>>1159518>>1159518So, the first bit of isolated substrate you are colonizing, what you'd call the inoculant for the outdoor bed, isn't very picky.
The main thing to dial in is moisture content, since something too wet won't colonize (it goes anaerobic) and something too dry will colonize very slowly. (the mycelium has to waste time and energy importing water to anything it wants to digest)
If you are using chips that haven't already been sitting outside in the rain, you'll want to soak them overnight (a trash bag works well, tap water is fine) and then drain for a few hours the next day, until it is barely dripping. You don't want water pooling in the bottom. I really need to update the guide to include this, but you'll also want to include a small portion of soil, probably about 1/5-1/7th by volume. SRA is a predator on bacteria, so it thrives best given some soil to colonize on top of the cellulose matter.
>Chips: soak overnight, drip dry, load into 5 gallon bucket, terrarium, garbage bag, etc. and mix in 1/6 b.v. soil/grainIf you're using straw, you'll want to do the same thing, just soak it overnight and drain, then inoculate. You shouldn't have to add any soil for it to colonize.
Another tip: SRA loves to be disturbed at all stages of growth. Once you see that the SRA has leapt off a little into the substrate, feel free to give it a shake. This distributes the mycelium onto new pieces of substrate and speeds up growth.
Light isn't an issue, direct sunlight is a no-go but otherwise they aren't sensitive. If you notice fluid pooling in the bottom of the container, you'll want to tip it to drain or poke holes in the bottom. It invites contamination. Room temp or slightly above suits this species best, as long as it isn't below 45f it'll work. Good luck!
