Sterilised MEA Agar Plates (Pre-poured)

Ready-to-Use Pre-Poured MEA Agar Plates

Available in packs of 3, 5, 10 and 20 plates.

Our MEA (malt extract agar) plates are made on the Sunshine Coast and used on our own farm. We mix light malt extract, agar and water, sterilise it in the autoclave, pour it into 90mm petri dishes and seal each plate with parafilm. Plates come packed in a ziplock bag, and every pack includes one spare piece of parafilm per plate so you can reseal after inoculating.

These are plates only. No mycelium or culture is included.

What They're For
Cloning, isolating and expanding gourmet mushroom cultures, and testing liquid culture or agar before you commit a grain or substrate bag. Our plates are plain MEA with no antibiotics added, so bacterial contamination shows up on the plate rather than being hidden, which is what you want when checking that a culture is clean. Read your plate for the full 7 to 10 days before deciding.

Storage and Shelf Life
Store plates upside down in their bag in a cool, dark spot out of direct sun. For best results use within 30 days, so order as you need them. In hot weather the fridge is fine, but let the plates come to room temperature in the bag before opening so condensation forms outside rather than on the agar. Once a plate is colonised, keep it in the fridge to slow it down. A little condensation is normal. If a plate dries out and turns stiff or papery, it can no longer support growth, so discard it.

Using Your Plates
Check your plates when they arrive. If you see cloudy spots, fuzzy growth or a broken seal, get in touch. Work inside a still air box or in front of a flow hood, and reseal with the included parafilm after inoculating.

Shipping and Refunds
Agar plates are sensitive to heat, so we recommend Express shipping, especially from December to February. If plates arrive damaged or contaminated, send us a clear photo and your order number within 5 business days of delivery and we will refund you. We can't offer replacements, as the same conditions may affect them again.

Need other supplies? Browse the rest of our Growers Supplies, or get in touch and we will help.