Method for growing mycological materials

1. A method of growing basidiomycete mycelium comprising the steps of providing a substrate comprised of non-nutritional material, nutritional particles and nutrient capable of promoting the growth and differentiation of basidiomycete mycelium without supporting the production of a basidiocarp;

adding water to said substrate;

inoculating the substrate with a vegetative mycelium; and

thereafter incubating the inoculated substrate in a first incubation period at a temperature between 24 and 30° C., an operating relative humidity of 80 to 100% while allowing carbon dioxide levels to build over the course of incubation to in excess of 5000 ppm and for a period of time sufficient to obtain full colonization of said mycelium within said substrate while minimizing exposure of the inoculated substrate to light to prevent the producing of a basidiocarp.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of subjecting the incubated substrate to a secondary incubation period wherein said temperature is maintained between 15 and 25° C. to promote the formation of binding hyphae.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of subjecting the incubated substrate to a secondary incubation period wherein said carbon dioxide level is elevated to between 10,000 and 60,000 ppm.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of subjecting the incubated substrate to a secondary incubation period wherein said relative humidity is greater than 90%.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of subjecting the incubated substrate to a secondary incubation period wherein the incubated substrate is nested in a configuration that offers no light exposure.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said non-nutritional material is selected from the group consisting of rice hulls, oat hulls, cottonseed hulls, buckwheat hulls, soybean hulls, perlite, cotton fiber and cotton burs.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said nutritional particles are characterized in providing an easily accessible carbon source for said vegetative mycelium.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said nutritional particles are selected from the group consisting of simple sugars including dextrose, cellulose and maltose; carbohydrates including maltodextrin and starch; and lignin.

9. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said carbon source comprises more than 20% of dry mass of said nutritional particles.

10. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said nutritional particles are maltodextrin.

11. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein said nutrient is calcium sulphate.

12. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises 335 g Rice Hulls, 432 g Cottonseed Hulls and 8 g Maltodextrin.

13. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises 450 g Buckwheat Hulls, 432 g Cottonseed Hulls and 8 g Maltodextrin.

14. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises 335 g Soybean Hulls, 432 g Cottonseed Hulls and 8 g Maltodextrin.

15. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises 300 g Perlite, 432 g Cottonseed Hulls and 8 g Maltodextrin.

16. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises 520 g Cotton Fiber and 32 g Maltodextrin.

17. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises 480 g Cotton Burs, 40 g Cottonseed Hulls and 32 g Maltodextrin.

18. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ratio of said non-nutritional material to said nutritional particles is at least 15 to 1.