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Pink Oyster Colonized Agar Plate
$2000Unit price /Unavailable -
Shiitake 3790 Colonized Agar Plate
$2000Unit price /Unavailable -
Red Reishi Colonized Agar Plate
$2000Unit price /Unavailable -
Golden Oyster Colonized Agar Plate
$2000Unit price /Unavailable -
Agar Plate Buying Guide
Not sure which plate is right for your project? Here's how to choose:
New to agar work?
Start with Blue Oyster. The aggressive, fast-growing mycelium is forgiving of beginner mistakes and outpaces most contamination. Easy to evaluate visually on standard MEA.
Working with Lion's Mane?
Our Lion's Mane plate uses specialty black agar (MEA + activated carbon) so the white mycelium pops against the dark background — making contamination spotting and sector isolation dramatically easier.
Building a genetic library?
Any of our plates can be divided into 5–10 fresh plates. One plate becomes a long-term culture bank when stored refrigerated at 35–40°F — viable for 6–12 months.
Making grain spawn directly?
Cut a small wedge from the colonized plate and drop it into a sterilized grain spawn bag or jar. Most species colonize grain in 10–21 days depending on strain.
What Makes Our Agar Plates Different
We produce plates on a rolling schedule and hold them in inventory fully colonized. Compare to industry norm of 2–4 week made-to-order lead times.
1st-Generation Isolated Genetics
Every plate is grown from our master culture using 1st-generation isolated strains — the same genetics in our liquid culture syringes and grow kits. Lab-tested, commercial-grade, and refined over multiple generations for vigor and yield. When you transfer to grain or make your own LC from one of our plates, you're working with the same proven strain that we use in our own production.
Shatterproof Polypropylene Plates
Most agar sellers ship in polystyrene Petri dishes — cheaper, but brittle. We use 90mm polypropylene plates for all species except Lion's Mane (which uses polystyrene specifically for the visual contrast against our black agar). Polypropylene flexes under impact instead of cracking, so your culture arrives intact even after rough handling in transit. A cracked plate isn't just damaged — it's a contamination risk, since the crack breaks the parafilm seal. Polypropylene eliminates that risk.
HEPA-Filtered Lab Production
Every plate is poured, inoculated, and inspected at Myco Labs (Illinois, USA) under HEPA-filtered laminar flow. Plates are sealed with parafilm immediately after inoculation and incubated in a dedicated clean room until fully colonized. Each plate is visually inspected for contamination before being approved for shipment — if it doesn't look right, it doesn't ship.
Standard MEA — Plus Specialty Black Agar for Lion's Mane
Our standard formulation is malt extract agar (MEA) — the industry standard for gourmet and functional mushroom cultivation. For Lion's Mane specifically, we add food-grade activated carbon to create black agar, which makes the species' white, cottony mycelium visually pop. This is the same formulation used by professional cultivators and research labs working with light-colored mycelium species.
How to Use a Colonized Agar Plate
A single fully colonized plate is one of the most versatile tools in mushroom cultivation. You can:
- Transfer to grain — cut a small wedge of colonized agar and place it onto sterilized grain to create grain spawn (typically 10–21 days to full colonization depending on species)
- Make your own liquid culture — transfer agar wedges into sterile liquid media to produce LC syringes for future inoculations
- Expand to more plates — divide one plate into 5–10 fresh plates to build a long-term genetic library
- Isolate strong sectors — pick the most vigorous growth and transfer it to a fresh plate to refine your genetics over generations
- Clone fruit bodies — use the plate as a base for cloning wild or store-bought specimens onto your own media
New to agar work? See our grain transfer tutorial for step-by-step instructions.
Storage & Shelf Life
An unopened, parafilm-sealed plate stored at room temperature (55–70°F) in a dark place stays viable for 60–90 days. For longer-term storage, refrigerate at 35–40°F where plates stay viable for 6–12 months. We recommend transferring to fresh agar at least once every 6 months when storing refrigerated, to keep genetics vigorous.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fast do these ship compared to other agar plate sellers?
Most orders ship within 1 business day. Most agar plate sellers (including the larger names in the industry) make plates to order, meaning you wait 2–4 weeks after ordering for the plate to be poured, inoculated, and colonized. Ours are produced on a rolling schedule and held in inventory fully colonized, ready to ship the moment you order. Multi-item orders may take an additional 1–2 business days to process so we can pack everything together.
Are these the same genetics as your liquid culture syringes and grow kits?
Yes. Every agar plate is grown from our master culture and 1st-generation isolated strains — the same genetics in our LC syringes and grow kits. Lab-tested, commercial-grade, and refined over multiple generations for vigor and yield.
What agar formulation do you use?
Malt extract agar (MEA) is our standard formulation for gourmet and functional species — the industry standard for mushroom cultivation. For Lion's Mane specifically, we use black agar (MEA + food-grade activated carbon) so the white mycelium stands out against a dark background for easier inspection and sector isolation.
Why polypropylene plates instead of polystyrene?
Polypropylene plates flex under impact instead of cracking. A cracked plate breaks the parafilm seal and exposes the culture to airborne contaminants — turning a damaged product into a contamination risk. Polypropylene eliminates that problem. Lion's Mane is the one exception in our lineup, using clear polystyrene specifically to maximize visual contrast against our black agar.
How long will an unopened plate stay viable?
At room temperature (55–70°F) in a dark place, an unopened parafilm-sealed plate stays viable for 60–90 days. Refrigerated at 35–40°F, plates remain viable for 6–12 months. For long-term genetic library storage, refrigeration is recommended.
Can I make grain spawn directly from a plate?
Yes — this is one of the most common uses. Under a still-air box or laminar flow hood, cut a small wedge (about the size of a pencil eraser) from the colonized plate and drop it into a sterilized grain spawn bag or jar. Most species colonize grain in 10–21 days.
Do I need a flow hood to work with agar plates?
For the cleanest results when transferring to grain or liquid culture, work in front of a laminar flow hood or inside a still-air box. Brief, careful work in a still-air box is sufficient for most hobbyists. Commercial-scale cultivators almost always use a flow hood — the time savings and contamination reduction more than justify the investment.
What if my plate arrives contaminated or damaged?
We guarantee every plate ships in clean, fully colonized condition. If you receive a contaminated or damaged plate, contact us within 5 days of delivery with a photo and we'll replace it free of charge.
What species do you offer?
We carry a growing lineup of gourmet and functional mushroom species — see the grid above for the current selection. All species are produced from our isolated 1st-generation genetics and shipped fully colonized.