How to setup your Indoor Mushroom Grow Kit

 

First things first:

If you don’t plan on using your grow kit immediately, you can refrigerate the substrate block for up to 3 weeks with no harm done. It is a live product that will die if exposed to prolonged temperatures above 85 degrees and will become dormant below 45 degrees.

Don’t throw away the box! It is a crucial part of our recommended growing method.

These instructions will coach you through all of the varieties that we offer with minor differences in care included below. 

 

Included in your package:

-1 bag of oak based substrate (masters mix) that has been heat sterilized and inoculated with the appropriate mushroom mycelium. (This part of the process takes place in a sterile laboratory here in Florida. Fresh batches are made weekly and we package them to order to ensure that you receive a perfectly fresh and viable grow kit. The difficult part of the process that requires heavy machinery and sterile technique has been done for you!)

-1 piece of plastic sheeting (this will act as your humidity tent)

-1 page of instructions

 

What you’ll need:

•tape

•spray bottle of water (reused is fine, just wash it well)

•sharp clean knife

 

Site selection:

Mushrooms need 4 things in order to grow properly: light, humidity, temperature and air flow.

You’ll only need about a cubic foot of counter space and temperature between 55 and 75 degrees. The built-in humidity tent and misting will take care of their moisture requirements.

Normal indoor lighting is fine, they’re not picky about lumens or UV. Most of our customers put them on their kitchen counter. Turning the light off at night is not an issue. Just make sure they’re not cooped up in a cabinet or elsewhere without proper airflow.

Directions:

•Open the box right side up, remove the grow-bag without breaking apart the substrate inside. Some may be loose from shipping, this is normal and will recolonize. Cut a small slit in top of bag (near the seam/seal) to let air out (if any) and tuck the excess of bag tightly underneath while placing it back in the box.

•Cut an X about 2.5-3 inches on the top side (the side that was facing up when you opened the box). Cut with enough pressure to also cut about a half inch into the substrate below the plastic. You don’t want to make the X any larger than 2.5-3 inches to avoid drying out the substrate (this is the most common mistake!) 

•Stand up box flaps by taping them together and lay plastic sheeting over top to create humidity tent. Plastic sheeting should be secured with tape to prevent disturbance and place the assembled kit in a cool area with indirect light.

•Mist area under the X cut in the bag. Tap water is fine. Spritz the substrate, grow-bag plastic, and underside of the humidity tent at least 2-3 times a day. Use about a tablespoon of water per misting session (or more, if you are in a dry climate)

•The mycelium will form baby mushrooms or “pins” within two weeks. Once they have pinned they will grow quite quickly from there and will be ready in 2-6 days.

•As soon as the mushrooms reach about 2-3 inches tall, remove the humidity tent and tape down the flaps of the box to promote more airflow. At this stage they will need less misting and more fresh air to develop big meaty caps and dense clusters. In the industry we refer to this as Fresh Air Exchange (FAE). It's the most important step for developing aesthetically pleasing dense clusters. The humidity tent is for "pinning" (developing the mushroom primordia) only! As soon as the baby mushrooms have formed, they need fresh air!! 

•Oyster mushrooms need to be harvested before the caps start to flatten out and the mushroom becomes less bouncy and firm. You will notice your oyster mushrooms changing and growing rapidly. You must harvest them at the appropriate time for best flavor and texture. The mushrooms that grow past are still fine to eat they just won’t be as tasty! Check out our photos to get an idea of what they should look like.

•The lions mane  and coral tooth will be ready to harvest when the hairs get just long enough to start to droop and not stick straight up. Don’t try to grow the hairs too long or it will negatively impact the flavor of the mushroom and also begin to yellow! Also avoid direct misting once the mushroom has established itself. Instead mist the plastic around the mushroom to promote humidity. Yellowing of the mushroom could be from too low humidity, too much direct turbulence (such as a fan), or direct misting.

•To harvest just grab by the base and pull or cut at the base with a knife. Make sure to pull out the “root” of the cluster, exposing new substrate underneath and removing all the mushroom material left behind. Keep misting and begin again!

•Don’t forget to snap a pic of what you’ve made with your homegrown mushroom and share with us!

 

Remember when trying new foods one may have allergies that they may not be aware of. 
Mushrooms naturally eject their microscopic spores into the air as they reach full maturity. You can often see them as a powder on the bag below the mushroom. It's very unlikely at this small scale, but these spores can be a respiratory irritant to some people. We highly suggest you harvest before full maturity for this and flavor reasons. 

Thank you!

If you have any questions please visit our FAQ section or contact hello@nearbynaturalsfl.com