Mushroom Grow kit

Green Yams LLC

Congratulations on your purchase of mushroom growing kit!

OYSTER
Oyster Mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.) are common wood-decomposing mushrooms that
can be found throughout the world in many different climates. It is a choice edible
mushroom hunted by many-a mycophagist and grown commercially worldwide. The
Oyster Mushroom Growing Kit is a colony of Oyster Mushroom mycelium (the white
thread-like fungus) growing on sterilized alder sawdust. The sawdust serves as food
(substrate) for the mycelium which will provide the necessary nutrients to produce
Oyster Mushrooms, much like it would grow on a log in the forest.
This works for LION’S MANE AS WELL!!!!

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED:
1. About a gallon of non-chlorinated water (To de-chlorinate tap water, let a
bucket of water sit out in an open container overnight)
2. A plant sprayer or misting bottle for the water
3. Three or four plastic or metal forks
4. A plastic grocery sack or other clean plastic bag to loosely cover your kit

CREATING THE MUSHROOM HABITAT:
Oyster Mushrooms can be grown indoors year-round, or outdoors in the spring
or fall. An effective growing chamber can be constructed from a plastic bag and a few
chopsticks. The plastic tent provides a humid environment and allows you to easily
monitor your kit for growth and watering.
Cut four 3-inch holes in the plastic bag for ventilation. Once you have initiated
mushroom growth (next step), stab the chopsticks/ skewers into the top of the kit and
drape the plastic bag over the entire kit like a tent.

Other options for making a growth chamber include using a glass terrarium with a
vented plastic lid; a large clear plastic bin with a vented lid; a dish tub that is covered
with a loosely fitting plastic bag. There are many options that work well, get creative!
The key ingredients mushrooms need in their growing environment are:
High humidity, indirect light, a good amount of air or breathing holes and
temperatures ranging from 55 to 75 degrees F.

INITIATING MUSHROOM GROWTH:
To get your mushrooms to start growing you need to cut an X in the bag it came
packaged in so the mushrooms can get out. We have marked an X or ( / for Lion’s
Mane) on your kit that’s an ideal place to cut. With a clean, sharp knife carefully cut the
black X on your kit. Do not open or remove the bag!
Now all you have to do is keep the kit in the growing chamber you made for the first
week or so, keep it out of direct sunlight, and make sure it stays nice and moist. Most
kits require a generous misting with your spray bottle about 2-3 times per day. When
watering it is not necessary to get water inside the mushroom’s grow bag, all you need
to do is get the surface wet to create a humid environment.

CARE & WATERING:
Mushrooms will begin to form over the next 1-2 weeks! Mushrooms start out as tight
clusters of tiny mushrooms located at the sight of the holes you made in the bag and will
grow larger every day for about a week. These “primordial” mushrooms can double
in size every 24 hours! You can almost watch them grow.
Once you begin to see the little buds of mushrooms emerging, you may remove the
humidity tent to make space for the growing mushrooms. During this time make sure
you mist the kit and mushrooms 2 to 3 times per day.
If your mushrooms begin to grow in strange shapes and create long, spindly stems they
are telling you they need more fresh air. Remove the humidity tent to allow the
mushrooms to breathe. They will require generous watering each day to make up for
increased evaporation.

WHEN TO HARVEST:

When the clusters of mushrooms get large and the edges begin to flatten out, they
are ready to pick and eat!

HOW TO HARVEST OYSTER MUSHROOMS:
To harvest the clusters simply grasp them at the base where they emerge from the bag,
gently twist and pull to remove the entire cluster. Pull away any mushroom bits that
remain on the kit, the second flush will form at the same holes. After harvesting, replace
the humidity tent and continue misting your kit every day. In another 10-14 days, a new
crop will begin growing. Two – six crops can be harvested from one kit, each about
two weeks apart.

MOLD & Bacteria
If the block develops heavy colourful mold or bacteria (which is rare when kept in a clean
environment), do not eat the fruits from it after that point and dispose of it away from other
mushroom projects. This happens more frequently with blocks at the end of their lives. Due to
the possibility of non-harmful but unsightly fungus gnats, it is not recommended to keep the
block in the same greenhouse as potted plants.

A full refund is available if your block starts molding before you start growing. Email
greenyamsllc@gmail.com with a photo of the unsuccessful grow bag to get a refund.