Growing mushrooms as a hobby is a fun, fascinating, and highly rewarding process. It also doesn’t have to be difficult. The challenge involved depends largely on what type of mushrooms you’re growing as well as the way that you plan to approach growing them. Using a mushroom grow kit simplifies a lot of the challenges and streamlines the whole process.
This guide is going to teach you everything that you need to know about mushroom grow kits: what’s included, what’s involved, what’s expected, and what you can expect. By the time you’re done with the article, you’ll be ready to goD ahead and start growing mushrooms with your very own grow kit.
What Is a Mushroom Grow Kit?
Mushroom growing kits provide you with the equipment that you need to start growing mushrooms, whether they be culinary or psychedelic.
In their simplest form, mushroom grow kits contain nothing more than a hunk of the substrate (growing medium) that has been inoculated with the mycelium of the mushroom that you want to grow.
Some grow kits may contain additional things, such as equipment that makes the growing process easier or certain organic ingredients that can increase your yield or success rate. A common thing included in a grow kit is a humidity tent, a simple piece of plastic that you can place overtop of your mushroom block to trap moisture so they don’t dry out.
The specifics of each grow kit will vary, so the only way that you can know for sure what you’re going to get is to contact the vendor of the grow kits.
For example, a mushroom grow kit for growing oyster mushrooms is going to look a bit different than a kit for growing, say, a Lion’s Mane mushroom. The two species are completely different from one another and have different preferences for growing conditions. The latter is also significantly harder to grow, even with the assistance of a grow kit.
This is one of the reasons that grow kits are so useful. They allow you to learn about the differences between different mushrooms and their preferred growing habitats while ensuring that you don’t end up unprepared.
For most people, veterans and newcomers alike, the main reason that mushroom grow kits are preferred is because they eliminate the time-consuming step of inoculating the substrate. This is definitely the most complicated and difficult aspect of mushroom growing. Once this part is done, the rest of the process mostly involves maintaining ideal environmental conditions and making sure the mushrooms don’t dry out.
Types of Substrate
Different mushrooms prefer different types of substrate. Here are a few examples of some common substrates.
- The most common substrate is a block of sterilized sawdust and wood chips.
- Logs and pieces of wood are popular substrates and are necessary for certain types of mushrooms.
- Bags of pasteurized straw can be used.
- Loose sawdust containing mycelium, known as mushroom spawn, can be used to inoculate other substrates.
You may want to invest in an organic mushroom grow kit. These will contain organic substrate materials that will produce a healthier flush of mushrooms.
Why Bother Getting a Mushroom Grow Kit?
A mushroom home grow kit is certainly nice, but they’re not necessary. Plenty of people are able to grow mushrooms on their own without a mushroom kit. Some people prefer to even make their own mushroom grow kits and sell them to others who are just getting into the hobby.
However, there are plenty of reasons that you might prefer to simply purchase one. Especially if you’re new to the whole mushroom-growing world. Mushroom home grow kits can simplify and streamline the whole process of mushroom growing and help to ensure that new growers don’t get overwhelmed.
They’re a great way to help get you accustomed to the world of mushrooms. The best mushroom grow kit will help you learn about:
- The different components of a mushroom, such as the fruiting bodies and the mycelium, so that you can learn to differentiate between them
- The substrates in which mushrooms like to grow
- The different ways that mushrooms can be grown
- The various growing conditions that are suitable for different types of mushrooms
- The life cycles of different mushrooms
You’ll also prepare yourself for a much easier and more forgiving growing experience.
You’ll Save Time Shopping
If you’re planning to go ahead and buy all of the equipment to grow mushrooms on your own, you’re going to have quite the shopping list. Not only will you have to get together all of the actual physical equipment but you’ll need to get the mushroom spores to inoculate your substrate. Spores can be bought in some head shops or in dedicated spore shops.
For a beginner, this can be a bit overwhelming. Even for the experienced grower, buying everything from scratch can take a little bit of time. A kit helps to prevent this time-consuming shopping and lets you get straight to growing.
You’ll Be More Clean & Discreet
If you’re first entering the world of mushroom growing then a grow kit can help you remain clean and discreet. This is especially important if you’re going to be growing magic mushrooms, especially if you’re doing so in an area where you’re… well, not supposed to be.
A magic mushroom grow kit will provide you with everything you need in a simple and convenient package. As long as you follow the instructions you’ll make a minimal mess.
You’ll Save Time
A mushroom home grow kit isn’t just convenient due to the amount of time you’ll save on shopping. You’ll also save time growing the actual mushrooms. Grow kits are designed to provide you with everything that you need to get your mushrooms growing quickly, properly, and effectively. You’ll waste less time learning how to get things set up properly and spend more time watching your mushrooms sprout up happily.
Drawbacks of Mushrooms Grow Kits
Mushroom growing kits are great, but they’re not necessarily the end-all for everyone. There are a couple of drawbacks to using a mushroom grow kit.
For the most part, these cons only affect people who are particular about their mushroom growing and have already spent several years honing their preferences. If you’re a beginner, you probably won’t have to worry about these affecting you.
Limited Cultivation Options
If you’re going to get a mushroom grow kit, then you’re going to be limited to growing the type of mushrooms that the kit is designed for. For example, you won’t be able to grow a lion’s mane mushroom with the same stuff that you get in an oyster mushroom kit. This is to be expected, however, and as a beginner, you probably aren’t going to want to mess around with multiple mushroom types right away, anyways.
Minimal Flexibility
Mushroom grow kits are streamlined to make things simple and effective. This means that what you’re getting is going to be the bare minimum required to produce high-quality mushrooms in the shortest period of time. Veterans and experienced growers may want to have more options available to them that they won’t find in a mushroom grow kit.
Different Types of Mushroom Grow Kits
Each mushroom and grow kit will contain its own unique items. Here’s a few examples of some of the most common mushroom grow kits. You may also have the option to choose between organic mushroom grow kits and non-organic ones (hint: go for organic!)
Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit
Oyster mushroom growing kits are the most common type. Oyster mushrooms are the simplest to grow and require very little commitment in terms of effort or time. Most oyster mushroom grow kits contain nothing more than an inoculated block of sawdust.
To grow the mushrooms, all you need to do is cut an x-shaped slit into the front of the bag holding the substrate. Then, keep the substrate moist by misting it on a daily basis and mushrooms will soon sprout.
Shiitake Mushroom Grow Kit
Shiitake mushroom grow kits are also very simple to use. The main difference between this grow kit and an oyster mushroom kit is that the entire substrate will be taken out of the bag instead of left within it. This increases the risk of having your mushrooms dry out if you are not careful.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom Grow Kit
Lion’s mane mushrooms are one of the most amazing culinary and medicinal mushrooms on the planet. Many people also report that they are some of the most exciting mushrooms to grow. Lion’s mane mushrooms are part of a class of fungi called tooth mushrooms and their appearance is very interesting. Growing these mushrooms is not difficult and follows a very similar procedure as growing oyster mushrooms.
Mushroom Grow Kits Without Mycelium
Hold on, wait. You can buy a mushroom grow kit without the mycelium included? Isn’t that the whole point of the mushroom grow kit?
Not exactly. The purpose of a mushroom grow kit is to provide you with the gear that you need to get growing quickly. The substrate is just about as important as the mycelium itself. Some kits provide you with only the substrate that hasn’t yet been colonized by the mycelium.
There are several advantages to purchasing a kit like this, the most obvious being legality. Since some countries have laws preventing people from purchasing, owning, or importing mushrooms containing the tryptamine called psilocybin due to its potency and similarity to LSD-like compounds, it might be wise to purchase a grow kit that contains no mycelium and therefore no risk of contamination with psilocybin.
A grow kit like this also gives you full control over inoculation and incubation, which allows experienced growers more options and flexibility over the entire experience.
Making Grow Kits
If you’ve already had some experience growing mushrooms and want to make your own mushroom grow kit, it’s not actually that hard. Where do you think all the mushroom grow kits that you’re buying come from? They’re made by mycophiles like yourself who grew tired of buying grow kits from other people and decided to start making and selling them on their own.
Pros of Making Your Own Mushroom Grow Kit
Buying a mushroom grow kit is a great option for a beginner. People with a little bit more experience, on the other hand, may want to try their hand at making their own mushroom grow kit for a number of reasons.
- Making your own mushroom grow kit is generally a lot cheaper than buying one.
- The shelf life of mushroom spores is significantly longer than the life of a kit. This opens you up to more options since you can store the spores separately without relying on the shelf life of your substrate to determine your growing timeline.
- Making your own grow kit allows you to be more flexible and keeps open more options and possibilities.
Cons of Making Your Own Mushroom Grow Kit
Nothing is perfect, however. Here are a few reasons that you might want to stick with a pre-made growkit.
- There’s certainly a learning curve involved in making your own grow kit. This is why they’re not recommended for brand new mushroom growers.
- It’ll take a bit more time to grow your mushrooms from scratch than it would to use a kit that’s already made.
- You must be a master of sanitation and hygiene. Contaminating your grow kit can destroy the whole process.
Saving Your Mycelium
One of the best ways to get the most value out of a mushroom kit is to turn the substrate into mushroom spawn for making future grow kits. The easiest way to do this is to simply crumble your mushroom kit substrate into small pieces after you’ve harvested the mushrooms and then to mix it with some properly prepared substrate. The mycelium will inoculate the substrate and, bam, you’re prepared to pass it on or reuse it.
If you’re a veteran mushroom grower then you may also want to try your hand at saving your mushroom culture on agar. This is a bit more complicated of a procedure, but the result is that you can basically develop an infinite supply of mushrooms.
Other than that, that’s pretty much all you need to do. Once your substrate is inoculated you can start packaging it and selling it to others as a grow kit.
Mushroom Growing Tips
Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of your mushroom grow kit.
Watch the Environment
Many grow kits come with a small plastic humidity tent. This is supposed to go over your mushroom block to make sure that they can remain in a humid environment. Humidity is one of the most important things for a mushroom and if you’re not able to keep them in a moist enough environment then they won’t grow very well.
Spray them regularly to ensure that they never dry out. If your kit doesn’t come with a humidity tent then you should consider making one. All you need to do is drape a piece of plastic or another moisture barrier over your mushrooms. You still want some light to get through, so don’t use anything entirely opaque. However, too much light is bad for them.
Avoid keeping your mushrooms in areas that dry out quickly. You’ll also want to make sure that they get regular airflow. Stagnant air can be deadly for mushrooms.
Mushroom Health Indicators
The appearance of your mushroom can tell you a lot about its needs.
- If your mushrooms are getting stringy then they need more airflow. Consider adding a fan in the room or at least opening a window.
- If your mushrooms are dry, you guessed it – they need more moisture.
- Pale mushrooms are either past their prime or are in need of more light.
Getting a Second Flush
In most cases, you don’t actually have to do anything special to get a second flush out of your mushroom kit. Simply continue to mist the mushrooms normally and after a couple of weeks you should notice that mushroom pins start to form once again.
If you haven’t noticed any pins after a couple of weeks then you can soak your block in water. Remove it from the box and then place the cut side down in a bowl of water. Most species can handle up to a 20-minute soak; sensitive species like Lion’s Mane often need less time. When soaking the latter, watch closely to make sure the block doesn’t fall apart.
Once the block has been soaked, let it drain by leaving it with the cut side facing down until there’s no standing water left in the bag. Pat it dry with paper towel then return it to the growing area and resume misting at the same rate as you did before. Soon enough you should start to see pins forming.
Conclusion
Using a mushroom grow kit is a great way to get yourself accustomed to the fantastic hobby of growing fungi. Whether you choose to grow magic or culinary mushrooms is entirely up to you. Whatever you choose, just remember to watch the environment and ensure that your mushrooms stay moist and happy!
