Mexican Growkit – 1200 cc

1. Mexican Growkit — 1200 cc

A 1200 cc all-in-one grow kit, fully colonised with Psilocybe cubensis (Mexican) mycelium on a sterilised rye grain, vermiculite and perlite substrate. The Mexican strain is the classic entry point to home cultivation, and it has more history behind it than any other genetics on this page.

The single riskiest step in home cultivation is inoculation: introducing spores to a sterile substrate without also introducing mould or bacteria. It accounts for most of the failures people post about. A pre-colonised kit skips that step entirely, which is why the odds on a first grow are so much better with one.

Every kit ships with the pre-colonised substrate box, a grow bag with a built-in micro air filter, and two paperclips. No spore syringe, no still-air box, no pressure cooker — the sterile laboratory stage is already done.

2. Specifications

3. History

This strain is worth buying for the history alone, though the history needs one correction that most listings get wrong.

In 1955 the banker and amateur mycologist R. Gordon Wasson took part in a Mazatec ceremony in Oaxaca, and his account of it brought Mesoamerican mushroom use to a Western audience. The French mycologist Roger Heim identified the species involved and sent specimens to Albert Hofmann at Sandoz, who isolated and named psilocybin and psilocin in 1958. That work is the foundation of everything since.

• The species Hofmann worked from was Psilocybe mexicana, which produces the sclerotia we sell as Mexicana truffles.
• This kit is Psilocybe cubensis, Mexican strain — a different species, named for the same region. They are relatives with a shared geography, not the same organism.
• Both trace to the same tradition. Mazatec and Aztec ritual use of teonanácatl predates any of the science by centuries.
• Potency here is moderate. That is a feature for a first grow rather than a shortcoming: it leaves a wide margin between a modest amount and a very large one.

Temperature is what decides where you land in the 300 to 600 g range. Below 18 °C growth stalls; above 28 °C the risk of bacterial contamination climbs sharply. A stable 20 to 25 °C is worth more than any other intervention.

4. Setting it up

1. Wash your hands and wipe the surface down with isopropyl alcohol. Work in a still room with no draught — contamination arrives on air currents and fingers.
2. Cold soak. Take the lid off, fill the box to the brim with cold tap water, put the lid back on and leave it for 12 hours.
3. Drain completely. Tip the water out with the lid held slightly ajar. Leave no standing water: the substrate should be moist, not sitting in a puddle.
4. Into the bag. Stand the open box upright in the grow bag, fold the top over twice and close it with the two paperclips.
5. Position it. Somewhere warm, out of direct sunlight, with indirect daylight. Ambient light is enough; mushrooms do not photosynthesise.
6. Air it daily. Open the bag once a day, fan it briefly and close it again. Fresh air exchange is what triggers fruiting.

4.1 Harvesting and later flushes

• Harvest before the veil tears. When the membrane under the cap begins to break away from the stem, pick it — that is where the mushroom stops growing and starts making spores.
• Twist, do not pull. Grip at the base and twist gently so the substrate is not torn up with it.
• Take the whole flush at once rather than picking over several days.
• Then set up the next one. Refill with cold water, soak 12 hours, drain, return to the bag.

4.2 If something goes wrong

• Green, blue-green or grey patches mean mould, most often Trichoderma. There is no saving a colonised kit at that point — bag it and dispose of it.
• A sour or ammonia smell means bacterial contamination. Same outcome.
• Wispy white growth on the mushrooms themselves is usually cobweb mould rather than mycelium. Act quickly and increase air exchange.
• Blue bruising where you handle the mushrooms is normal, not contamination. It is oxidation, and it happens to every psilocybin-containing species.

5. Before you use them

5.1 Preparation

• Have a sober sitter present. Someone who stays sober, stays in the room and knows what you have taken.
• Sit or lie down before you start. Do not stand, walk or handle anything.
• Clear the space. No open flames, no stairs, nothing breakable within reach.
• Have a trip stopper to hand. Knowing it is there matters even if you never use it.
• Nothing else alongside it. No alcohol, no cannabis, no other substance.

5.2 Do not use these if

• Not for anyone under 18.
• Not for anyone pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Do not use if you or a close family member has a history of psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or another serious mental health condition. Psychedelics can precipitate episodes in people predisposed to them.
• Do not use alongside alcohol, cannabis, SSRIs, MAOIs or any prescription medication without medical advice.
• Do not drive or operate machinery for the rest of the day.
• Legality varies widely by country and changes. Check your local law before ordering.

Hofmann isolated psilocybin from Psilocybe mexicana in 1958. This kit is the cubensis cousin from the same region — related, and not the same organism.