Every grow starts with an inoculant: a spore syringe or a liquid culture syringe. This page covers what mushroom spores actually are, how spores and liquid culture differ, and exactly how much of each to use in every Midwest Grow Kits jar, bag and kit. It ends with the spore vendors we trust and the answers to the questions growers ask us most.
- What are spores?
- Spores vs liquid culture
- How much to use
- Shake your syringe
- Where to buy spores
- Are spores legal?
- FAQ
- 10ccStandard syringe
- ~1.5×LC dose vs spore dose
- 20–30 secShake before every injection
- 2 jarsMax per LC syringe (32 oz)
- 35–40°FSyringe storage
What are mushroom spores?
Spores are how mushrooms reproduce. A mature cap releases millions of microscopic spores from its gills or pores, and each one can germinate into a thread of mycelium. Unlike a seed, a single spore carries only half the genetic package: two compatible spores have to germinate and meet before you get mycelium that can produce mushrooms. That is why spore-started grows take a few extra days to get going, and why every multi-spore syringe is a genetic mix.
Spores are sold in three common forms:
- Spore syringe: spores suspended in sterile water, ready to inject. The most common way to inoculate grain jars and spawn bags, usually sold in 10cc syringes.
- Spore print: spores dropped straight from a cap onto foil or paper. Prints keep for a long time and are popular with microscopists, but you have to make your own syringe or work on agar to use one.
- Spore swab: a sterile swab rubbed across mature gills, used mostly to start agar plates.
Spore syringe vs liquid culture
A liquid culture (LC) syringe skips the germination stage. Instead of dormant spores, it carries living mycelium already growing in a sterile nutrient broth, so it starts colonizing grain within days instead of waiting for spores to wake up.
| Spore syringe | Liquid culture syringe | |
|---|---|---|
| What's inside | Dormant spores in sterile water | Living mycelium in sterile nutrient broth |
| Speed | Slower start while spores germinate | Faster; growth often visible within days |
| Genetics | Multi-spore mix, so results vary jar to jar | One established culture, more consistent |
| In the syringe | Evenly cloudy after a good shake | Strands and clumps that settle |
| How much to use | Standard dose | A little more, about 1.5× the spore dose |
| Storage life | 6–12 months refrigerated | About 3–4 months refrigerated |
| Best for | Microscopy, exploring genetics, agar work | Fast, reliable grain colonization |
We sell liquid culture syringes for gourmet and functional species. For a deeper comparison, read the difference between liquid culture and spore solution or agar vs liquid culture vs spores.
How much spore solution or liquid culture to use
Our rule of thumb: use a little more liquid culture than spores, roughly 1.5 times as much. A well-shaken spore syringe spreads evenly, so every cc carries about the same number of spores. Liquid culture does not. The mycelium grows in strands and clumps, and a bigger dose is the simplest insurance that every jar actually gets some of it. More inoculation points also means faster colonization and less time for contaminants to get a foothold.
Syringe calculatorPick your jar, bag or liquid culture kit and how many you are inoculating. We'll tell you how much spore solution or liquid culture to use and how many 10cc syringes to have on hand.
Spore syringes5cc per bag, 10cc total
Liquid culture syringes7–10cc per bag, 14–20cc total
Give each syringe a hard 20–30 second shake before every injection.
Per jar and bag
| Product | Spores | Liquid culture | One 10cc syringe covers |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Ultimate ½-Pint BRF Substrate Jars 6-pack and 12-pack; also inside the Simple, Ultimate and Mega kits |
1–1.5cc per jar | 2cc per jar | 6–10 jars with spores, 5 jars with LC |
| 24 oz Super Quick 5-Grain Jar | 3–4cc | 4–6cc | 2–3 jars with spores, 2 jars with LC |
|
32 oz 5-Grain or Original Rye Jar Single jars and 3-packs |
3–4cc | 5–7cc | 2–3 jars with spores, 1–2 jars with LC |
|
Original Rye or Premium 5-Grain Spawn Bag 2.25–2.5 lb bags |
5cc | 7–10cc | 2 bags with spores, 1 bag with LC |
|
All-in-One Grow Bag, 4 lb Also in the All-in-One Monotub Starter Kit |
4–5cc | 5–10cc | 2 bags with spores, 1–2 bags with LC |
| XL All-in-One Grow Bag, 6 lb | 5–7cc | About 10cc | 1–2 bags with spores, 1 bag with LC |
|
Premium or XL Liquid Culture Kit Turns one syringe into enough culture for 20+ spawn bags |
3–5cc | 3–5cc | 2–3 kits |
|
QuickCulture Mini Liquid Culture Jars 30 ml jars, 3-pack |
2–3cc per jar | 2–3cc per jar | A full 3-pack |
|
Agar plates Including Willy's Blend conditioning plates |
2–3 drops per plate | 2–3 drops per plate | Dozens of plates |
Syringes needed for each kit
| Kit | What you inoculate | Spore syringes | LC syringes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Mushroom Grow Kit PLUS | 6 × ½-pint jars | 1 | 2 |
| Ultimate Mushroom Growing & Incubator Kit | 12 × ½-pint jars | 2 | 3 |
| Mega Mushroom Grow Kit, Monotub Edition | 18 × ½-pint jars | 2–3 | 4 |
| Complete 28Q Monotub Kit | 1 × 32 oz 5-grain jar | 1 | 1 |
| Complete 44Q Monotub Kit | 1 × 5-grain spawn bag | 1 | 1 |
| Complete Large 66Q Monotub Kit | 2 × 5-grain spawn bags | 1 | 2 |
| MycoClimate™ 44Q Automated Monotub | 1 × 5-grain spawn bag | 1 | 1 |
| MycoClimate™ 66Q Automated Monotub | 2 × 5-grain spawn bags | 1 | 2 |
| All-in-One Monotub Starter Kit (6 lb) | 1 × 4 lb All-in-One bag | 1 | 1 |
| Complete XL Grass Lover's Kit | 3 × 32 oz 5-grain jars | 1–2 | 2–3 |
| Essentials Substrate Ecosphere Package 3.0 | 6 × ½-pint jars + 2 spawn bags | 2 | 3 |
| Monster Monsoon Ecosphere Package 3.0, spawn bag version | 8 × 5-grain spawn bags | 4 | 6–8 |
| Monster Monsoon Ecosphere Package 3.0, jar version | 12 × 32 oz 5-grain jars | 4–5 | 6–9 |
When in doubt, round up. All counts assume standard 10cc syringes. An extra cc costs almost nothing; a jar that never takes costs you two weeks.
Shake your syringe, every time
This is the step people skip, and it is behind more "my jar never took" emails than anything else.
Spores settle to the bottom of a syringe while it sits, but they are tiny and light, and a good shake suspends them evenly through the water. Liquid culture is different. The mycelium grows as strands and clumps, and in many LC syringes most of the living culture sits in one or two clumps. Split a 10cc LC syringe across three 32 oz jars without shaking hard between each one, and it is common for the first two jars to get all the mycelium while the last jar gets nothing but broth. That jar never colonizes. Nothing was wrong with the jar; nothing alive went into it.
- Shake hard for 20–30 seconds before the first injection, and again before every jar or bag, not just the first.
- Check it against the light. Spore solution should look evenly cloudy or speckled. If an LC syringe shows visible clumps, keep shaking until they break up and spread through the liquid.
- Leave the small air bubble in until you are done. Most syringes ship with one, and it is what lets the liquid move and mix when you shake.
- Spread the dose. On half-pint jars, split it across all four holes. More inoculation points means faster, more even colonization.
- Sterilize between containers. Flame the needle until it glows red and let it cool for a few seconds, and wipe each injection port with alcohol before you go in.
- Don't stretch the last syringe. If you are running short for the final jar or bag, open a fresh syringe instead of giving it half a dose.
One jar lagging behind? If a jar shows no growth a week or more after its siblings have taken off, it most likely received broth without mycelium. As long as it shows no sign of contamination, you can inject fresh culture through the same port and give it a second chance.
Where to buy spore syringes
Midwest Grow Kits does not sell spore syringes. We focus on sterilized substrates, jars, bags and equipment, plus liquid culture for gourmet and functional species. When customers ask where to get spores, these are the vendors we send them to:
Our first pickSpore Genetics
Clean, high-quality syringes and a strong lineup of varieties that rotates seasonally. Use code MIDWEST for a free spore syringe with your order.
Also recommendedPremium Spores
A long-running vendor with a wide catalog and years of consistent reviews. Code MIDWEST works here too.
Also recommendedInoculate the World
A well-known vendor with a large selection of spore syringes and prints.
Not sure how to judge a vendor? Our 2026 spore syringe buying guide covers what separates a clean syringe from a contaminated one and the red flags to watch for.
Disclosure: The owner of Midwest Grow Kits has a financial interest in Spore Genetics and Premium Spores. We only recommend vendors whose syringes we would use in our own grows.
Are spore syringes legal?
In most of the US, yes. Federal law controls psilocybin and psilocin, the active compounds in "magic" mushrooms, but spores contain neither, so spore syringes are legally sold for microscopy, research and identification. Four states ban psilocybin mushroom spores outright: California, Florida, Georgia and Idaho. Germinating spores of psilocybin species or growing those mushrooms is illegal under federal law and in most states, and laws change, so check yours. This is general information, not legal advice.
Gourmet and functional species such as oyster, lion's mane, shiitake and reishi are legal to grow everywhere, and that is what our liquid culture line covers.
Spore and liquid culture FAQ
Does Midwest Grow Kits sell spore syringes?
No. We specialize in sterilized substrates, grain jars, spawn bags and growing equipment, and we sell liquid culture for gourmet and functional species. For spore syringes we recommend Spore Genetics, Premium Spores and Inoculate the World. Use code MIDWEST at Spore Genetics or Premium Spores for a free syringe with your order.
How many spore syringes do I need for my kit?
Most kits need one or two 10cc spore syringes. A 6-jar kit takes one, a 12-jar kit takes two, and the 18-jar Mega kit takes two to three. Monotub kits built around one spawn bag or one 32 oz jar take one. The chart on this page lists every jar, bag and kit we sell.
Should I use more liquid culture than spores?
Yes. We recommend a little more liquid culture than spores, roughly one and a half times the amount. For example, use 2cc of liquid culture per half-pint jar versus 1–1.5cc of spores. Liquid culture grows in clumps instead of spreading evenly, so a bigger dose makes sure every jar receives living mycelium, and the extra inoculation points speed up colonization.
Why didn't one of my jars colonize when the others did?
The most common cause is a liquid culture syringe that was not shaken between injections. The mycelium in liquid culture settles into clumps, so when one syringe is split across several jars, the last jar can receive only broth with no living culture in it. Shake the syringe hard for 20–30 seconds before every injection, and plan on one liquid culture syringe for every two 32 oz jars rather than three.
How long do spore syringes last?
Stored in the refrigerator at about 35–40°F, a spore syringe usually stays viable for 6–12 months, and often longer. Keep it out of direct light and never freeze it. Liquid culture is living mycelium, so use it sooner: within about 3–4 months, refrigerated.
Is a spore syringe or liquid culture better for beginners?
Liquid culture is faster and more consistent because the mycelium is already growing when it goes into the grain. Spore syringes work well in all of our jars and bags too; they just take a few extra days to show growth while the spores germinate. Either one works with every Midwest Grow Kits product.
Are spore syringes legal?
In most of the US, yes. Federal law controls psilocybin and psilocin, and spores contain neither, so spore syringes are legally sold for microscopy, research and identification. California, Florida, Georgia and Idaho ban psilocybin mushroom spores. Germinating spores of psilocybin species or growing those mushrooms is illegal under federal law and in most states, so check your local laws.
Can I turn one spore syringe into more inoculant?
Yes. Inject 3–5cc of spore solution into one of our liquid culture kits. Growth is usually visible within days, and once the broth is colonized, a single Premium Liquid Culture Kit holds enough culture to inoculate 20 or more spawn bags. It is the most economical way to stretch one syringe.