THE DALTONGROWS GEAR LIST

Mushroom growing gear

The supplies I use, the projects they fit, and what can wait. Pick your grow, grab the essentials, and build from there.

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A LITTLE DIRECTION GOES A LONG WAY

What are you growing?

Open a project for a starting checklist. These are shopping guides, not complete supply kits.

Lion's Mane Mushroom Liquid CultureLion’s ManeFor a hardwood-block growView starting checklist

Grain spawn first, then a hardwood fruiting block. The full guide walks through the process.

  1. Start with liquid culture and suitable sterilized grain. You can buy prepared grain or make your own.
  2. For the block: choose your hardwood substrate recipe, grow bags, and the preparation tools it needs.
  3. Plan a suitable fruiting space before the block is ready. A full automated tent is an optional upgrade.

Useful gear for this method

OatsMaster’s MixFilter-Patch Grow Bags
Shop Lion’s Mane cultureRead the growing guide
Blue Oyster Mushroom Liquid CultureOyster mushroomsA good place to explore your first growView starting checklist

Choose an oyster variety that fits your growing space, then follow a method for that variety.

  1. Choose your culture and a suitable prepared grain option.
  2. Choose a straw or hardwood method for your variety. The substrate and preparation steps depend on that choice.
  3. Plan for humidity and fresh air during fruiting. You do not need every chamber or tool on this page.

Useful gear for this method

Still Air BoxOatsOak Hardwood Pellets
Shop Blue Oyster cultureFind the right culture
Cordyceps Militaris Mushroom Liquid CultureCordycepsFor a more hands-on jar projectView starting checklist

A different path: a rice-based recipe, sterilized jars, and a planned light schedule.

  1. Start with Cordyceps culture and the exact rice recipe from the tutorial. A regular hardwood-block recipe is not a substitute.
  2. Gather jars, recipe ingredients, and a pressure cooker suited to the preparation method.
  3. Set up your light schedule and growing conditions before inoculating. Brown rice and other recipe supplies may need to be bought separately.

Useful gear for this method

1-Quart Mason JarsPotato StarchLED Light
Shop Cordyceps cultureRead the growing guide

Cultures start the grow; they are not ready-to-fruit mushroom kits. You will need supplies and growing conditions suited to your species.

Already have your supplies? Explore the cultures

FIND YOUR NEXT PIECE

Your gear shelf

Browse by category or search for a specific item. Choose supplies for your method; you do not need the whole shelf.

Clean workspaceAlcohol, gloves, still air boxes, and clean-work tools.5 supplies

Start with clean handling. Cloning and agar tools are only needed for those methods.

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Grain & substrateGrain options, hardwood mixes, CVG ingredients, and measuring tools.9 supplies

Use the ingredients for your chosen mushroom and recipe. These are different methods, not a single shopping list.

Oats

DIY grain

Oats

The oats I use to prepare my own grain spawn. Hydrate and sterilize before inoculation. If you have a local feed store, I'd buy them there.

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Soonkoda handheld infrared thermometer with a digital display for surface-temperature checks.

Optional • Surface-temperature checks

Infrared Thermometer

I use this for quick surface-temperature checks when preparing substrate or agar. It does not read through glass or confirm internal pasteurization temperatures; use a probe thermometer for those internal checks.

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Sterilization & containersCookers, grow bags, jars, and lid components.11 supplies

For preparing materials yourself. Buying suitable pre-sterilized materials can reduce the equipment you need.

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Fruiting, harvest & storageLights, fruiting setups, drying, and storage.13 supplies

Pick a fruiting setup for your species. Automated equipment and post-harvest tools can wait until you need them.

For dried mushroom storage, I use clean, dry jars with airtight lids. Filtered grow lids are not airtight storage lids. See the jars I use

Sterilite clear 6-quart shoebox containers with white lids, shown as a multipack.

Small tub grows

6-Quart Shoebox Containers

The Sterilite 6-quart shoeboxes I frequently use for small tub grows. A compact alternative to the larger monotub. These are empty containers; choose a growing method suited to your mushroom. The linked listing offers multipacks, so check the pack size before ordering.

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Agar & liquid culture toolsPlates, syringes, bottles, and culture-work tools.6 supplies

For growers doing their own agar or liquid culture work. These are not all required to use a purchased culture syringe.

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Recipe ingredientsAgar, nutrients, and Cordyceps recipe ingredients.5 supplies

Measure ingredients according to the recipe you are following. Not every recipe uses every ingredient here.

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START SMALL. KEEP GROWING.

Not sure what to buy first?

My beginner walkthrough explains the gear, what it does, and what can wait until later.

Watch the beginner walkthrough on YouTube

Already have your supplies?

Find a culture that fits your setup, or follow a growing guide for your next project.

Explore the culturesBrowse growing guides