Grow Kit FAQ

Typically it takes about 2-5 days to ship your order.

At this time we don't offer international shipping.

We do not offer returns on our kits. If there is an issue with your kit or you aren't totally satisfied, please contact us and we will either refund you or send you a new kit. We promise to do our best to make it right!

Yes, your grow kit will come with a "Use by" date on the side. Please try and activate the kit before that date, however this is not a hard cutoff. You can usually add another week to that date. Store the grow kit in a cool dark place.

• Our grow kits generally do not require you to spray with water while they fruit.
• However, if you live in a particularly dry climate and you notice the fruits are drying out before they mature, we recommend misting with a small spray bottle a few times a day to raise the relative humidity.
• Don't spray directly on the box; instead, try spritzing from a distance to give the mushrooms a fine mist and raise the overall humidity of the air around the kit. You can also place your grow kit on a large flat piece of cardboard and spray the cardboard as another way of raising the humidity without directly spraying the box.
• If your home is extremely dry from running the AC or heater we recommend making a humidity tent by placing a plastic bag around the kit and spraying inside the bag to maintain humidity

We recommend waiting at least 3 weeks after you activate your grow kit to start seeing fruits. If you haven't seen any growth after the 4th week please contact us and we'll be happy to help.

• Your grow kit will generally give you 2 to 3 flushes before it will run out of nutrients and stop producing any fruits. However, each flush will be smaller than the previous one.
• Be patient, follow the instructions carefully, and try to maintain a humid environment for your kit and you should succeed in getting more than one flush.
• In terms of yield, you can usually expect your first flush to be somewhere in the range of 1 to 1.5 lbs. This varies significantly depending on the species and environment. Pink and yellow oysters will generally be on the lower end of that range, while blue oysters will be on the higher end.

• Those are the spores of the mushrooms.
• Mushroom spores are tiny, reproductive cells that allow the fungus to replicate and grow. You can think of them like the seeds of a plant.
• As your mushrooms mature they will start to release spores as a way to reproduce. Once you start noticing them releasing spores you can harvest your mushrooms.

• The general rule is that the oyster mushrooms should be harvested before the tips of their caps completely flatten. Mushrooms grow incredibly fast, sometimes doubling in size each day. Make sure to keep a close eye on your kit so you don't miss the opportune time to harvest!
• We like to harvest oyster mushrooms while the cap edge is still a little curved under. At this point, the mushrooms have almost grown to their full size. Younger mushrooms also store better and will last longer in the fridge.
• Another reason to harvest on the earlier side is that you will notice. the mushrooms starting to drop spores when they mature. The longer you wait, the more spores it will drop and the messier it will get.
• There is a video on our care instructions page discussing this.

• Hold the cluster near the base, twist and pull. If you'd rather use a knife and cut them, that's fine too!
• Clean off any loose bits of mushroom remaining in the hole of the kit to improve the chances of another flush.

Patience.

• You will almost always get a second flush from your kit by just leaving it and letting it fruit on its own. It will take about 2-3 weeks for your second flush to come in.
• If you want to improve your chances (more important for the third flush) we suggest using a small spray bottle and spraying directly into the holes once a day for a few days to rehydrate the substrate and allow for new pins to start forming.

• You can place the grow kit anywhere in your home as long as it's not in direct sunlight or in front of a heating or air conditioning source as this will cause the fruits to dry out.
• If you're in a particularly dry climate you should consider placing the kit in the kitchen as this area tends to have higher humidity.
• Another thing to consider when placing your kit is that your mushrooms will start to release spores as they mature. These spores are very easy to clean and won't damage anything, but if you're particularly concerned about the spores landing on your most valuable furniture, please consider placing the kit somewhere else.

Mushrooms can look very bizarre when they first start to fruit, especially the golden oyster. This is normal and as the fruits start to mature they will start to look more like the mushrooms you're seeing in our photos. But remember that mushrooms come in all different shapes and sizes - that's what makes them special!

• Sometime there will be a cluster or two that won't reach maturity and will start to dry out. Don't worry - this is normal.
• If you're having this problem with all of your mushrooms, then this is a sign that you don't have enough humidity.
• Refer to the misting question :)
• Try making a humidity tent for your grow kit.

• We recommend using a humidity tent in extremely dry conditions (especially in the winter when the heat is on). It creates the moist microclimate that your mushrooms require to grow.
• Take a clear trash bag or other loose-fitting plastic bag and put plenty of 1 inch holes in it. Your mushrooms need to breathe! Place your grow kit on a large piece of cardboard and drape the bag over your kit. Mist the inside of the tent or the cardboard that the kit is sitting on several times per day. You can use chopticks, or anything else you have handy to help prop up your bag if it's not stiff enough to hold on its own. When you start to see baby mushrooms form (pinning), you can remove the bag and keep misting the kit.

• If it's been 6-8 weeks and you haven't seen any growth, it's probably the end of the cycle for your grow kit.
• We suggest removing the substrate from the bag, mixing it with cardboard and hardwood chips and burying it in your yard. Choose a spot that's relatively cool and damp where it's not under direct sunlight (under a tree is usually the perfect spot). Give it a good watering, and continue watering every day to keep it from drying out. This way the mycelium will continue to grow and eventually produce more oyster mushrooms!