FAQ - Growing Kit

What’s the difference between the Home Grow Kit and the Grow Block Kit?

Basically, there’s no difference apart from the amount of substrate. The Grow Block Kit is larger than the Home Grow Kit. The Home Grow Kit comes in its presentation box, while the Grow Block Kits come unboxed. 

How do I get my kit to fruit? I have no experience!

Don’t worry! All the kits are suitable for beginners, although some are definitely easier than others! If you’re completely new to this world, we recommend our Home Grow Kits. All our Home Grow Kits and Grow Block Kits come with instructions on how to get the most out of your kit! To access the instructions, simply scan the QR code on the label attached to the kit. We’re always here to offer advice, too                                                                                                                                                                      

•   Can I store the kit? If so, for how long?

The Home Grow Kit contains a living organism, so we recommend activating it as soon as you receive it. If you need to wait, you can store it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, or in the fridge for a few weeks. Please note, however, that Pleurotus djamor does not tolerate temperatures below 4°C well, so if you need to store it, keep it in a cool place away from the sun. Preferably, keep it above 10°C.

• Do I need to remove the block from the plastic?

The kit should remain in the plastic.

After cutting out the front panel of the box along the dotted line, cut an X in the plastic bag inside. This opening will let enough oxygen reach the block and direct the mushrooms to grow there. Remember to leave the plastic flaps of the X in place on the bag; they will help retain moisture. The mushrooms will grow easily through this opening, so there’s no need to make it any bigger while they’re fruiting.

• How much and how often should I mist my kit?

You don’t need to empty the bottle every time you spray, but it’s important to keep the area where you cut the bag nice and moist! Try 5–10 sprays each time. It may take a few attempts to get the frequency and amount right. If the surface of the block looks very dry the next time you spray it, give it a little more water or mist it a little more often. Keeping the kit in a humid area of your home (for example, next to the kitchen sink) will reduce the risk of the substrate drying out.

Remember, though, that mushrooms aren’t plants and shouldn’t be watered! Misting helps maintain a humid microclimate in the area where we want the mushrooms to grow and prevents the water already in the substrate from evaporating. We recommend reusing a perfume spray bottle as a mister, as these usually produce a very fine mist!

• What’s this white stuff? Is my kit going mouldy?

The white stuff you see is probably mycelium, not mould! Your kit is made up of a sawdust block inoculated with mushroom mycelium, which grows inside it. The block may look like it’s covered in a soft, white, mould-like substance. This is the mushroom’s mycelium, and it’s completely normal and healthy for your mushroom block. Some species’ mycelium is more prominent than others.  If you’re still not sure what’s growing on your kit, send us a photo and we’ll help you figure out what’s going on.

 If your kit has black, green or orange spots, these could be mould. Your kit may have been damaged during shipping. Contact us with a photo and we’ll send you a new one.

• There’s something wrong with my kit!

You’ve just received your kit, but something’s not right. To make sure you grow mushrooms successfully, we’ll help you troubleshoot any potential problems as they grow.

First, inspect your kit when it arrives and keep the packaging. If you notice unusual colours (green, black) or bad smells before opening the box, please contact us and include some photos. We’ll be able to determine whether something happened during shipping and arrange a replacement kit. A healthy kit should have whitish mycelium weaving through its brown substrate and smell pleasantly earthy.

If your mushroom block is broken when it arrives, there’s still hope! This can happen as a result of bumps during shipping. While it’s still in the bag, we recommend pressing all the detached pieces of the block back together and giving it some extra time to recover before cutting it to start the fruiting process. It may take about a week to recover. If the plastic bag has split, try to put it back together and make sure to keep the block moist. We recommend using a humidity tent. Take a bin bag or any large, loose-fitting bag and poke several 2 cm holes in it—the mushrooms need fresh air to form properly! Place the bag over your block and mist the inside of the bag every day. When you start to see small mushrooms forming, you can remove the bag and continue misting the block according to the instructions.

If your mushroom block looks “dead” or as if nothing is happening, there are a few possible causes. The block may have been broken during shipping, in which case the mycelium may need some time to grow back. Give it a few days, making sure to keep it moist, and see whether the white mycelium becomes more visible. If the kit hasn’t started fruiting within two weeks, we’ll send you a replacement.

What if my block has fungus gnats? Humans aren’t the only organisms that love mushrooms! The bag may have split during shipping, allowing these opportunistic creatures to make themselves at home. Contact us with some photos and we’ll replace it. You may still be able to get it to fruit outdoors: try removing the block completely and placing it on a shaded balcony or in the garden while you wait for your new kit to arrive.

If your mushroom block looks dry and hasn’t produced any mushrooms yet, try using a humidity tent. Take a bin bag or any large bag and poke several 2 cm holes in it—the mushrooms need fresh air to form properly! Place the bag over your block and mist the inside of the bag every day. When you start to see small mushrooms forming, you can remove the bag and continue misting the block according to the instructions.

If your block still looks dry when using the humidity tent, or if it has fruited once or twice and dried out in the meantime, you can give it a boost by soaking it in water. Take the bag out of the box and leave it to soak, cut side down, in a bowl of water for an hour. Dry the block before putting it back in the box. Mist it according to the instructions, 2–3 times a day.

• Why are mushrooms already growing in my kit?

It looks like you have a very vigorous kit! This is completely normal. You can ignore the mushrooms growing inside the bag. If they’re easy to reach, you can remove and discard them so growth can start again from the beginning. (Do not follow this advice if you have an Hericium erinaceus kit!)

• Why do my mushrooms look strange?

Sometimes mushroom caps can look odd when they’re small and just starting to emerge. As they grow, mushrooms can become deformed if they don’t get enough oxygen or moisture. Long, stringy or sparse mushrooms need more airflow; let them breathe! Try moving them to a more open area or placing a fan nearby.

If the mushroom caps are pale, they probably need more natural light. Avoid keeping your kit in cupboards or cabinets. Indirect sunlight helps them develop rich colours.

• What are these amber drops inside my kit?

They’re a by-product of the mycelium’s metabolic process and are natural and harmless. Mushrooms digest food outside their bodies, so they release enzymes into the environment to help break down materials so they can be absorbed more easily. Those amber drops are like digestive juices!

• Why did my kit start growing and then stop?

Mushroom pins usually abort when there isn’t enough moisture around the block. Don’t panic! Your mushroom kit still has all the food it needs to produce mushrooms. Simply remove the dry, aborted pins and wait a week, letting the block dry on a plate. Then soak the block in cold water for 20 minutes, drain all the water from the kit and start the process again. If you didn’t use a humidity tent the first time, it may help on the second flush. It creates a humid microclimate in which your block should thrive.

When you start to see small mushrooms forming, you can remove the bag and continue misting the block. Keep an eye on the kit. Spray it with water 2–3 times a day to keep it hydrated.

• How can I make a humidity tent?

Mushrooms thrive in humidity and can dry out easily if they don’t get enough. We recommend using a humidity tent in very dry environments, when blocks have been broken, or if you can’t mist your block one day. The tent creates a humid microclimate in which your block can thrive.

 Take a semi-transparent bag or another large plastic bag and poke lots of 2 cm holes in it. Your mushrooms need to breathe! Cover the kit with the bag and mist the inside of the tent or the exposed part of your block several times a day. You can use sticks or anything else you have to hand to support the bag if it isn’t rigid enough to stand up on its own. When you start to see mushrooms forming, you can remove the bag and continue misting the kit.

• When should I harvest my mushrooms?

As a general rule, mushrooms should be harvested before their caps flatten out or become concave. Unlike plants, mushrooms grow incredibly fast, sometimes doubling in size every day. Keep an eye on your kit so you don’t miss the right time to harvest!

 We like to harvest mushrooms just before their caps start to flatten, while the edges are still slightly curled under. At this point, the mushrooms are almost fully grown and will keep better than mushrooms harvested later. You can certainly harvest and eat mushrooms after the caps have flattened, but they won’t keep as long and will be more fragile.

Lion’s mane (Hericium erinaceus) doesn’t have a cap or gills, only spines. When young, it forms dense balls, sometimes developing several protrusions as it matures. The length of the spines can be used as an indicator of when to harvest. We like to harvest them when the spines are 0.5–1 cm long, before they start to turn yellow.

 To harvest them, place your hand around the base of the mushroom cluster and twist. This should be enough to detach the mushrooms from the block. You can also use a knife if you like! Remove any excess debris from the block before you start misting again for the second flush. 

If the mushrooms dry out, become mouldy or look unappetising, they probably weren’t harvested early enough. You can send us a photo to help us understand what may have happened. Stringy mushrooms with long stems and small caps are probably growing in an environment with high CO2 levels. Give them some air or try using a fan!

• How many flushes will the kit produce?

We guarantee at least one flush of mushrooms from your kit, but depending on the species you choose to grow, you’re likely to get a second, third, fourth or even fifth flush with care and patience. Growing mushrooms is an art, and it takes skill to get good at it. Be patient, follow the instructions carefully and try to keep your kit in a humid environment, and you should succeed.

In terms of yield, you can usually expect your first harvest to be somewhere in the range of 100–500 g (for the Home Grow Kit). This varies significantly from species to species and environment to environment. It depends a lot on how much care you put into maintaining your kit! Each subsequent flush will probably be smaller, as the mushrooms consume nutrients in the substrate.

• How do I get a second flush?

We guarantee at least one flush of mushrooms from your kit, but depending on the species you choose to grow, you’re likely to get a second, third, fourth or even fifth flush. After harvesting the first flush, continue spraying your kit as instructed. If it looks a little dry, you can cover it with a humidity tent. It’s important to keep it hydrated throughout the process. There’s no need to remove the block from the bag or cut a second X in it. It may take a little longer for mushrooms to appear with each subsequent flush. You should start to see small mushrooms forming again after about two weeks.

 If there’s no progress by then, it’s a good idea to soak your block. The kit may have dried out a little too much during the first flush. Take your block out of the box and place it in a bowl of water with the cut side facing down. Leave it to soak for 20 minutes.

After soaking, leave the block to drain, cut side down, for another 10 minutes, or turn it over to let the excess water drain away. You don’t want standing water to remain in the bag. Dry the block before putting it back in the box with the cut side facing out, then continue spraying it 2–3 times a day.

• Do I need to cook the mushrooms?

Absolutely! Mushrooms should always be cooked thoroughly before eating. Make sure you aren’t allergic to mushrooms before consuming them, perhaps by starting with a small amount.

Mushrooms produce spores as they grow; this is how they reproduce. People with allergies or weakened immune systems may want to place the kit in a well-ventilated area or outdoors during this stage of mushroom growth. In some cases, mushroom spores can cause respiratory irritation even in people without allergies or weakened immune systems. If this applies to you, we recommend harvesting the mushrooms a little before they’re fully mature, as this will greatly reduce the amount of spores released.  Generally speaking, the amount of spores released by one or two kits in a well-ventilated home is not enough to cause problems for most healthy people.