DIY CVG Substrate Kit – Make Your Own 5kg / 40kg (with Unicorn Bags)

Want to make your own CVG mix without hunting around garden centres for coir bricks and bags of vermiculite? We’ve done the boring bits for you. This kit gives you everything you need to prep 5kg / 40kg of CVG substrate for your mushrooms at home – just add water.

What’s inside:

What’s not inside:

• Water (you supply this bit – unless you want us posting jerrycans, which seems daft)

How to make it:

1. Pop your coir brick into a large bucket (big enough to allow it to expand).

2. Pour 4 litres of boiling water over the brick, cover, and leave it to expand for about an hour.

3. While that’s happening, open the vermiculite bag, pour in the gypsum, reseal it and give it a good shake until it’s evenly mixed.

4. Once the coir has cooled enough to handle, add your vermiculite + gypsum mix to the coir and blend it all together thoroughly.

5. And voilà – you’ve just made your very own CVG! Your mushrooms are going to love it.

Sterilisation

Technically, CVG is non-nutritious so you don’t have to heat treat it. But if you want the cleanest possible start, we recommend sterilising for 2 hours.