Spore Syringe vs Liquid Culture Syringe

As you begin your cultivation journey, you may hear references to “spore syringes” and “liquid culture syringes”. The difference between the two may be confusing, especially as they can at times be interchangeable or used for similar processes. Both can be used for inoculation, but only one of the two can have truly sterile origins, not to mention the very different legal umbrella each one falls under. We’ve written up a post to clarify the matter and put some order to the chaos!

Liquid Culture Syringe and Colonized Agar Dish

Table of Contents - Spore Syringes & Liquid Culture Syringes

Spore Syringe vs Liquid Culture Syringe

To get a better understanding of the difference between spores and liquid culture, let’s take a quick look at the lifecycle of a mushroom.

Mushroom Life Cycle

Mushrooms are not plants – they are a member of the kingdom of fungi, which includes, yeasts, moulds, mildews and more. For the purpose of understanding the mushroom’s life cycle, let us compare it to that of a plant. In laymen terms, the mushroom, which is the “fruit,” releases spores, which are like tiny microscopic “seeds”. These spores are carried in the air, and when they land in an area with suitable conditions, they germinate and grow into mycelium. The mycelium is a network of fungal threads or hyphae which look like white strings or fluff. The mycelium is the body of the fungus. Going back to our previous analogy, this would be the equivalent of the plant itself – the root, stem and leaves. Given the right conditions, the mycelium develops into fruiting mushroom bodies. The mushroom is equivalent to the fruit of a plant. The mature mushroom then releases spores and so the cycle continues.
mushroom lifecycle clean

Magic Mushroom Spore Syringes

Spore syringes are syringes that contain mushroom spores that are suspended in sterile water. As there are no nutrients in the water, the spores do not germinate in the syringe. Spore syringes are commonly used to transport and distribute spores around the world. Interestingly, the spores themselves do not contain psilocybin or psilocyn, which means that in some countries they are not prohibited. Spore syringes can be kept for 8-12 months. 

Due to the fact that collecting spores does not happen in sterile conditions, spore syringes are not considered to be reliably contaminant-free. For this reason, it is always recommended to germinate them first and verify their sterility before using them further along the cultivation process.

Magic Mushroom Liquid Culture Syringes

A Liquid Culture Syringe is a syringe which contains live mycelium suspended in sterile liquid nutrient water. The liquid mycelium looks like a fluffy or cloudy cotton-ball. The mycelium will continue to grow in the liquid culture syringe until all the nutrients are consumed, at which point it might stagnate. For this reason, Liquid Culture Syringes should be stored in the refrigerator when not in use, in order to slow down the mycelium growth and keep it viable.

The mycelium of magic mushrooms contains trace amounts of psilocybin or psilocyn, which means that they are prohibited in most countries. This is an important topic you need to check with your local laws and regulations. In countries such as Greece, Netherlands, Austria, Bahamas, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Nepal and Samoa, both cultivation and consumption of magic mushrooms are legal. These laws and regulations are changing rapidly, with Canada and several states in the US now decriminalizing psychedelics all together. 

2 Responses

  1. Hi

    I am a total Newbie. I have just purchased a Spore Syringe (Golden Teacher) but was told that a Liquid Culture would be better (faster). I have already messed up a couple of experiements – 1 contaminated and the other just didn’t take. It was quite an expensive mistake(s).

    Can you suggest the best way forward?

    Reply

    1. Yes! You can follow the procedures mentioned in this website. Starting from a trusted, non contaminated liquid culture will save you a bit of time, but you will also miss out on some of the more technical aspects of mushroom growing, such as germinating spores on agar, etc. Bottom line, read up about the cultivation process on this site, and decide which path you want to take as your staring point.

      Reply

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