This method is intended for the outdoor cultivation of Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms. It is suitable for climates where the daytime temperature is between 65°F-100°F in the Summer for at least a few weeks.

Water: a hose or someway to get the water to the outdoor patch

Manure: Regular manure, nothing fancy. Black Cow and composted manure ok too. Avoid uncomposted chicken manure. (composted chicken manure is ideal for button and portabello mushrooms)

Regular straw soaked for 24 hours

A shady spot... near a tree or where there is ....SHADE. If light gets to it part of the day its better in the early morning or late evening when lowest intensity

A shovel
A rake
Some colonized spawn or cakes (fresh cakes work best...spent ones can be used and should never be put in the trash)

Directions:

1. dig a hole about 8 inches deep. It can be as wide as you want if you have a lot of cakes to bury or just want a big patch.

2. if you have MORE THAN ONE CAKE crumble one and toss in the newly dug hole. If you have one cake, break it in half and crumble a half in the hole. (remember, the MORE spawn the BETTER. Try to have more than one cake).

3. Take some of the soaked straw right from the soaking container and cover the crumbled cakes. Pack it in there..

4. Take the manure and make a layer over the straw. Cover it all about an inch deep.

5. Place another inch thick layer of straw on the manure

6. Place cakes on the straw you just laid. This is the important step. For fast fruits, it's good to have a lot of spawn near the surface of the earth so that it can just "pickup where it left off" and start consuming the new nutrients and fruit.

7. Place straw on the cakes just to cover, not for depth. Don't bury them in straw. Get the cakes just covered and even let some of the cakes show thru the hay.

8. Add a mixed layer of manure, straw and earth mix on the ground next to your patch. Use less manure and dirt, about 20% each, with at least a little more than half shredded soaked straw.

9. Rake the mixture over the straw you just laid. Don't cover more than 2 inches deep. It's okay if the patch bulges above the ground.

10. Finally, cover with a thin layer of straw and water well. Maintain the patch and don't let it dry out, but don't drown it.

*If you live in some parts of the South and Southwest, you may need to water more and more often. Check your patch every day or two until you get the feel for it and your environment.
**most people err on the dry side and don't put quite enough, which causes a longer run time and less pins/fruit. If you squeezed a handful of you patch, at least 4 drops of water should come out between your fingers. That is a guideline illustration and you should not disturb your patch.

Techniques for getting started: FungiFun.org