Ready-to-Grow Kit Instructions
(Blue Oysters)
Congrats! You are officially a mini mushroom grower - Let's get growing!
**For best results, use grow kit (or as we love to call it "Bloom Bag") as soon as you get back home. Can't begin right away? No problem! Store it in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight, for up to 1 month.
Consider this
Choosing the right environment is key for success! Mushrooms are very sensitive and require a humid environment with good indirect airflow and natural light. They are so smart that they will tell you what they need:
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Stringy: Need more air
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Dry: Need more water
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Pale: Need more indirect natural light
Moisture matters - Please DO NOT forget to spray your bloom bag every day. 2-3 times a day (5 to 10 sprays each time). You can keep them in a dark place until the bag is fully colonized. After that, try keeping them on the kitchen counter or use as a center piece on your table (As long as it is sanitized and clean).
Timing is everything - Bloom bags typically start pinning withing 7-10 days. Once those pins appear (baby mushies), keep a close eye on them. Mushrooms grow at a quick pace and will be ready for harvest within 3-5 days after pins appear.
Things you will need
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Sharp knife
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Spray bottle
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70% isopropyl alcohol
Important: Be patient! Do not cut bag open until the bag is fully covered (or at least most of it) with mycelium (The fuzzy white stuff).
STEP 1: Wash hands, sanitize bag and knife with rubbing alcohol.
STEP 2: Slice a 3"-5" slit in bag and fold bag over to push air out.
STEP 3: Fill spray bottle with water and spritz slit 3-5 times a day. The goal is to keep the environment moist but not soaking wet. Keep the bag out of direct sunlight.
Tip: Avoid touching the substrate block directly with unwashed hands to prevent contamination.
STEP 4: Over the next few days to a couple of weeks, you should start to see small "pins" (baby mushrooms) forming at the locations where you made the slits or on the exposed top. Continue to mist regularly and ensure the temperature stays within the ideal range (60F-75F).
STEP 5: Blue oyster mushrooms grow relatively quickly. They are ready to harvest when the caps are fully formed, the edges are still slightly curled downwards, and the color is a beautiful shade of blue-grey. Don't wait until the caps flatten out completely or start to release spores (you'll see a white powdery substance). To harvest, gently twist and pull the entire cluster of mushrooms from the substrate block at the base. Tip: Harvest the entire cluster at once to encourage a second flush of growth.
STEP 6: After harvesting, the substrate block can often produce another flush of mushrooms. To encourage this, gently scrape away any remaining mushroom stems from the block. Continue to mist and maintain humidity as before. You might get a slightly smaller second flush, and sometimes even a third! Tip: The substrate block will eventually exhaust its nutrients. If you don't see new pins forming after a few weeks, it's likely finished. You can then compost the spent substrate.
