For the stubborn pure culture spawn devotees however, there exists a compromise: Commercial spawn can be naturalized through a process analogous to vaccines—it can be brought into contact with a less-than-virulent dose of the microbes found in the destined habitat. The mycelium’s natural antibiotics preselect microbes that help it survive in the wild. A synergistic blend of microbes joining with the mushroom mycelium provides a defensive shield, much like fortifying an immune system, that not only forestalls competition but streams nutrients and mycelial stimulants.
