Pre-Sterilized · Hardwood · Grain · Agar
Mushroom Substrate & Growing Media
Ready-to-inoculate substrates, bulk grain, pre-poured agar plates, and sterile liquid culture media. Prepared in our CFIA-licensed facility so you can skip the pressure cooker.
Ready to Inoculate
All Substrates & Growing Media
Pre-sterilized hardwood blocks, Magic Soil, sterilized grain for spawn production, pre-poured agar plates, and sterile liquid culture media. All sterilized and ready to go.
Blue LME Agar — 6-Pack
$30.00
Honey Agar — 6-Pack
$30.00
LME Agar Plates (Light Malt Extract) — 6-Pack
$30.00
(6)
LME Carbon Agar (Activated Charcoal) — 6-Pack
$30.00
PDA (Potato Dextrose Agar) — 6-Pack
$30.00
Pre-Sterilized Hardwood Mushroom Substrate Blocks
$44.95
Purple LME Agar — 6-Pack
$30.00
Red LME Agar — 6-Pack
$30.00
Sawdust Preservation Agar — 6-Pack
$30.00
Sterile Liquid Culture Expansion Jar — 200ml | No Culture Included
$24.95
Sterilized Magic Soil
$44.95
Sterilized Organic Millet Grain Bags
$29.00
Which Substrate Is Right for You?
Pre-Sterilized Hardwood Blocks — Supplemented hardwood sawdust blocks, sterilized and sealed. Just inject your liquid culture or break in grain spawn, seal the bag, and wait for colonization. Best for oyster, shiitake, and lion's mane. Available in packs of 2 to 48 blocks — the price per block drops as you buy more.
Sterilized Magic Soil — A premium manure-based substrate blend of composted cow manure, coconut coir, vermiculite, and gypsum. Designed for dung-loving species that thrive on rich, nutrient-dense substrates. Available in packs of 2 to 48 bags with volume pricing. Pressure-sterilized and ready to inoculate.
Not sure where to start? Read our complete mushroom substrate guide, learn how to prepare bulk substrate, or try the bulk substrate calculator.
Pre-Poured Agar Plates & Liquid Culture Media
Before mycelium ever touches substrate, it starts on growing media. Our pre-poured agar plates are sterilized and poured in-house, then shipped in sealed 6-packs — no pressure cooker, no pouring, no contamination roulette. Choose from Light Malt Extract (LME), Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), and Honey Agar for everyday isolation and expansion work, coloured LME plates (blue, red, purple) for organizing your library, activated-charcoal Carbon Agar for high-contrast viewing of fine mycelium, and Sawdust Preservation Agar for long-term strain storage.
The Sterile Liquid Culture Expansion Jar (200ml) is the same nutrient broth we use in production — sterile, sealed, and ready for you to inoculate from a plate wedge or culture syringe. Expand a single culture into enough liquid volume to inoculate dozens of grain jars.
Need a culture to get started? Browse our strain agar cultures or liquid cultures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best substrate for growing mushrooms?
The best substrate depends on the species. Hardwood sawdust (supplemented with bran or soy hull) is ideal for oyster mushrooms, lion's mane, and shiitake. Manure-based substrates like our Magic Soil work best for dung-loving species. Straw is popular for outdoor oyster beds. All substrates must be sterilized or pasteurized before use.
Do I need to sterilize mushroom substrate?
Yes — supplemented substrates (hardwood with bran, manure blends, grain) must be pressure-sterilized at 15 PSI for 90-120 minutes. Plain straw can be pasteurized instead. Our pre-sterilized substrates skip this step entirely — they arrive ready to inoculate.
How much substrate do I need per bag of spawn?
A standard spawn-to-substrate ratio is 10-20% by weight. One 5 lb bag of grain spawn can inoculate 25-50 lbs of bulk substrate. For our pre-sterilized hardwood blocks, use approximately 1 lb of grain spawn or 3cc of liquid culture per block.
What is Magic Soil substrate?
Magic Soil is Nature Lion's premium manure-based substrate blend made from composted cow manure, coconut coir, vermiculite, and gypsum. It's designed for dung-loving mushroom species. Each bag is pressure-sterilized and ready to inoculate. Available in packs of 2 to 48 bags, with per-bag pricing that drops as you buy more.
Can I buy pre-sterilized mushroom substrate in Canada?
Yes. Nature Lion sells pre-sterilized mushroom substrate from our CFIA-licensed facility in Brantford, Ontario. Options include supplemented hardwood blocks, Magic Soil, sterilized grain bags, and pre-poured agar plates. Free shipping on Canadian orders $50+.
Can I buy pre-poured agar plates in Canada?
Yes. Nature Lion pours sterile agar plates in-house and ships them across Canada in 6-packs. Recipes include Light Malt Extract (LME), Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), Honey Agar, coloured LME (blue, red, purple), activated-charcoal Carbon Agar for high-contrast work, and Sawdust Preservation Agar for long-term culture storage.
What is the difference between substrate and growing media like agar?
Substrate is the bulk material mushrooms fruit from — hardwood sawdust, manure blends, or grain. Growing media like agar plates and sterile liquid culture broth are used earlier in the process to isolate, expand, and store mycelium before it ever touches substrate. A typical workflow goes agar plate, then liquid culture or grain spawn, then bulk substrate.