Mushroom FAQ's
ANSWERS TO OUR MOST COMMON QUESTIONS
My grow-kit is completely white, how do I cut the bag?
The NEW grow-kits are SO much easier. Cut the top off the bag, leaving about 6 inches of plastic as a “tall fence” around it. Mist MANY times daily to avoid drying out.
How long should I use a humidity tent?
We DO NOT recommend using a humidity tent after a healthy pin set, or sets, have emerged. If you continue tenting while the mushrooms grow they are likely to grow long and stringy without a cap. This is due to high CO2 and lack of Oxygen. Only use a tent while you are waiting for the block to pin.
If the block inside the grow bag is completely white with mushroom mycelium it is fully consumed and ready to cut. You will likely see mushrooms starting to pin at the top of the substrate, this is a good sign you’re ready to cut the bag!
Absolutely, the mushroom mycelium begins pinning when it is ready to grow mushrooms.
Your mushrooms will do best in a warm place with indirect sunlight. We recommend the kitchen counter facing away from the light source.
Your mushrooms will grow in normal room temperatures (18-20 ℃) but do not mind slightly warmer spaces. Alternatively, if your mushrooms will be in an area that is below 15 ℃ for most of the day growth will be much slower.
Two to fives times daily is ideal.
Harvesting your mushrooms at the right time is essential for optimal taste and texture. Watch out for these signs to know when it’s time to harvest:
- They have stopped doubling in size daily
- They have turned from a dark gray/blue to a light brown color
- They have a distinct brown ring around the edge of their cap.
- If you’re unsure whether your mushrooms are ready to harvest, feel free to send us a photo and we’ll advise!
After your harvest, we suggest eating your mushrooms within a week. Store them in a paper bag in the fridge, until ready to cook!
We highly recommend cooking your mushrooms before eating – they taste best sauteed or roasted!
The first few days in the growing cycle, your mycelium is rehydrating, and is taking up as much water as possible to encourage growth! It is normal to not see mushrooms sprouting within the first few days following your initial soaking of the mushroom bag. Continue to give it water daily and be patient. You will start to see visible caps forming, which are dark in color, and will double in size each day afterwards.
Each grow-kit and species is unique, which means the amount of growth you may see from your grow-kit can vary. Some grow-kits will grow 2-3 large mushroom caps and others will have a dozen smaller caps with each harvest – mushrooms grow in such a way that it is very hard to predict exactly what you’ll harvest! We guarantee you will have 1-2 servings of mushrooms from each of two harvests – if you don’t think you’re seeing this growth reach out to us with a picture and we’ll be happy to help!
Your mushrooms will do best in a warm place with indirect sunlight. We recommend the kitchen counter facing away from the light source.
Your mushrooms will grow in normal room temperatures (18-20 ℃) but do not mind slightly warmer spaces. Alternatively, if your mushrooms will be in an area that is below 15 ℃ for most of the day growth will be much slower.
Two to Five times daily is ideal.
The first few days in the growing cycle, your mycelium is rehydrating, and is taking up as much water as possible to encourage growth! It is normal to not see mushrooms sprouting within the first few days following your initial soaking of the mushroom farm. Continue to give it water daily and be patient. You will start to see visible caps forming, which are dark in color, and will double in size each day afterwards.
Each grow-kit and species is unique, which means the amount of growth you may see from your grow-kit can vary. Some grow-kit will grow 2-3 large mushroom caps and others will have a dozen smaller caps with each harvest – mushrooms grow in such a way that it is very hard to predict exactly what you’ll harvest! We guarantee you will have 2-4 servings of mushrooms from each of two harvests – if you don’t think you’re seeing this growth reach out to us with a picture and we’ll be happy to help!
Harvesting your mushrooms at the right time is essential for optimal taste and texture. Watch out for these signs to know when it’s time to harvest:
- They have stopped doubling in size daily
- They have turned from a dark gray/blue to a light brown color
- They have a distinct brown ring around the edge of their cap.
- If you’re unsure whether your mushrooms are ready to harvest, feel free to send us a photo and we’ll advise!
After your harvest, we suggest eating your mushrooms within a week. Store them in a paper bag in the fridge, until ready to cook!
We highly recommend cooking your mushrooms before eating – they taste best sauteed or roasted!
Simply take a clear trash bag or other loosely fitting plastic bag and put PLENTY of 1/2 inch holes in it (THIS IS IMPORTANT: Mushrooms exhale CO2 and inhale oxygen. They will suffocate themselves if there isn’t adequate airflow! Blue Oysters that look stringy or strange are usually growing that way because they need more air!). Spray the slice at least once per day with the included spray bottle. If you choose to use a humidity tent make sure to spray the inside of the tent twice per day to maintain humidity.
Usually mushroom pins abort when there isn’t enough humidity around the block. Don’t panic! Your grow-kit still has all the food needed to produce mushrooms. Simply pick off the aborted mushroom pins, wait one week, letting the block dry out on a plate, then soak the block for 20 minutes in cold water, drain all the water out of your grow-kit and start the process over. If you didn’t use a humidity tent the first time (directions for how to make a humidity tent are included in the instructions) then do so with your second attempt. Make sure to keep a closer eye on the kit. Spray multiple times daily with water to keep it humid!
NO, Species remain in their bags for fruiting! Simply cut the top of the bag 4-6 inches above the grow block so that the mushroom block can sense the oxygen in the air.
We recommend covering the place where you harvested your first crop, flipping the bag, and repeating the process!
Yes, while the nutrition is likely all used up in the block we recommend removing the grow box and plastic and placing the spent block in your garden. Do not till it into the soil, simply place it under a shade bearing vegetable welled up with straw. Soak with water. The mycelium will rejuvenate. Check back every few days for mushroom growth. Throughout the summer check shady areas around your garden after periods of rain as mycelium will travel!
The first crop is always the biggest as it is grown at its peak with all the nutrients in the bag available. Each successive crop gets smaller as more nutrients and water are extracted from the kit. Thoroughly misting (soaking) between crops will help mitigate moisture loss, but nutrition will still slowly run out, producing smaller crops over time.
You will notice over time that the lovely fresh white bag you started with begins dry out, gets lighter and shrinks. This occurs as crops of mushrooms are extracted and the nutrients useful for growing mushrooms become depleted. Once you have had at least 2 crops from it, it’s worth trying to re-soak and get another, but if you do this and no further crops emerge after 4 weeks, then it is time to break up the mixture that is left and add this rich soil amendment to your garden or planter!