Optimal BIO Substrate - Pellets for the cultivation of lignicolous mushrooms

Discover our pelletized substrate, specially designed for the production of wood-growing mushrooms:

✔️ Certified Organic Farming. This substrate is made from untreated wood sawdust without glues, as well as residues of organic cereals. We are certified by Certisys (BE-BIO-01).

💡 Advantages of pelletization: Pelletizing the ingredients allows optimal standardization of the substrate, eliminating a large part of contaminants during compaction. Moreover, storage requires four times less space, allowing you to save room. Long-term preservation is guaranteed, so you can use the substrate according to your needs.

🚀 Exceptional productivity: The substrate composition has been carefully studied to offer the mycelium an optimal carbon/nitrogen ratio, as well as a balanced supply of sugars and minerals. Mainly composed of beech sawdust, this substrate is ideal for wood-growing mushrooms such as oyster mushrooms, eryngii, nameko, lion's mane, and shiitake, the latter being particularly demanding in terms of substrate.

📦 3 packaging options: Unicorn XLS bag, Bulk 25 kg, Bulk 800 kg.

The microfilter bags (Unicorn XLS-A) contain about 2 kg of optimal pellets.

🛠️ XLS bag instructions

Add 3 liters of water to the bag (which corresponds to a moisture content of 60 to 66% of the total weight of pellets and water), making a total of 5 kg.

Let the pellets absorb the water for 5 to 10 minutes, then pasteurize or sterilize the bag. Inoculate with mycelium and seal the bag leaving air above the substrate. Mix to properly distribute the mycelium.

It is important to add the correct amount of water and especially not to add too much water, otherwise the substrate will be too dense and the mycelium will not be able to breathe at the bottom of the bag. It is better to add slightly less water than too much and stay close to 60% moisture.

For fast and aggressive mycelium varieties, such as oyster mushrooms, it is possible to add boiling water (99°C) directly onto the pellets. Place the bags in an insulated box to maintain a high temperature longer and maximize the pasteurization effect. Then inoculate with about 10% mycelium once the pellets have cooled.

About 3 substrates are needed for one 1.5 kg bag of mycelium.

Harvest potential: 1.5 to 2 kg of fresh oyster mushrooms per bag over 3 harvests, or more.

Bulk 25 kg

With a 25 kg bag of optimal substrate, you can produce about 65-70 kg of wet substrate, requiring about 2 grain myceliums of 3 kg each.

Transfer the amount of pellets into the microfilter culture bags of your choice.

Bulk 800 kg

The big bags containing the 800 kg of substrate are placed on a pallet. We can ship them throughout Europe. Preparation usually takes 1 to 2 weeks.

Delivery can be arranged by Mycosphere or by the customer. If you need a quote, please contact us and specify your address, whether your location is accessible by semi-trailer truck, and whether you have a forklift for unloading.

Delivery prices generally range between €200 and €350 excluding VAT per pallet, depending on distance and the number of pallets you order.

📌 Note

The bagging process may cause slight variation in bag weights. We recommend a moisture content of 60% for the substrate (i.e., 600 g of water for 400 g of dry matter to obtain 1 kg of wet substrate).

This substrate is richer in sugars and nitrogen than wood sawdust alone, making it more productive but also more prone to contamination. We therefore advise working in as clean conditions as possible, ideally in a sterile environment.

The Master Mix ❓

In the mushroom growing community, the Master Mix is often discussed.

🔍 What exactly is it?

The Master Mix is a recipe popularized by a mushroom grower in the United States known as T.R. Davis. This mix is composed of 50% hardwood sawdust and 50% soybean hulls. This substrate is known for its very high productivity, especially during the first flush. It is suitable for most wood-growing mushrooms, notably oyster mushrooms.

🔧 Is the optimal substrate the Master Mix?

We analyzed the Master Mix composition in terms of nitrogen content, sugars, and minerals, and developed a new recipe based on local ingredients.

Indeed, in Europe, soybean production is limited, and importing it from far away is not a sustainable solution. Mushroom cultivation allows valorization of local resources. We therefore use other co-products from local cereal agriculture, which provide the nutrients necessary for optimal feeding of our mushrooms.

Our recipe is based on a beech sawdust base, enriched with organic cereals, sugars, and minerals, all in pellet form. The result? An optimal substrate!

We also ensured that this substrate suits all wood-growing mushrooms, including shiitake, which is more demanding. After many tests, we achieved productivity superior to most substrates available on the market.