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These instructions apply to all grow kits, except look below for special instructions to go with a Shiitake Kit, and thank you for your purchase!
Placement Indoors: Find a place inside that is of average room temperature, has indirect lighting (enough to read words on a page, but not in direct sunlight), and away from drafty air currents, fans, heat sources, and materials that are porous like wood surfaces or carpets (spores drop from the mushroom). A more humid place like a basement is better than a really dry place. You will place a humidity tent (a plastic bag with air holes cut out of it) over and around the block to maintain a high humidity environment. We recommend you place the block on a plate or pan to catch the water that drips off the side of the humidity tent. If conditions are right, a kitchen counter near the sink where you can frequently check on and water it. Make sure water does not pool inside the grow bag!
Using Humidity Tent: Sometimes a location will require the use of a humidity tent, some enthusiasts build a 'mushroom fruiting chamber' which is basically an oversized plastic bag with many holes and a humidifier. The idea is to make an environment that holds humidity/moisture and will allow fresh air to enter (and CO2 to exit). You do not want the humidity tent to be touching the mushroom, but rather creating an environment around the mushroom. The humidity in the tent can be maintained with a spray bottle. Lift up the tent/bag and spray the fruiting block and the inside of the plastic bag so it appears moist and water droplets are visible, or you can just spray through the holes in the plastic bag.
Check out the Education tab for instructions on different ways you can add more humidity!
Mist minimum 1 or 2 times a day (or more if warm, dry conditions exist). Place a pie-pan or broiler pan under the fruiting block to collect the water. Do your best to use non-chlorinated water (let water sit overnight).
20240625_163947.mp4This video shows how to quickly open any Oyster Mushroom Kit. This will create numerous smaller mushrooms, instead of a few large ones, and is much easier to prepare while also creating a greenhouse environment.
Shiitake Grow Kit
Place in a refrigerator overnight to trigger the grow kit to completely fruit. If the kit was shipped to you this is most likely unnecessary, the stress of shipping will have send the message to the Shiitake Kit to begin fruiting.
The kit will need to be rehydrated. Submerge the kit in water, I often cut a slit in the top and fill it above the block. If the bag is torn or leaking you can remove the plastic and put it in a 5 gallon bucket and submerge completely. The block will want to float and requires about 10 pounds to keep it underwater. Alternatively, regularly soaking the block every day under a sink for the first three days will also help rehydrate. This can be a dirty process, so best to do it outside or in a sink.
Completely remove the plastic and place the block it on a porous surface of some sort, you do not want water to pool and attract bad fungus/bacteria.
Extremely Detailed Instructions - (Courtesy of Blue Sky Mushrooms)
Setting Up and Initiating Fruiting: Prepare the space you would like your bag to grow in. The block, unless it is Shiitake, will remain in the plastic grow bag during mushroom growth, but will grow out of a small, X-shaped slice in the side of the bag. Sometimes you will se a thick, white, blob-like mass growing on the surface, this is the primordia of the mushroom. You will most likely see that mass on the top near the filter patch. Sometimes it will have grown large and deformed within the grow bag. Simply cut your hole around this mass and then flatly fold the bag over the side of the block to remove as much air space as possible. If no large mass is forming, or you want to fruit the mushroom out of the side, cut a 2 cm long X-shaped hole in the side or top of the plastic bag. Mushrooms will grow out of the hole toward wherever the fresh air is.
So, when everything is set up, follow these steps:
Clean your hands and the scissors or razor blade.
Determine the site where you want the mushroom to grow and cut the plastic.
Gently squeeze the excess air out of the bag and fold the top portion over. You can tape down the bag flap to keep it tight against the block, or you can turn the bag on its side to pinch down the plastic flap. You may want to prop up the bag above the counter top to allow the teeth to cascade down and out of the mushroom.
Place the humidity tent (plastic bag) over and around the entire mushroom block and the plate and/or support object under the block. You should spray the inside of the bag with a water mist from a spray bottle prior to covering the block with the humidity tent.
Daily Care: Now that your mushroom fruiting block is set up, you need to perform some daily care.
Maintain a high humidity environment within the humidity tent. There should be visible droplets of water on the inside of the humidity tent and on the grow block plastic. Do this with the spray bottle several times (2 to 3) per day.
Allow for good airflow. There should be enough holes in the humidity tent to allow fresh air exchange and maintain the humidity for several hours. The humidity tent can also be removed and replaced each time you mist to promote air exchange.
It is recommended to carefully remove the bag each time you spray the inside of the bag with the spray bottle, then carefully replace the humidity tent to create an open pocket around the growing mushroom. Try to avoid allowing the plastic humidity tent to touch the growing mushroom. (Remember to use non-chlorinated water or breathe off the chlorine first)
Growing: Mushrooms should start to grow within 2 weeks after opening the bag and take about 1 to 2 weeks to grow. Continue to water the humidity tent while it has mushrooms growing but try to avoid getting a lot of water onto the mushroom itself, and definitely don't allow it to pool and stagnate.
Harvesting: The mushroom is ready to harvest after a few days, and if left too long will often go pale and start to deform and get hard (or mushy depending on the humidity). You can harvest the mushroom by either cutting it off from the surface of the block, or if it grew out of the X-shaped hole in the side, simply hold and twist off the mushroom. Younger mushrooms are denser and will have a better shelf-life than an old, large mushroom. And you can stop watering the bag a day before you harvest to let the mushroom dry out a bit. Oyster mushrooms can be left out in the sun for 30-60 minutes in the day or two leading up to harvest in order to produce more Vitamin D!
What to do after my first harvest?
Don’t get rid of the block. There is a chance the block will produce several flushes of mushrooms, but you will need maintain the humidity in the tent to promote adequate growing conditions.
You can expect at the most 2 flushes of mushrooms from these blocks. The next mushroom will most likely form at the same site as the first, but you can also make a new hole for it to grow out of. If no more mushrooms form, or you cannot provide adequate daily care, then you can try to place the block outside to grow in the spring or fall weather. Just make sure to keep it in a humid environment and out of direct sunlight. If to no avail, then the block will make excellent mulch or compost for your garden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mycelium require certain conditions to produce a mushroom. These conditions include specific temperature, humidity levels, CO2, and light. Many problems encountered with growing mushrooms are a result of an imbalance of these conditions. The solution is to manipulate the environment to be favorable for the mushroom to produce and survive.
1) The block is not producing mushrooms and feels light and dry.
This is most likely a problem of humidity and available water. You should be misting the block and humidity tent at least once a day, but if your growing environment is too dry, you may need to hydrate it more than that. Always use a humidity tent for Lion's Mane. Remember to always use non-chlorinated water!
2) I am hydrating the block daily but the mushrooms still won't grow.
This is might be a problem of temperature. Make sure it is not too cold or too hot where the block is placed. Also make sure that the block is not placed in direct sunlight.
3) The top growth is thick and hard to determine the mushroom primordia location.
If the block is not opened within a month of the date on the bag, the mycelium on the top may become thick and dry. The top mycelium growth may need to be scraped off to the sawdust layer to initiate a new mushroom primordia formation. Squeeze the air out of the bag and leave a portion of that scraped off section exposed to the fresh air. The mushroom should grow out of that scrape scar.
4) The mushroom is not growing in a round shape. It has a lot of spiky arms.
This is most likely a problem of CO2. Mushrooms are like us: they breathe oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. The long spiky arms are a direct response of too much CO2. Put more air holes in the humidity tent, or remove and replace the humidity tent for fresh air exchange.
5) It looks like bacteria or mold is growing on the surface of the block.
Competitor organisms are everywhere and opportunistic. It is not uncommon that small blotches of bacteria or mold will grow on the surface. Bacteria and molds are generally shades of green, yellow, blue, spotty white, and black. Use hydrogen peroxide or very dilute bleach (1%) dabbed gently on the infected areas. You can scrape off infected spots with a paper towel after treating them with peroxide. If the surface contamination cannot be overcome, it may be time to compost the block outdoors. You can set it outside in a shady spot and allow it to get wet and ,depending on your time of year, outdoor conditions may actaully be more favorable for mushrooms to continue to grow than in your house. Many customers have reported their blocks suddenly fruiting after being left outside in a rain storm.
6) Is it safe to eat the mushrooms if mold is growing on the block?
Short answer is: yes, if you are cooking the mushrooms. This is one of the many reasons why it is important to cook all mushrooms. Most of the time the infection is growing on the skin of the block and is benign to the mushroom. If the mold or bacteria has spread to the mushrooms, then probably not, but mushrooms in the wild generally will host a community of organisms. If you are in doubt, compost the mushrooms, clean the block, then try again.
7) What if the block breaks within the plastic bag (accidental dropping)?
This is no big deal as the mycelium will heal itself back together. However, if a significant crack in the block has resulted from transport or an accidental drop, allow the block a few days to recover and heal itself within the bag prior to opening.
8) What if I go away for a few days or weeks while I'm growing the mushrooms?
Harvest the mushrooms before you leave and let the block stay in a humid environment. This may have to be outside if the temperatures are not too cold or too hot (50-80 F). It is not advised to bring the block back inside for growing, as it may be a new home for bugs and fungi that you don't want!
Use the form below to submit a photo, a brief sentence, and your email; and we will get back to you with whatever your question is. If you think it is contaminated, or are unsure of when to harvest, or even help identifying a wild mushroom (if I have time and you include details on what you found it growing on)!
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