WHAT IS A MUSHROOM GROW KIT
A mushroom growing kit is essentially a pre-colonized “fruiting block” which has not yet been put into conditions that make it want to fruit mushrooms.Buy mushroom growing kit Brisbane,Mushrooms kits for sale Australia,Where to buy mushroom grow kits online Bribane,buy mushroom Brisbane
The mycelium covered block is typically contained in a mushroom grow bag, which can sit dormant for quite some time, especially if it’s kept cool in the fridge.
You can buy grow kits for a variety of different types of mushrooms, although some species make for better kits than others. One of the most common types of mushrooms you will find in a grow kit is Pleurotus ostreatus – the regular ol’ “oyster mushroom.”
Oyster mushrooms are pretty resilient to contamination, they fruit relentlessly, and they can grow on a whole whack of different substrates.
They are super tenacious, and can fruit mushrooms even if conditions aren’t picture perfect- making them an excellent choice for a kit.
Oysters also grow really quickly, which increases the chances of success. Most grow kits only require a few simple steps and minimal maintenance, although the chances of success and potential harvest size increases greatly if the mushroom block is properly prepared and placed in ideal conditions.Buy mushroom growing kit Brisbane,Mushrooms kits for sale Australia,Where to buy mushroom grow kits online Bribane,buy mushroom Brisbane
How to grow mushrooms at home.Buy mushroom growing kit Brisbane,Mushrooms kits for sale Australia,Where to buy mushroom grow kits online Bribane,buy mushroom Brisbane
While some mushrooms are easier to cultivate than others, there is a wide variety that can be grown at home. “Growing from kits is the easiest way to go, and ideal for first-timers,” explains Britt Bunyard, the co-author of The Beginner’s Guide to Mushrooms.
With a mushroom kit, you also won’t have to worry about the animals and pests wreaking havoc on your outdoor garden. These kits make it simple to grow mushrooms right in your own kitchen (or even inside a closet!).
Mushroom kits often include everything you’ll need to get growing. To get them started, you’ll need just a little water and a small amount of space. “Most mushrooms grow with dappled sunlight, so a small 12-inch-by-6-inch spot on your kitchen counter works perfectly,” says Alex Dorr, mycology expert and founder of Mushroom Revival Inc.
“Most grow kits include a ‘myceliated block,’ which is the mycelium (roots of the mushroom) growing over a substrate (most likely a hardwood sawdust), which creates a hardened ‘block,’ which mushrooms grow from,” Dorr adds. When conditions are right, “pins,” or baby mushrooms, will begin to grow and the mushrooms can double in size each day.
FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS
The instructions are dead simple, and really seem to cater to new growers who are unaware of the complex terminology involved in growing mushrooms.
Basically, scrape, soak and water.
In other words,
- cut a hole in the bag and rough up the mycelium,
- soak in water to re-hydrate and shock
- keep humid so that mushroom pins can form
One minor gripe I had was that the kit refers to the mycelium as “soil”. Although this is kind of a good analogy, it’s not at all accurate. But, considering most people buying these kits aren’t hardcore mushroom growers, I totally understand!
As per the instructions, I cut a small “x” in the front of the bag and scraped back some of the mycelium.
This “roughing up” of the outer layer reactivates the mycelium, and is helpful to initiate new growth and pinning.
I soaked the block face down in a bowl of water for 12 hours. The block floats, so if you wanted to, you could consider placing something heavy on top of the block to sink it. I opted to just let it float, in hopes of the block soaking up the water.
This is an important step.
Mushroom fruiting bodies are up to 90% water, and pretty much all of that moisture needs to come from the fruiting block itself. If your mushroom block does not contain enough water, it will fail to fruit, or quickly abort and new mushrooms that do form.