Using a Mycology Syringe and Needle: A Practical How-To

A mycology syringe and needle is one of the most common ways to introduce a culture into grain spawn or substrate. It looks intimidating the first time, but the technique itself is straightforward once you've done it a couple of times. Here's how it works, start to finish.

What You'll Need

You'll need a spore or liquid culture syringe, a sterile needle, rubbing alcohol or isopropyl wipes, and a lighter or alcohol lamp to sterilise the needle tip. You'll also need whatever you're inoculating: grain spawn jars or bags, or a prepared substrate. A mycology syringe and needle set gives you everything you need in one place if you're starting from scratch.

Sterilising Your Workspace and Tools

Wipe down a flat, uncluttered surface with rubbing alcohol, and do the same to the outside of the syringe packaging before you open it. Wash your hands and, if you're using one, work near a still air box or laminar flow hood to cut down on airborne contamination. Flame-sterilise the needle tip until it glows red, then let it cool for a few seconds without touching or setting it down on anything.

Drawing Up the Culture

With the needle cooled, insert it into the syringe port and draw back the plunger slowly to pull culture into the barrel. Push out a small amount first to clear any air, then draw up what you need for your inoculation points. Work quickly but calmly, and keep the needle away from anything unsterile while you move to your grain or substrate.

Inoculating Your Substrate or Grain

Push the needle through the injection port, angling it slightly so you're not just dropping culture onto one spot. Push out a little culture first to clear any air from the needle, then work through your jars or bags one at a time. Space your injection points out across the surface rather than clustering them, so the mycelium has multiple starting points to colonise from.

After Inoculation: What to Expect

Reseal or cap your jars and bags, label them with the date and what culture you used, then move them somewhere warm, dark and out of direct sunlight. You should see the first signs of white, fuzzy mycelium growth at the injection points within a few days to a week, spreading outward from there over the following one to two weeks. If you see no growth at all after two weeks, or you notice green, black or pink patches instead of clean white growth, that's a sign of a failed or contaminated inoculation and the jar or bag is best discarded.