How to Grow Mycena coralliformis

• 1 lb dry rye berries or whole oats
• Water for soaking and simmering
• Large pot
• Colander
• Clean towels for surface drying
• Quart mason jars with 0.2-micron filter lids
• Pressure cooker capable of holding 15 psi

Soak 1 lb of dry rye berries or whole oats in cold water for 12–24 hours, fully submerged. Drain the soaked grain, add it to a pot of fresh water, and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the kernels are tender but not split or bursting. Drain through a colander and spread the grain on clean towels, turning periodically, until the surface is dry to the touch — no visible moisture on individual kernels, but they should feel heavy and hydrated inside. Load the dried grain into quart mason jars, filling each jar no more than two-thirds full to allow mycelium room to grow. Cap each jar with a 0.2-micron polyfill filter lid. Load the capped jars into your pressure cooker and sterilize at 250°F (15 psi) for 90 minutes. Allow the jars to cool completely to room temperature — at least 8 hours, or overnight — before opening or inoculating.

• Mycena coralliformis liquid culture syringe from Out-Grow
• 70% isopropyl alcohol and paper towels
• Flame source (lighter or alcohol lamp) for needle sterilization
• Still air box or flow hood
• Cooled, sterilized grain jars from Step 1

Set up your still air box or flow hood and wipe all surfaces with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Flame-sterilize the needle of the liquid culture syringe until the tip glows red, then allow it to cool for 5 seconds. Inject 3–5 cc of Mycena coralliformis (liquid culture) into each quart jar through the self-healing injection port or polyfill filter — distribute the liquid culture across multiple injection points to distribute inoculant evenly through the grain. Swirl each jar gently after inoculation to disperse the liquid culture. Place inoculated jars in a warm location at 75–81°F, out of direct sunlight.

• Inoculated grain jars from Step 2
• Location holding 75–81°F
• Completely dark viewing area for bioluminescence check

Keep inoculated jars at 75–81°F in a stable, undisturbed location. Do not open jars during colonization. Shake each jar gently every 3–4 days to redistribute colonizing mycelium through uncolonized grain — this accelerates full colonization. Healthy Mycena coralliformis (liquid culture) mycelium appears white under normal lighting as it spreads through the grain. To verify culture health, move a jar to a completely dark space and allow your eyes to adapt for 30 minutes — healthy, vigorous mycelium will emit a visible yellowish-green bioluminescent glow. Any green, black, or pink coloration under normal lighting is contamination and requires immediate disposal of the affected jar. Sour or fermented odors indicate bacterial contamination; discard those jars as well.

• Aged hardwood compost powder — 1 lb per fruiting jar
• Rice bran — 3.2 oz per fruiting jar (20% of substrate by weight)
• Clean water
• Kitchen scale
• Large mixing bowl
• Translucent quart mason jars with microfilter lids
• Pressure cooker at 15 psi

Weigh out 1 lb of aged hardwood compost powder and 3.2 oz of rice bran for each fruiting jar. Combine both dry ingredients thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Add water gradually, mixing by hand, until the substrate reaches exactly 70% moisture by weight — the correct moisture level means no free water drips when you squeeze a handful firmly, but the substrate clumps together and feels thoroughly damp throughout. Pack the moistened substrate into translucent quart jars, filling each jar two-thirds full. Cap with microfilter lids. Sterilize at 250°F (15 psi) for 150 minutes. Remove jars from the pressure cooker and allow them to cool completely to room temperature before proceeding — at least 12 hours. If you prefer a ready-to-use wood-based option, Out-Grow's wood-based substrate bags are sterilized and ready to inoculate.

• Fully colonized grain jars from Step 3
• Sterilized compost and rice bran substrate jars from Step 4
• 70% isopropyl alcohol
• Still air box or flow hood
• Spoon or sterile scoop

Work inside a still air box or flow hood. Wipe all surfaces and tool handles with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Open the colonized grain jar and the substrate jar simultaneously. Scoop colonized grain from the grain jar and distribute it across the top of the compost substrate at a rate of 10–20% colonized grain by weight — roughly 1.5–3 oz of colonized grain per 1 lb of substrate. Mix lightly to distribute spawn throughout the top few inches of substrate without compacting. Re-cap the substrate jar with its microfilter lid. Return jars to 75–81°F for continued colonization of the bulk substrate.

• Sphagnum peat moss
• Water for moistening
• Kitchen scale
• Small bowl
• Spoon
• Fully colonized substrate jars from Step 5

Weigh out 2 oz of dry sphagnum peat moss per fruiting jar. Add water gradually and mix until the peat moss is thoroughly moist — squeeze a handful firmly; it should feel damp throughout with no dry pockets, but only a few drops of water should drip out. Open each colonized substrate jar inside your still air box or flow hood. Spread the moistened peat moss casing evenly across the top of the colonized substrate in a layer approximately half an inch thick. Close the jar with its microfilter lid. The casing layer is required for fruit body formation based on the closest documented analog protocol for this genus.

• Cased substrate jars from Step 6
• Fruiting chamber or location holding 65–72°F
• Indirect light source on a 12-hours-on / 12-hours-off cycle
• Humidity source (ultrasonic humidifier or regular misting) to maintain 85–95% RH
• Thermometer / hygrometer
• Spray bottle with clean water

Move cased jars from the 75–81°F colonization environment to a cooler location holding 65–72°F. This temperature drop — analogous to the documented induction trigger for the closely related Mycena chlorophos — is your primary fruiting cue. Place jars where they will receive indirect light for 12 hours per day; standard room lighting from a LED or fluorescent source is sufficient, as the documented minimum is only 0.2 lux. Do not leave jars in complete darkness during the fruiting stage. Maintain 85–95% RH around the jars by misting the outside of the jars and the surrounding chamber walls twice daily; do not spray directly onto the casing surface at full force. Ensure some gentle fresh air exchange is available — CO₂ should remain below 1,000 ppm. Based on analog data, allow up to three weeks at fruiting conditions before evaluating results.

• Fruiting jars from Step 7 with developed pins
• Forceps or clean fingertips
• Small container for collected fruiting bodies

Harvest Mycena coralliformis (liquid culture) fruiting bodies when the cap is still in its characteristic conical or bell shape and before the margin begins to flatten or recurve upward — once the cap margin lifts, spore drop is imminent and the delicate fruiting body will begin to degrade rapidly. Grip each stipe at its base using forceps or a light fingertip pinch and twist gently while pulling upward to remove the entire fruiting body without leaving a stipe stub. Stubs left on the substrate surface can rot and introduce contamination. Work carefully to avoid disturbing the casing layer. After harvest, mist the casing layer lightly and return jars to fruiting conditions for potential subsequent flushes; allow the substrate to rest 5–14 days between flush attempts.

• 1 lb dry rye berries or whole oats per quart jar
• Large pot, colander, clean towels
• Quart mason jars with 0.2-micron filter lids
• Pressure cooker at 15 psi
• Mycena coralliformis liquid culture syringe

Soak 1 lb of rye berries or oats for 12–24 hours, then simmer 15–20 minutes, drain, and surface-dry on towels until no visible moisture remains on the kernels. Fill quart mason jars two-thirds full with surface-dried grain and cap with 0.2-micron filter lids. Pressure cook at 250°F (15 psi) for 90 minutes. Allow jars to cool completely, then inoculate each jar with 3–5 cc of Mycena coralliformis (liquid culture) through the self-healing injection port or filter, inside a still air box or flow hood. Incubate at 75–81°F until grain is fully colonized. Prefer a ready-to-inoculate option? Out-Grow's sterilized rye berry bags with injection port skip the sterilization step entirely.

• Fine-milled hardwood sawdust (oak, maple, or beech) — 4 lbs dry weight per grow bag
• Water for hydration
• Large mixing tub
• Kitchen scale
• Mushroom grow bags with 0.2-micron filter patch and self-healing injection port
• Impulse sealer (if bag has no self-healing port)
• Pressure cooker at 15 psi

Combine 4 lbs of fine-milled hardwood sawdust in a large tub. Add water gradually while mixing until the sawdust reaches 70% moisture — squeeze a handful firmly and only 1–2 drops of water should fall; the sawdust should feel dense and uniformly damp throughout. Load the hydrated sawdust into grow bags, filling each bag no more than two-thirds full. Out-Grow grain bags use a 0.2-micron filter patch and self-healing injection port — fold down the top of the bag and seal with an impulse sealer above the filter patch if your bag has no injection port; if it has a self-healing port, fold and seal at the designated heat-seal line. Load bagged sawdust into the pressure cooker and sterilize at 250°F (15 psi) for 150 minutes. Allow bags to cool completely — at least 12 hours — before inoculating. If you prefer to skip this step entirely, Out-Grow's wood-based substrate bags are fully sterilized and ready to inoculate.

• Fully colonized grain jars from Step 1
• Cooled sterilized sawdust grow bags from Step 2
• 70% isopropyl alcohol
• Still air box or flow hood
• Sterile scoop or gloved hands

Inside your still air box or flow hood, wipe all surfaces with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Open each sawdust bag and the grain jar simultaneously. Scoop colonized grain and spread it across the top of the sawdust at 10–20% by weight — approximately 6–12 oz of colonized grain per 4 lb sawdust block. Break up any clumps and distribute spawn as evenly as possible across the surface. Fold the bag down and seal at the filter patch line, or inject directly through the self-healing port if your bag has one. Shake or knead the bag gently to mix spawn throughout. Return sealed bags to 75–81°F.

• Fully colonized sawdust blocks from Step 3
• Spray bottle with clean water
• Dark display area for bioluminescence viewing
• Location holding 65–81°F

Once colonization is complete, open the top of the grow bag and fold it down to expose the colonized surface. Mist the surface lightly once or twice daily to maintain surface moisture. To view the bioluminescence, move the colonized block to a completely dark space and allow your eyes to adapt for 30 minutes — the mycelium will emit a visible yellowish-green glow across the colonized surface. For potential fruiting attempts, reduce ambient temperature to 65–72°F and provide indirect light on a 12-hours-on / 12-hours-off cycle. Whether Mycena coralliformis (liquid culture) will produce fruiting bodies under these conditions indoors has not been documented, but the colonized mycelium display is itself the primary visual reward this species offers. Discard the block if bioluminescence fades completely, the substrate surface turns brown, or competitor mold growth appears.