What is a POD?
AN ALL-IN-ONE
A POD is a high-performance mushroom seeding device that contains the mycelium and provides nutrition. It allows you to plant a mycelium by inserting the ceramic device into moist soil: in a planter, in a forest or on growing strips!
A DEVICE,
TWO INOCULATIONS
A POD is inoculated with a Pseudomonas bacterium (1) naturally present in the most organic soils in order to homogenize the absorption of surrounding nutrients to the initial nutrition.
Its content, nutrition (2), is inoculated by the cultivated mycelium and can possibly, for certain distribution networks, be freeze-dried. Once inserted into the ground, the mycelium will diffuse through the operculum (3) and will be protected from burrowers and pedofauna thanks to its protective cover (4).
A HIGH-PERFORMANCE NETWORK
The techniques applied until then favored the dispersion of the mycelium by broadcast, counting on good weather conditions and a sufficiently neutral pedofauna in the soil so that the mycelium could develop there and consume nutritional values.
With a POD, the power of the network is ensured by a stable thermal base (because it is buried ) which remains healthy for months of cultivation, leaving little room for random contamination.
A SMART NETWORK
A POD initiates the development of mycelium in its center to spread out to its surroundings. By network intelligence, we mean that its structuring is shaped like a "city" from which a network of roads starts, as opposed to the antecedents of culture that favored the development of fragmented and vulnerable "villages".
This then defends itself better against various attacks, benefits better from the surrounding nutrition and lasts until the end of the cultivation route.
A PROTECTIVE BARRIER
Ceramic or terracotta is a neutral material that can be treated with sterilization, which provides an effective protective barrier against pedofauna and burrowers, while ensuring the gas exchanges that the mycelium needs to develop. It also allows good drainage of excess water that could stagnate and contaminate the culture, all while jealously preserving the nutritional value. Isn't it magic?
A POWERFUL CONNECTOR
A POD is a powerful connection interface for additional nutrition. Its power is characterized by an excellent connection rate of the nutrient source to the mycelium, whether endogenous (already present in the soil) or exogenous (placed above the soil). The farmer thus has better control over his yields and the results of his crop.
THE WORKSHOP
The first step is to make a ceramic mold, which will serve as a template for the production by force turning. Fortunately, current equipment allows turning to be carried out using a semi-automatic machine, which would not have been the case half a century ago!