Home Grow Kit Instructions
Last updated on June 22nd, 2023
Required tools and conditions:
- Spray bottle (included in our kit)
- Sharp, clean knife to cut open your mushroom block
- Medium-to-large sized bowl to soak the block after your first harvest
- Small dish or bowl (optional) to set the block atop (and catch any drips after spraying)
- Moderate temperature near 75℉ (±5℉) [21±5℃]
- Indirect lighting (keep block out of direct sunlight)
Notes:
Homes with air conditioning will settle around 20-40% humidity or less. Homes with evaporative coolers ("swamp coolers") will be around 80% humidity (or less). The lower your relative humidity, the more frequently you may need to spray your mushroom block and fruiting bodies as they grow.
Procedure:
- Read all the instructions first before performing the actions in case you need to make changes based on your particular mushroom block. No, seriously—read the rest of this first!
- Unpack the box and fill your new spray bottle with water. Inspect your block through the clear plastic bag for tiny mushroom formations that look like little knots—these are called "pins" and their formation process is called "pinning." If the block is already pinning on a particular side of the block, that will be the best spot to make your incision. If no pins are present, that's fine—choose any side.
- With a clean knife, make an "X"-shaped cross-cut incision through the plastic into the block where the mushroom pins are already growing for faster fruiting. However, if no pins are found, then select any one of the sides of the block to make your incision. (Cut length: about 2 to 3 inches per criss-cross is fine.)
- If no pinning is present, lift the plastic flaps and lightly scratch away some of the white layer using the knife to wake up your mushroom block.
- Place your mushroom block atop a dish or right back in the box with the "X" window facing out, then set the dish/box away from exterior doors and direct sunlight. We suggest putting it on a kitchen counter, close to a sink. It needs to have light for 5 to 8 hours each day.
- Using your water-filled spray bottle, spray the exposed mushroom mycelium block (where the "X" cut is) with about 5 spritzes for at least 3 to 5 times every day—more if you're in a very dry climate. If you skip a day, it may stunt the growth.
- The mushroom mycelium will sense oxygen in the air and begin to produce mushroom pins, starting the fruiting process. Pinning may take 1 to 5 days from cutting open the plastic.
- Harvest just before the caps flatten out. Mushrooms grow quickly, so when you observe the first pins, keep an eye on them over the next few days. The warmer the environment, the faster they will grow. Mushrooms should be ready to harvest around 3 to 5 days after pin formation and the edges around the caps begin to flatten.
- After your first harvest, you can attempt a second or third "flush" (round) of mushroom production. Fill a bowl with cool water, large enough to fit the block. Take your freshly harvested mushroom block and set it in the bowl to soak with the "X" incision face-down in the water for about 2 to 3 hours to maximize its moisture content. You might need to put a weight atop to keep it submerged. After the block is thoroughly soaked, take your block out of the bowl, shake off the excess water and repeat Steps 5-8. The subsequent harvest will be about a third to half of the size of your first harvest.
- Enjoy! And please let us know if you have any questions or encounter any trouble with your kit—we're always happy to help.
Disposal:
After you've harvested as much as you can from your fruiting block, the spent substrate material inside the block can be used as a nutritious soil amendment for your garden! You can also use it to boost your compost bin if you're so inclined.
Fully Colonized
(white throughout)
Not Yet Ready
(patchy and incomplete)
Fully Colonized
(white throughout)
Not Yet Ready
(patchy and incomplete)
Mycelium blocks (grow kit blocks) need at least 5 to 6 hours of light per day to fruit.
- 24-hours of continuous lighting is fine; mushrooms will just grow faster
- Keep out of direct sunlight because the block will dry out faster than normal
- You can place by a window as long as it has some shade
If you use a humidity box, make sure the block is well-ventilated and fresh air can get in.
- Mushrooms breathe oxygen (O2) like we do, and "exhale" carbon dioxide (CO2).
- If the block doesn't receive enough air, then the mushrooms will grow narrower and produce small caps or no caps at all (these are "medusa" mushrooms).
