MushBarn Learning Center

Grow Kit "Farm on Table" How-to

by stephanie manara on Dec 21, 2021

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What do I need to get started?

“Farm on Table” Grow Kit Contains: Virtual Instructions & one Mushroom Mycelia Fruiting Block and an empty spray bottle

Supplies Needed: Spray Bottle & Distilled or Spring Water 

Best Temps for Growing: 65 - 70° F, but they can tolerate a range of 50-75°F 

Time Until first Harvest: Apprx. 8-12 days 

Yield Potential: 1-3 lbs (small kit), 2-6lbs (large kit) over the few week course of a couple flushes (mushroom fruitings) 

Anything I need to keep in mind?

Things to Consider: Mushrooms release spores as they reach maturity, so be mindful not to inhale these spores or get them on nice furniture. Our oyster mushroom and lions mane mushroom varieties all produce white spores, and you can put paper down underneath the kit to catch most of them unless in a drafty area. Ideally the mushrooms are harvested before producing their main spore load.  

Cooking: Enjoy your mushrooms in a simply olive oil salt and pepper sautee for 10 minutes on the stove. There are countless incredible recipes for fresh mushrooms online if you want to take it a step further! 

Water: If you are on chlorinated city water,  you will have to purchase distilled water for your mushroom kit.

What grow kits does MushBarn have?

Lions Mane Mushroom (top fruit or side fruit)  

Blue Oyster Mushroom (top fruit or side fruit)  

Pearl Oyster Mushroom (top fruit or side fruit) 

Seasonal/Special Request Grow Kits:

Pink Oyster Mushroom - from April to June (top fruit or side fruit) 

King Trumpet Mushroom - from April to June (top fruit or side fruit) 

What should I know about these species?

Oyster: These varieties are the hardiest and most exciting of our mushroom bouquets to watch grow. Once  “pinning”, they grow so fast that you can almost take a seat to watch them multiply in size. Be ready to  mist these mushroom bouquets very frequently, the more mist, the more mushrooms! 

Lions Mane : We love this mushroom! Lions are “slow to start”, but will grow fairly quickly once they get going. Be patient in the beginning and don’t over-water. Sensitive to too much air turbulence so keep away from string fans ac’s or heaters.  

Ok, I’m ready! How do I get growing?

  1. If you haven’t already purchased one of our spray bottles to water your grow kit, grab one and have it ready before you cut anything open. Mushroom mycelium will quickly dry out in  any climate if not watered regularly. 

  2. Place your mushroom grow kit in a still and steady place inside where you will see it regularly, and remember to mist it daily. Mushrooms like indirect sunlight, so somewhere like the kitchen counter or shelf is a great  place for your grow kit. Darkness at night is ideal for them to maintain their natural growth cycle. 

  3. Open the box and take out the kit covered in burlap.

  4. With a sterile knife cut an x shape into the center of the burlap bag through the plastic. You can make this cut on any side you please, the top, the side or both.

  5. With clean hands, peel back the plastic and burlap flaps made from your x cut.

  6. Spray the cut spot with multiple spritzes of fresh water, multiple times each day, and after 3-5 days, keep an eye out for baby mushrooms forming. If you are on chlorinated city water,  you will have to purchase distilled water for your mushroom kit. Be careful not to over water  your kit before the baby mushrooms are formed. Standing water in the bottom of your kit will encourage contaminants to grow.

  7. Once you see baby mushrooms starting to form, mist them regularly throughout the day, giving them one week to fully mature. If you have a King Trumpet kit, expect to wait a few weeks for your hardy mushrooms to fully form. 

  8. Keep your mushrooms happy by keeping them moist! If you can’t be around to mist them multiple times a day, consider placing a clear plastic bag over the forming mushrooms to keep the humidity high enough for them to continue multiplying in size  

  9. After a few days of growth (4-7), harvest your mushrooms once they are fully mature, but not over-ripe. The mushrooms usually double in size everyday once they take off.  To harvest, grab gently at the base of the mushroom cluster and twist slowly to free them from  the block . It is better not to cut the mushrooms off, because this leaves a stump to rot, which can later inhibit the fruiting of the next crop. 

  10. After your first mushroom harvest, tape over the hole, close up the box, and let the mycelium  recuperate in darkness for a week before going for a second round of shrooms. (If you do not  want to continue fruiting the grow kit inside, simply bury it in your garden with a top edge even with the soil surface, and water it for continued mushroom fruitings outside. You can also break up the oyster kits and spread them around the soil or compost for continued growth.)

  11. After around 10 days, open the box to check for more baby mushrooms forming on the surface, and repeat steps 2-10. The most productive mushroom crops are usually the first and second. You can also flip the burlap kit bag upside down and cut a new side this time!

  12. They grow up so fast! Email us if you have questions; mushbarn@gmail.com

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