HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR MUSHROOMS
Use this page for reference on getting the best results for your grow kit. If this is your first grow, don't be intimidated by the strange block. It is our friend and it is alive inside so it needs some oxygen. Mushrooms also thrive in humidity but that doesn't necessarily mean warm. Most varieties thrive best in a 60-65 degree environment, sometimes cooler with other species.
Keeping your block in a tub with no lid will help create a humid environment. If its too dry, place the lid on sideways Make an X or just one 5 inch slice on the block to allow the mycelium to be exposed. We want to make sure that exposed area doesn't dry out so we'll give it a very light mist and then spray the walls of the tub. Do not over spray, just a little patience and in about a week or less you will see growth starting. If it looks like they're starting to grow in different parts of the bag where you didn't slice you can carefully cut the bag to free them up.
Once they start growing it is only a few days until harvest. With oysters, you want to harvest before the caps flatten and curl up because that's when the spores drop. Oysters will drop heavy white spores and if you had it in that tub it should be easy to clean up. Lions Mane and especially chestnut are slow growers and sometimes takes over a week to see initial results.
Just reminder that mushrooms NEED FRESH AIR. if it looks like your Oysters are getting too "Leggy" and appears they are stretching, it means they need more oxygen. Especially for lions mane. It's important that you do not spray your manes directly or it will "Blob" out. The airflow in your home should be fine with the lid off your tub but add a fan to the opposite end of the room to mix the air around. DO NOT point the fan directly at the block. Best place to put your tub could be the basement or on the floor next to the air conditioner where its nice and cool. If its too dry put the lid on sideways.
When harvesting, cut with a knife as close to the block as possible if you want to save it for another flush. Store mushrooms in a paper bag or cardboard box in the refrigerator. Clear off any remnants of fruiting body from the block if you're growing it off the same area or tape the old spot up. Otherwise, you'll have new growth over top of old
You can make the most of your kit by opening the bag and pouring some water in. Or you can take it out of the bag and soak it in a tub for an hour, strain, re-bag really tight, and then make a new slice on the other side of the block. Grocery bags work well for rebagging you just might have to use a few.
You can repeat this process until your kit barely produces anymore. If you ALSO want to get even MORE than the most from your kit you can crumble it up and introduce it to new substrate. All you'll need is a clean bucket with a lid, some sawdust, straw, and hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide). Soak some straw in a cold bath with hydrated lime for 12-24 hours to increase the PH, this avoids contaminants. Then strain and mix with hydrated sawdust. Your substrate can not be dripping wet. Mix your crumbled block in the bucket with your substrate with the holes plugged and let incubate for a week or two. Fully colonized substrate appears all white and will be ready for fruiting.
Don't forget you can always reach out to ask questions about your kit!
