Substrates
Substrates
Nutrient rich substrates, be sure to select the correct substrate for your culture. CVA COCO COIR BASED OR HWP FOR WOOD LOVERS
From$25
AMK Store Est. 2026
Sub & grain fit for a kingdom.
Sterilised grain and premium CVA substrate for gourmet and medicinal mushroom growers. All-in-one grow bags, pre-poured agar, cultures and grow kits are on the way.
- Sterilised
- Injection-port grain bags
- Filter-patch sub bags
The staples
EVERY GROW STARTS WITH THESES STEPS
STEP 01• CHOOSE WHAT CULTURE YOU WANT TO GROW
The range
Everything for the grow.
Build your grow
How much grain do you actually need?
Tell us how much substrate you are filling and the spawn ratio you like. We will work out the grain, pick the cheapest mix of bag sizes, and bag the lot in one click.
Substrate
Grow docketAMK Store
2.5kg grain
+
5kg substrate
Total$0
Bag mix is the cheapest combination of our bag sizes that covers what you need.
Grain guide
Pick your grain.
Four grains, one standard. Here is how they compare, in grower terms.
How it fits together
Plate to harvest in four moves.
-
01
Inoculate
Introduce your culture to a bag of sterilised grain through the injection port.
Sterilised grain -
02
Colonise
Let the mycelium run through every kernel until the bag turns white.
Agar for clean starts -
03
Spawn to sub
Break up the colonised grain and mix it through your substrate.
Premium CVA substrate -
04
Fruit
Give it fresh air, humidity and light, then harvest your flush.
All-in-ones do 01 to 03 in one bag
The culture library Coming soon
Gourmet & medicinal, on the bench.
The library is being catalogued now. Join the drop list and you will hear the moment it opens.
The kingdom standard
Made properly, bagged properly.
Sterilised
Grain and substrate both arrive sterilised and sealed, ready to use.
A refined recipe
Our CVA recipe has been refined over years of growing for consistent results.
Nutrient-enhanced grain
Prepared with proven methods and carefully selected nutrients for a strong start.
Proper bags
Grain bags carry an injection port. Substrate bags breathe through a filter patch.
Questions
Good to know.
Something not covered here? Ask us and we will add it.
What is the difference between grain and substrate?
Grain is what you inoculate first. Once the mycelium has colonised it, that grain becomes spawn, and you mix it through the substrate: the bulk material your mushrooms fruit from.
Which grain should I choose?
Wheat is the all-rounder. Oats and milo break apart easily, and milo gives you the most inoculation points per kilo. Corn has the biggest kernels. The grain guide compares all four.
How much grain do I need for my substrate?
It depends on your spawn ratio. At 1:2 you use one part grain to two parts substrate, so 5kg of substrate takes 2.5kg of grain. The grow builder does the maths and picks the bag sizes.
What is an all-in-one grow bag?
Sterilised grain and substrate layered in one bag with an injection port. You inoculate the grain, let it colonise, then mix it through the substrate without opening the bag. They are coming soon.
How should I store my bags?
Keep them sealed, somewhere cool, clean and out of direct sunlight, and use them soon after they arrive.
When do cultures, agar and grow kits land?
They are being prepared now. Join the drop list and you will hear first.
Pick the substrate that matches your species
Substrate is the bulk material your mushrooms actually fruit from, and species are fussy about it. Coir-based blends suit oyster mushrooms and the species that like a compost-style base. Hardwood pellet (HWP) substrate is what the wood lovers want: lion's mane, shiitake, king oyster and reishi all grow on hardwood in nature and fruit best on it indoors. Pick by species first, then by size.
On this page: Substrates from $25 (CVA 1kg, CVA 2kg, CVA 5kg, HWP 2kg, HWP 4kg). Orders ship Australia-wide, tracked, from $15. See delivery.
Coir-based or hardwood?
| Substrate | Best for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| CVA (coco coir base) | Oyster mushrooms, compost-loving species | Holds water well, forgiving, easy to pack into tubs. Our recipe is refined over years of grows. |
| CVWA (coir, vermiculite, worm castings, Azomite) | Species that would normally want a manure-based mix | Worm castings and minerals stand in for manure recipes without the smell or the variability. |
| Wood lovers (hardwood pellets, HWP) | Lion's mane, shiitake, king oyster, reishi, oysters | Wood-decomposing species fruit biggest on hardwood. Supplemented for strong, fast colonisation. |
How to use a substrate bag
- Spawn it
Open the bag in a clean space, break up your colonised grain and mix it through at 1:2 to 1:4 grain to substrate by weight. The grow builder picks the ratio and the bag sizes.
- Colonise
Seal the bag or pack a tub, then keep it at room temperature in the dark. Coir-based mixes with oysters can be white through in 7 to 14 days; hardwood with lion's mane or shiitake takes longer.
- Fruit
Introduce fresh air, indirect light and humidity in the 85 to 95% range, and pins follow. The fruiting conditions guide has the numbers per species.
Questions
Good to know
What is mushroom substrate?
The bulk material mushrooms grow and fruit from once your grain spawn has been mixed through it. Different species want different substrates: coir blends for oysters and compost lovers, hardwood for wood-decomposing species like lion's mane and shiitake.
What is CVA substrate?
Our coco coir based blend with vermiculite and added minerals. It is hydrated, sterilised and bagged with a filter patch, so it is ready to spawn the moment it arrives. It has been refined over years of growing for consistent results.
Which substrate is right for lion's mane or shiitake?
Hardwood. Both are wood-decomposing species, so the Wood Lovers Substrate (hardwood pellet based) is the one to buy. Oysters are less fussy and will fruit on coir blends or hardwood.
Is the substrate sterilised or pasteurised?
Sterilised. Pasteurising (65 to 80°C) knocks back competitors but leaves survivors; a full autoclave cycle at 121°C kills them, which matters most for supplemented substrates that would otherwise feed mould as happily as mycelium. Read sterilisation vs pasteurisation.
How much grain spawn per bag of substrate?
At 1:2 by weight, 1kg of substrate takes 500g of grain spawn; at 1:4 it takes 250g. Higher spawn ratios colonise faster and give contaminants less time, so beginners should lean towards 1:2.
How long does a sealed substrate bag keep?
Use it within a few weeks. Keep it sealed, cool and out of sunlight; the fridge is fine for short holds. A bag that has been opened should be spawned the same day.
Read before you buy
All guidesSubstrates 3 min read
Mushroom substrate guide: coir, hardwood and the right one for every species
Substrate is dinner. Oysters will eat almost anything; lion's mane and shiitake want wood. Match the menu to the species and most problems never happen.
Substrates 3 min read
Coco coir mushroom substrate (CVA): what is in it, who it suits and how to run a tub
Coir is the substrate that made home growing easy: clean, cheap, forgiving and endlessly thirsty. Here is what our CVA blend adds and how to use a bag of it.
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