Dryad's Saddle Mushroom Kit Instructions
Dryad's Saddle or Pheasant's Back mushroom (scientific name Cerioporus squamosus or Polyporus squamosus) grows wild across the UK on deciduous trees and stumps. They smell a bit like watermelon rind or a freshly sliced cucumber. They have a delicious wild, nutty and gamey taste and are best harvested when young and tender.
Each species of mushroom is a different growing experience. Even if you have grown mushrooms before, please read the instructions for your kit carefully before proceeding. If you run into any problems please see our FAQ.
Step 1: Mycelium Check
Inside this box, Dryad's Saddle mycelium has has been happily breaking down the organic growing medium and converting it into energy!
At first, the mycelium will be mostly white, but as it prepares to fruit, it will develop a dark skin. This is completely normal and expected for Dryad's Saddle. Once there are some patches of this dark skin on the block, it is ready to enter the fruiting phase.
Open the box and remove the bagged block of mycelium and growing medium to take a look. Your mycelium block is contained within a specialist bag with a filter patch to allow for some air exchange without letting in outside contaminants.
Mostly white with only a few small brown patches =
needs more time in a warm location
This block has lots of dark brown patches and is now ready to move on to step 2
This block is mostly covered in dark skin and
very ready to move on to step 2!
If your block is mostly white with little to no dark patches, move your block to a warm, dark location - over 15°C and NO MORE THAN 25°C.
Once your block is covered with some brown patches you can now move on to step 2.
If you do not want to move on to step 2 at this time, you can keep your kit in the fridge or a cool place for up to two weeks.
Step 2: Finding an ideal location
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Light: Choose a location in your home that avoids direct sunlight, as too much sun can dry out or burn your mushrooms. A spot with indirect light or ambient artificial light is ideal.
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Temperature: If you purchased a thermometer/hygrometer or have one to hand, aim for a temperature range of 17-23°C for optimal growth.
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Airflow: Dryad's saddle mushrooms require good fresh air circulation to grow properly. A large room with windows or an external door is perfect.
Avoid trying to fruit this species in a shotgun fruiting chamber or a small, windowless room. Poor airflow can lead to a buildup of CO2 and lack of oxygen, causing the mushrooms to grow with long, woody stems and tiny or absent caps, resembling antlers. While these may look interesting, they are not ideal for eating!
Step 3: Initiating Fruiting
In nature, the mushroom fruiting process of is triggered by a range of changes in the environment. Fresh air and ambient light become available as the mycelium breaks through the ground layer or the extremities of a log. Seasonal changes bring wetter weather and humidity increases.
You will now imitate these changes in the following way:
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Cutting the bag: Using a clean knife or scissors, cut a 'X' or cross shape around 2 inches wide in the side of the bag to expose the mycelium. This will initiate the fruiting process by providing fresh air whilst preventing the exposed mycelium from drying out too quickly. Your mushrooms will grow from this hole.
IMPORTANT: Make sure that you cut the side of the bag that is against the mycelium block rather than in the top flap of the bag. Do not cut away all of the plastic as this will make the mycelium dry out, preventing the mushrooms from forming.
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Misting your kit: Mist your kit according to the misting instructions below.
The bag with an cross shaped opening cut into the middle.
Step 4: Misting & Fresh Air Exchange
Mushrooms prefer to grow in an environment with 80-90% humidity. Because of this, you'll need to gently mist your kit regularly with a clean spray bottle. You want to create a humid environment for the mushrooms and to keep their bodies moist, rather than to 'water' them as you would a plant. When your mushrooms begin to grow you'll need to give them more airflow.
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Before your mushrooms begin to grow, a gentle mist with a spray bottle once a week will help keep humidity up.
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Once your mushrooms begin to pin (first sign of growth which will look like little bumps), keep their bodies moist by misting generously 2-3 times a day.
Your Dryad's Saddle should start to pin within 2-5 weeks of cutting the bag. Be sure to keep your kit in an area with good airflow to encourage the formation of healthy mushrooms!
Step 5: When to Harvest
As it gets larger, Dryad's saddle becomes increasingly tough, so we highly recommend harvesting your mushrooms when they are no larger than the palm of your hand (between 2-3 inches in diameter) if you want to eat them. If you leave them to grow to their full size, the caps can reach up to 9 inches in diameter - and they can get even bigger in the wild!
If you do choose to harvest later, the outer ring of the cap (the first 1-2 inches from the edge) of older mushrooms is more tender and can be cut away to be cooked and eaten. You can also cut them into thin strips to dehydrate and grind into a delicious powder for soups, stocks or seasoning.
Older dryad's saddle specimens also be used to make a fantastic mushroom paper.
Dryad's Saddle should generally be harvested young - no bigger than the palm of your hand.
Step 6: How To Harvest
Harvest all of your mushrooms at once by twisting and pulling the bunch from the substrate. You'll want to cut away the dark, hard stems before cooking (these can be used for stock). Dryad's saddle is best eaten fresh, but can be stored in the fridge for a few days after harvesting.
Step 7: Initiating The Next Flush
Dryad's Saddle kits will generally yield 2-3 flushes. Between flushes you can soak your kit to return moisture to the block which will encourage good sized future flushes.
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Through your 'X' shaped opening, fill your growing bag with enough tap water to cover your block and store your block in the fridge for 12-24 hours.
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Drain away excess water and begin again from step 4.
For more tips and information about how to encourage subsequent flushes sooner see our FAQ on getting more our of your kit.
Step 8: What to do with your kit when it stops producing mushrooms
Did you know that fungi play a key role in storing carbon? Trees and plants remove carbon from the atmosphere and fungi break down plant waste to create new carbon-rich soil. Clean air, healthy soil and delicious mushrooms: just one of the many ways fungi are incredible!
Once your box has finished flushing, open the box and remove the mycelium block from its plastic bag. Discard the bag in the general waste. You can now recycle the box and additional packaging and compost the block. Alternately plant it in the garden to see if it will gain a some energy and produce one last seasonal crop for you! Simply dig a hole in a shady spot, bury the block and cover it over with around 5cm of soil. Water it occasionally to keep the soil moist.
We hope you've enjoyed growing your Dryad's Saddle Mushrooms!
We're passionate about sharing the diversity of the fungi kingdom & making more of its edible & medicinal delights easy to grow. Want to try another strain or learn how to cultivate mushrooms? See our full range of mushroom growing kits and cultivation workshops!