Failed Grows, You Must Suck?

Beginners
Failed Grows, You Must Suck?
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Did I get your attention? Well, that was clickbait. The truth is, growing mushrooms isn’t always easy. They are sensitive to temperature, moisture, contamination, and bacteria. While it can be challenging, the most important thing to know is that you can improve with practice.

Too many videos online make it look like you need to spend thousands of dollars and endless hours on your setup. Let me tell you—that’s not true.

Keep in mind, this article is targeted at home growers. If your goal is profit or commercial production, then regulations, safety requirements, and legal concerns will shape your approach very differently. Much like cooking at home versus in a commercial kitchen, some methods that are perfectly fine for personal use won’t fly in a professional setting. That doesn’t mean they’re unsafe—just different.

I’ve experimented with many approaches to growing. While cleanliness is important, you don’t need to overspend. Most contamination issues can be avoided if you simply clean your tools with 70% isopropyl alcohol and flame-sterilize when necessary. It really is that simple.

A Few Tips

  • Let the alcohol work
    When you spray down your tools, bags, or workspace with alcohol, give it a little time. Let it sit for at least 30–60 seconds so it can actually kill off contaminants. For example, with a grow bag I spray it down, wipe it thoroughly, then spray again before getting to work.

  • Chill, baby
    Flame-purify your blades and needles, but don’t rush. After heating, let them cool for at least 10 seconds before touching your spores. Otherwise, you’ll kill what you’re trying to grow. Gas stoves work great as a steady flame source.

Good Luck

While it’s important to be clean and sterile, you don’t have to go overboard. I’ve had plenty of successful grows while cutting corners here and there.

My biggest failure? Old coco coir. When I make a batch and don’t use it all, I’ve tried saving it for a month and reusing it—even re-sterilizing in a pressure cooker for 90 minutes. It almost always fails. Sometimes, it’s better to lose $5 in materials than to waste weeks on a contaminated grow.

Remember: failed grows don’t mean you suck—they mean you’re learning. Every mistake is a step closer to your best harvest.