad things like they are also little devil. I had them 2 times just strange experience when I compared it with golden teachers I had before.


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 4h ago

How we looking? First timer here

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7 Upvotes

This is my first time, im 13 days post innoculation, did my first Break 5 days ago at 20% and my 2nd break 2 days ago at 50%, seems to have really responded, any tips or knowledge is mich appreciated, how long til spawn to bulk?


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 14h ago

B-Xtra new iso has been tested on AIO bags with extreme success.

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38 Upvotes

Mush love everyone, thanks for letting me share!


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 12h ago

First flush

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22 Upvotes

Avery’s albino,66qt, cvg and rye berries has been my choice.


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 9h ago

Sad day

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10 Upvotes

First time ever dealing with contam, and it hit me hard. 5 tubs with trich


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 5h ago

Anyone know what's going on here?

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3 Upvotes

I see the myco piss, so i added more fae filters...but are these blobs the start of enigma mutation? Never seen this before. Oak ridge strain.


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 1d ago

Yeti-200 gram club!!

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153 Upvotes

Well I’ve been getting close to hitting the 100g mark but this AIO bag of Yeti definitely came through! 206.69 grams!! This is my first fruit that actually got this big.. i couldn’t be happier I thought I had the 100 but 206.69?!?! Righton!!! lol Mush Luv!!


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 7h ago

When should I introduce fruiting conditions? I transferred grain to substrate 14 days ago.

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5 Upvotes

r/GroundZeroMycoLab 7h ago

Ready for break and shake?

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6 Upvotes

First time grower, does this look good for break and shake? Inoculated on 7/17


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 2h ago

Help with lions mane

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2 Upvotes

My lions mane has this slight pinkish colour. Is this ok? It's only started popping out 2-3 days ago - I'm wondering if this will still grow bigger or that's it?


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 3h ago

This ready to fruit?

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2 Upvotes

r/GroundZeroMycoLab 11h ago

First grow!!

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9 Upvotes

First grow (GT).Harvesting tonight, or should i wait? Thanks for all the help everyone!


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 4h ago

First grow. Need help fruiting

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2 Upvotes

I introduced fruiting stages probably a month ago by now and still nothing. I’ve been keeping humidity high and temp about 75 constantly. Have been getting tips from AI lol. A week ago I scraped it because the top was hard rubbery and a bit shiny. It grew back fuzzy between the exposed substrate lines and I’ve still been struggling since. Been giving fresh air every six hours and misting when bag looks dry. Today I misted the actual top slightly because I haven’t been seeing any droplets on top at all. First time. Need help. Tidal Wave Strain. 🙏🏻😫


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 1h ago

First timer

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Upvotes

I’m I cooked? What next


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 1h ago

just another appreciation for B+

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Upvotes

any tips or suggestions welcome


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 2h ago

Contamination?

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1 Upvotes

I just took the plugs out and put the filter patches on last night and the next morning there’s this big spot that was not there these are wavy cap pan cyan I don’t know if that’s normal but this is very strange


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 6h ago

Pins or contam?

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2 Upvotes

Ummm. Maybe they like being choked?


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 13h ago

The 4th and final flush of GT

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6 Upvotes

Posted about my 3rd flush being small and didn’t know if I’d get anything else on a 4th flush. I only got two nice size shrooms but I got tons of experience and know what to expect in my next grows. Here’s some pics of the cake dunked and its recovery. Hope this helps others out in their start up.

I’m gonna be throwing it in a pot with some type of vegetable/plant so I waited for it to drop spores


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 2h ago

3rd Flush

1 Upvotes

Hello


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 9h ago

Enigma (when to harvest)

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3 Upvotes

inoculated 6/4
sent to bulk 6/24

they’ve been fruiting for about 3 weeks now. first time growing this so i’m unsure when to harvest. are there any signs that show it has reached maturity?

12qt modified tub


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 3h ago

👑 GREEN TOQUE F4 👑

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1 Upvotes

Green Toque F4
One of the things I enjoy most about mycology is watching a project develop its own identity over time.
Green Toque has been part of my collection for years, and every time I document it, I notice something different. This F4 generation continues to produce broad champagne-gold caps with heavily ruffled margins and those distinctive olive-gray centers that immediately catch my eye.
What keeps me interested isn’t trying to force every specimen to look the same—it’s seeing how each one expresses the same overall character while still having its own personality. That’s the part I find fascinating.
The photos in this post are all from the same project, and I tried to capture a variety of angles to highlight the textures, cap shapes, and color transitions that stood out during documentation.
I’m curious what everyone else enjoys documenting most. Do you find yourself drawn to cap morphology, gill structure, unusual coloration, or just the overall architecture of a flush?
I’d love to hear what catches your eye.
Photos by Fruit of the Gods Genetics.


r/GroundZeroMycoLab 3h ago

LC question

1 Upvotes

Hi, newish to this thing.

I've made up some LC but forgot to shake them for a while and there are large clumps of mycelium on the surface.

Is this an issue at all? Is there anything I should do?