Keep the print in a sealed bag in a cool, dry, dark place until you are ready to cultivate. This is the spore print which can then be used to grow your own mushrooms. The spores will have fallen from the cap and you should see a print on the paper, which replicates the gill pattern from the mushroom. When you return, remove the glass and gently lift the mushroom. Place the mushroom with the gills face down onto the paper and pop a glass over the top. To take the spore print all you need is the top of the mushroom with the gills exposed on the underside. Carefully remove the stem from the mushroom and gently remove any skirt that may be present protecting the gills in the mushroom head. It is relatively easy but quite time consuming to collect your own spores as all you need is a mushroom (but make sure it's a known edible variety), some paper and glass. A mature mushroom is said to contain up to 16 billion spores and so this gives plenty of opportunities to propagate. The spores are microscopic in size but contain the blueprint for new mushroom growth. If you feel that you are more advanced and want to start growing mushrooms from the very beginning then you will need to get hold of some mushroom spores. They are a great way of seeing how mushrooms develop and it’s fascinating to see how quickly they grow. Most of these mushrooms will be grown in a dark place and will fruit fairly quickly. Full instructions are usually included in the kits. Shiitake mushrooms grow on wood and are supplied in a specially created growing block (or log) which contains all the nutrients required for a successful shiitake harvest. Button mushrooms like to grow in a tray of composted manure and this would be the substrate included in your kit. Oyster mushrooms grow on straw and so a kit for this variety would include a breathable bag of straw, mushroom spawn and a bag tie.

Spore prints