Do you know what the mycelium on magic mushrooms is?

Would you like to venture into the cultivation of magic mushrooms? Then the term “mycelium” should not be unfamiliar to you, because we are sure that you have come across the term during your research. And like many concepts that wrap around magic mushrooms, it can be confusing at first. So since mycelium is crucial to the growth of magic mushrooms, it’s best to explain the term carefully.

For many who are unaware, growing magic mushrooms is not as enjoyable and easy as consuming them. This is because information about magic mushrooms is quite limited and any terminology looks like druid language. And although these terminologies often refer to critical aspects of mushroom cultivation, many seem to get lost trying to understand the terms.

As you might expect, understanding these terms is crucial to understanding the different mechanisms involved in growing magic mushrooms. As the research progresses, one term that many seem to come across seems to be “mycelium,” and not without reason. Learning about mycelium and the important role it plays will remarkably help you to successfully cultivate your magic mushroom and also gain a better understanding of the mythology.

What is mycelium?

Mycelium refers to the vegetative part of the magic mushroom. It is the area of ​​the magic mushroom anatomy that performs aerial reproduction. It is also responsible for absorbing nutrients, facilitating microfiltration and serving as an organic filter for water and soil in the environment.

To get a basic anatomical understanding of mycelium, you can think of it as both the root and the fruit of the magic mushroom plant.

function of the mycelium

The mycelium works in a two-step process. First, the mycelium localizes food (an organic material) in the soil. After finding the organic food source, an enzyme is released on the organic material to break it down into smaller pieces. This allows the mycelium to effectively consume organic matter. Aside from feeding the fungus, the whole process helps filter and regenerate the soil, eliminating all kinds of pollutants.

The whole process also benefits schooling and not just the fungus. The process itself helps in the bioremediation and preparation of the environment. The organic matter has decomposed into compost, which in turn provides important nutrients for the surrounding area.

When looking at the bigger picture, the mycelium can help with larger scale composting. This feedstock process allows biomass to be rotted into compost for large-scale food growing, rather than just going to a landfill.

How mycelium develops

To fully understand the growth pattern of magic mushrooms and how they develop, one must first understand the nature of the mycelium. To paint a vivid picture, remember that magic mushrooms naturally accumulate on various substrates on earth. The hyphae, which are fungal tubes that grow and extend into the organic food source, help digest the organic matter for energy. The hyphae then grow out into threadlike networks called mycelium.

The mycelium grows from the main fungal spore in a pattern that utilizes multiple food sources. However, when the nutrients in the center have been completely broken down, the nutrient in the center of the circle will be transformed. This will result in the center of the circle being empty and magic mushrooms growing in a circular pattern around the center of the circle. The growth pattern is known as the “fairy ring” and legend has it that the ring serves as a pathway to magical and unearthly realms.

types of mycelium

While it may appear that there is only one type of mycelium, that is not the case at all. We will look at three different types of mycelial bases in their performance and appearance.

Rhizomorph (filamentous mycelium)

Rhizomorphic mycelium is quite recognized among mushroom growers. It has a typical arrangement of a network of cords stretching across the substrate. This mycelium can search far and wide to find the best conditions before communicating with the rest of the colony to spread.

Many rhizomorph growers believe that this rapid and even spread usually results in an organized and streamlined set of mushroom needles. They also believe that when they emerge from the substrate, this mycelium shoots out immediately. It is also noted that an agar substrate often produces mycelium of this type since they prefer the agar substrate type.

Felty (cotton and fluffy mycelium)

Of course, tomentose mycelium is very similar to rhizomorphic mycelium, but there are some notable differences. The most notable difference will be the arrangement of the strands. The felty mycelium has a cotton ball-like appearance, but this appearance makes it difficult to tell if strands are present.

However, this appearance is achieved because the felty mycelium does not spread in search of nutrients. The strands are usually present by being just fine and tightly bundled together.

aerial mycelium

While both tomentose and rhizomorphic mycelium can be consciously grown on a healthy farm, aerial mycelium cannot. Aerial mycelium only grows when conditions are not ideal for fungal growth. The aerial mycelium naturally grows outwards instead of extending across the substrate or forming a ball. Aerial mycelium is often mistaken for a bacterial infection by amateur growers, who mistake strand growth for clumps of bacteria.

According to several studies, the primary factors have been found to stimulate the growth of aerial mycelium. These are;

So you can address both situations, you should be clear. That means you need to get enough air to contain CO₂ but build up and/or reduce fogging.

Conclusion

With the information provided, we can boldly conclude that you now understand what mycelium is and its main functions in a mushroom. We are also sure that the different types of mycelium discussed will go a long way in helping you decide which one to go for as you prepare to set up your magic mushroom growing operations.

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