Frequently Asked Questions

What's inside a mushroom grow kit bag?

Soybean hulls and sawdust. These two organic by-products contain all the nutrition needed to produce those beautiful flushes of mushrooms. 

Inside the substrate there are also some whole oat grains that came from the mushroom "spawn". 

Spawn is grain that is covered in mushroom mycelium (the "roots" of the mushroom). Its where all that white mycelium came from in the grow kit.

Let's put it this way - if the mushroom is an alien civilization that has taken over Planet Grow Kit, then the oat grain is the spaceship that those aliens arrived on.

How much should I water a mushroom grow kit?

Enough to keep the substrate from drying out.

After the 'X' is cut in the bag, the substrate must be sprayed every day to prevent it from drying out. Aspire to water your kit 2-3 times a day. When watering, lift the flaps of the 'X' and spray the entire substrate beneath about 10-12 times in total with the provided spray bottle. Let the flaps go back down as they act like a humidity tent to keep moisture in.

Be mindful of the humidity in the room your grow kit is in as well. Even indoors, winter air doesn't hold much moisture so your kit will need more watering.

How long can a mushroom grow kit be stored before opening?

Kits can be stored for a few weeks after they're recieved. 

Unopened kits can be stored in cooler, darker places such as basements or dungeons to prevent unopened mushroom kits from expressing themselves before you're ready to grow them. 

Some customers have found success storing blue oyster grow kits in the fridge over their 5 weeks as they are a cold tolerant species. However, pink oysters can't stand the cold and will die if stored below 10°C. 

Just open your kits as soon as you can - they really can't wait to turn themselves into food for you.

What do I do if the substrate of my grow kit dries out?

Take the grow bag out of the box and soak the kit overnight in a shallow dish of water.

Make sure the side where you cut the X is face down in the water. When the substrate is in contact with the water, it will suck it up like a straw. Say goodnight to your kit, get some good sleep and when you wake up in the morning both you and your kit will feel refreshed. You can let the excess water drain out of the bag then put it back in the box and continue to spray 2-3 times a day as usual.

How do I get more flushes of mushrooms from my grow kit?

After harvesting your first flush of mushrooms off the grow kit, simply soak the kit overnight in a dish or tray of water then continue spraying daily.

2nd, 3rd or more flushes often take longer to grow (sometimes a few weeks) so patience is required. The first flush should always be the largest and as the nutrients in the kit are used up to produce more mushrooms, the size of the flush will tend to decrease in size.

How do I know when the kit is done growing?

If nothing has grown after 1 month then the kit is done growing. 

As mushrooms are harvested off the kit they take the nutrients from the kit with them. You'll actually notice the kit becomes much lighter as more mushrooms are grown. The finished kit is still filled with mycelium and organic matter which can be spread around a garden bed, lawn or in the soil of potted plants to act as a soil conditioner. I've also been told that pigs enjoy eating them.

Help! Some strange dust is collecting under my mushrooms / My mushrooms are growing a beard.

Your mushrooms are dropping spores! This is a sign that the mushrooms have grown a bit too long and are ready to harvest.

You can also take this opportunity to begin your adventure as an amateur mycologist - scoop those spores onto the used coffee grounds that you forgot to empty out of the coffee maker this morning and you could end up with your very own mycelium network. 

Don't see your question listed here?

Send us an email at hello@gowiththegrow.ca and we'll be happy to answer any questions.