Getting More From Your Kit

It can take between 2-5 weeks to see a second flush of mushrooms and often even longer - it depends very much of temperature, humidity and other conditions. In winter, the time between the first and second flush can take quite a while because of the cool temperatures. Subsequent flushes can take even longer, as the mycelium looses in vigour and the growing medium looses moisture with each flush. In most cases, patience is the name of the game.

Subsequent flushes might pop up and surprise you months later when temperature and humidity changes cause the mycelium to produce more mushrooms.

Here are some tips for initiating more flushes:

Soaking:

Soaking your block for 1 hour and then draining it can help promote more flushes once the block has lost a significant about of moisture (usually a good idea after the second flush). If your block feels much lighter or the opening has dried out, we highly recommend trying this step.

To do this:

1. Remove the block from the cardboard box, but do not remove it from the filter bag - the bag helps retain moisture.

2. Pour clean water into the bag through the slit where the mushrooms grow.

3. Keep the slit at the top to avoid spills and let the block soak for about 1 hour.

4. After soaking, drain the block thoroughly to remove all excess water before starting the next flush.

Avoid soaking for too long, and always ensure the block is well-drained, as this can be detrimental to growth.

Cold Shock (Not Suitable for Tropical Species):

For many kit, you can pop them in the fridge for 12-24 hours to speed the process along.

NEVER PUT PINK OR GOLDEN OYSTER MUSHROOMS IN THE FRIDGE. IT WILL KILL THE MYCELIUM. DO NOT PUT ANY KIT IN THE FREEZER.

Change your kit's environment:

A change of environment can also help. Try moving your kit somewhere warmer or cooler, with more sunlight or less sunlight, or somewhere with more humidity.

Making a new slits in the bag:

If the original slits in the plastic you made have been open for a long period, it's possible that the mycelium in that area has dried up slightly and this is inhibiting fruiting. Remove your mycelium block from the box, tape up the original slits with packing or duct tape and make slits in a new area. You can now grow your mushrooms directly from the bag!

Patience:

Finally, and probably most importantly, patience and benign neglect are often the best attitude to take when you're waiting for another flush. Mushrooms tend to pop up once you've stopped fretting over them!

Plant it:

At some point, your mushroom growing kit will have lost so much moisture and/or energy that will not produce any more mushrooms. When this happens, you may be able to get a final flush by planting your kit in the garden. This will give the mycelium more constant access to moisture. Note: This will only work for pink oyster mushrooms in the warmer spring and summer months, but will can any time of year for other species.

Simply dig a hole in a shady spot, bury the block, cover it over with around 5cm of soil and occasionally water to keep the soil moist.

Be aware that pink oyster mushrooms can only survive in warm temperatures, so if attempting this with pink oyster, it’s best to wait till the weather is warm.

We suggest that you grow your reishi inside of the grow bag because is is a simple way to this keep your mushroom in a humid environment and it will also keep spores from dropping in your house. However, there are some drawbacks:

1. Your mushroom may cling to the side of the bag, which may lead to them accidentally breaking off if they're disturbed.

2. Your mushrooms may grow through the filter patch or through the sealed top of the bag as they search for more oxygen. This is not a problem, per se, but it does mean you should move them to a location where their spore drop will not be a problem (for example outdoors in a shady spot).

If you'd like to avoid either of these drawbacks you can choose to make your own growing chamber! A large plastic storage tub turned on its side will give your mushrooms more room to grow and will contain any spore drop inside. Spray the inside of the container weekly to keep up the humidity. See the image below!