Your mushroom kit is a living organism and it’s keen to get growing! So it’s always best to start the kit as soon as possible, and certainly by the ‘grow by’ date on the box.

We understand this is not always possible though, and thankfully gold oyster, blue oyster, white oyster, pearl oyster and lion’s mane mushroom kits can be stored in the fridge until you're ready to grow it or gift it.

Poor pink oyster mushroom kits will not survive refrigeration (eep!) so ideally start yours right away.

The ‘use by’ date is more of a ‘grow by’ date. Your mushroom kit is alive and super eager to grow its beautiful mushrooms! We send them out to you just as they’re ready to fruit (and this is why you’ll sometimes see them try to escape out of the box). Storing it in the fridge puts it into a kind of hibernation which will slow this growth until you are ready (with the exception of pink oyster mushroom kits which won’t survive refrigeration).

Your Mushroom Grow Kit comes with everything you need. Inside you will find an instruction card and spray bottle. Follow the instructions and be sure to keep your recipe card handy to cook up some delicious mushrooms when they are ready.

The mushroom spawn has already been mixed into the substrate inside the bag. It has colonised the substrate, turning it white and is now ready to fruit delicious mushrooms.

Cutting an 'X' into the bag helps to control humidity, which is a key factor when growing mushrooms. Your grow kit loves high humidity and by cutting an 'X' and spraying within that area, the plastic flaps hold the moisture close to the substrate. This mini micro-climate is perfect for inducing mushrooms to fruit.

Make sure to follow the instruction card that comes with the grow kit. The X size depends on which kit you're growing. Lion's Mane only needs a small x in the centre of the window.

The white stuff on the block is called mycelium and this is normal. Mycelium is the fungal organism that produces mushrooms, you can think of mycelium as a root-like structure which is absorbing its nutrients directly from the substrate in the plastic bag.

Place your grow kit in your kitchen, out of direct sunlight. This will allow you to check on them and remember to mist your grow kit regularly to keep humidity high. Don't place your grow kit where it is breezy as wind will dry it out. Don't place your grow kit in an enclosed space, mushrooms need good ventilation.

Between 16°C - 21°C is the best case scenario temperature for mushrooms to grow in. However, our grow kits will work just fine at regular room temperature between 21°C - 26°C. The warmer the temperature the faster the growth. If it is colder than 20 degrees your mushrooms will grow more slowly. Make sure to choose the right grow kit for your current climate. Growing temperatures for each kit are listed on the side of the box.

You will find the link to access the video instructions via the instruction card inside your bucket or on the kit box itself. Or you can scan the QR code on the card or packaging. Click on your course and create your log in to begin watching! And please contact us if you have any questions.

The first time you mist your kit, lift up the plastic flaps of the 'X' and spray your grow kit with a few pumps of water. For every time after, mist on top of the plastic at the cut area. A good indication that you are providing enough moisture is if you see droplets of condensation on the inside of the plastic flaps.

A rough ballpark is to mist your grow kit whenever you have a chance, at least 2-3 times a day. If it's looking a little dry, increase your frequency of misting. Remember that high humidity is crucial for your mushrooms to produce a great crop. Mushrooms are not like plants, they don't need watering, just humidity. Over-saturating your grow kit can kill the mushroom mycelium so please don't go crazy with the misting either. Just think Goldilocks...not too much but not too little, just right!

This is not ideal but if this can't be avoided as you are going away, try and create a mini micro-climate around your grow kit to keep up the humidity. This can be done by placing a wet tea towel around the base of the kit or filling a sink with water and placing the kit nearby.

How long has it been? For a number of days after you first cut your 'X', you will see no activity. This is normal, don't worry, the kit is gearing up to fruit mushrooms. Once a really small amount of growth starts you will be surprised at how fast they grow, doubling in size every 24 hours.

You should generally expect to see some baby mushrooms within 7-10 days. Each variety grows at a different pace. Here’s a guide on how long it takes to grow each of our kits until they are ready to harvest:

White oyster: 7-14 days

Pink oyster: Just 5-7 days

Lion’s mane: 14-21 days

Pearl oyster: 10-14 days

Blue oyster: 14-21 days

The colour of a mushroom is greatly affected by how much light they are exposed to. The more light the darker the mushroom, if you are noticing that your white oyster mushrooms are a shade of beige or brown this is completely normal. If you would like them to be as white as possible grow them in a very dark position. Temperature can also affect colouration. Oyster mushrooms grown in cooler temperatures will produce darker colouration.

Having trouble with your grow kit? If you see no activity after two weeks, send us a message with pictures and as much detail as possible and we’ll get back to you with some personalised advice - that’s our Happy Growers’ Promise.

You want to harvest your mushrooms when the caps have just started to flatten out. You have to be quick, before you know it the caps will curl upwards to release their spores. If this happens pick immediately as the caps will start to dry out. If you're unsure whether your mushrooms are ready to harvest, check out our examples below.

The best way is to pull the mushrooms away from the substrate from the base of the bunch. Once you have removed them you can then trim off excess substrate. This is better than cutting them off the block with a knife as it will give you a higher chance of a second crop.

Store your harvested mushrooms in a paper bag in the fridge. Remember mushrooms don't like to sweat so avoid storing them in plastic. Harvested mushrooms are best cooked and eaten within four days for pink oysters and seven days for white, pearl and blue oysters and lions’ mane mushrooms.

We highly recommend cooking your mushrooms before eating - they taste much better fried, sauteed or roasted! Need some inspiration? Check out our collection of delicious mushroom recipes.