Troubleshooting your Spray and Grow Kit and other Common Questions
You just got your Spray and Grow Kit, but something isn’t quite right. To make sure you successfully fruit some mushrooms, we’ll help you troubleshoot through hiccups along the way.
First, inspect your kit upon arrival and keep the packaging. Each kit is packaged with a batch-specific sticker, located somewhere on the substrate bag. We track quality control with these numbers, so it’s helpful to know if you need to be in touch with a member of our team. If you notice any strange colors (green, black) or foul smells before opening your bag, please get in touch with some photos. We’ll be able to determine if something happened in transit and get you a new kit. A healthy kit should have white or off-white mycelium weaving through its brown substrate and have a pleasant earthy smell.
Should I refrigerate my kit until I use it? North Spore mushroom kits contain a living organism, so they have a limited shelf life. The sooner you start or activate your kit the better. You don't want the fungi to run out of food! If they're stored in a cool, dry place our Spray and Grow Kits should keep for 4 weeks.
If you won't be able to start your kit for longer than a month or more or are saving it as a gift, you can put it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 months, unless it is a pink oyster kit. Pink oysters cannot tolerate the cold, so they should never be refrigerated.
If the mushroom block is broken upon arrival, there’s hope yet! We often see this as a result of jostling around in transport. While it’s still in the bag, we recommend gently pressing the block back together and allowing it some extra time to bounce back before cutting it open to start the fruiting process. It may take about a week to re-establish itself. If your bag is already open, gently smoosh it together best you can and make sure to keep the block moist. We recommend using a humidity tent. Take a trash bag or other large loose bag and cut lots of ½” holes throughout - mushrooms need fresh air to form correctly! Drape the bag over your block and mist the inside of the bag every day. When you start to see baby mushrooms form (pinning), you can remove the bag and keep misting the block.
If your mushroom block looks “dead” or like nothing is happening, there are a few possible causes. Lion’s Mane mycelium is notoriously fine and often appears very light or unnoticeable- especially compared to Oyster kits. If you have a Lion’s Mane kit and the block holds together, the mycelium may be difficult to see. For other kits, its possible the block was broken up in transit and needs some time to grow back together. Give it a few days, making sure to keep it misted, and see if the mycelium becomes more noticeable. We guarantee all of our kits will fruit within two weeks, or we’ll send you a replacement.
If your mushroom block seems dry and hasn't produced any mushrooms yet, try using a humidity tent. Take a trash bag or other large loose bag and cut lots of ½” holes throughout - mushrooms need fresh air to form correctly! Drape the bag over your block and mist the inside of the bag every day. When you start to see baby mushrooms form (pinning), you can remove the bag and keep misting the block.
If your block still seems dry using the humidity tent or if your block has produced once or twice and dried out in between, you can give it a boost by soaking it in some water. Take your bag out of the box and let it soak, cut side down, in a bowl of water for 20 minutes for oysters. Let a lion's mane kit soak for 5-10 minutes and keep an eye on it, the mycelium of these mushrooms tends to be more delicate so soaking for too long can result in your block disintegrating. After soaking, drain off any excess water from the block by leaving it cut side down for another 10 minutes, or tipping it around to pour off any pools. You don't want standing water in your bag. Pat the block dry before putting it back in the box. Mist as you would 2-3 times per day, a little extra if you live in an arid or dry climate.
What if my block has gnats? Humans aren’t the only organisms that love mushrooms! It’s possible the bag broke in transit, and these opportunistic creatures decided to make a home. Get in touch with some photos, and we’ll replace it for you. It still may be possible to fruit it outside - you can try these tricks while waiting on a new kit to arrive. Follow the link here.
How much should I water my kit? You don’t need to empty the bottle each time you spray, but it is important to get the area where you cut open the bag nice and damp! It can take a little trial and error to get the frequency and amount just right. If the surface of the block seems very dry the next time you spray it, you should give it a bit more water or water a bit more often. If you run AC or live in an arid climate, using a humidity tent can be useful to prevent your block from drying out. Find instructions here. [link to humidity tent]
Is tap water bad for mushrooms? If you live in an area where it is safe to drink tap water, it’s totally fine to use tap water for your mushrooms. Many municipalities add chlorine or chlorine compounds to drinking water to kill microbes and prevent disease. These compounds may inhibit mushroom growth to some degree, but the concentration in drinking water is low enough that we aren't concerned about it.
If you'd like to avoid using chlorinated water, you can leave your water out and exposed to air for 24 hours. This allows the chlorine to evaporate. If you use a filter for your water, you can certainly give your fungi filtered water as well!
How do I make a humidity tent? We recommend using a humidity tent in dry conditions, when blocks have been broken up, or if you can’t water your block one day. It creates a moist microclimate that your block should thrive in. Take a trash bag or other loose-fitting plastic bag and put plenty of 1/2 inch holes in it. Your mushrooms need to breathe! Drape the bag over your kit and mist the inside of the tent or the slice on your block at least once per day. When you start to see baby mushrooms form (pinning), you can remove the bag and keep misting the block.
What type of bag should I use for a humidity tent? Use a large plastic bag with plenty of 1/2 inch holes or slices placed in it. We use a pair of scissors and cut some slices into grocery store bags or large produce bags. It can be helpful to have a clear or semi-transparent bag to keep an eye on the progress of our mushrooms. You may choose to use a plastic basket as a frame for the bag or get creative with ways to prop up the bag if it's not thick and stiff enough to hold on its own. Spray the inside of the bag daily to create a humid home for your mushroom kit.
When I opened my kit, there were already mushrooms growing on it. This is totally normal. Sounds like you've got a very vigorous kit! If you're growing Oysters, Lion's Mane, Pioppino, or Chestnut you can ignore the mushrooms that may be fruiting inside your bag. If they're easily accessible you can break them off and compost them, so you can start fresh. If you're growing Shiitake, when you remove the bag you should pinch off and compost any of the premature pins.
Do the mushrooms only grow in the sliced area or do I need to open the bag to harvest?
For all varieties of Spray and Grow Kits, the mushrooms will fruit out of the sliced area. That exposure to oxygen will help direct the fungus to form mushrooms there. You should leave the flaps of the X on the plastic bag to limit the exposure and help keep moisture in the block.
For our Advanced Indoor Grow Kits, make sure to squeeze out any air left in the bag after you slice it. Gently fold the remaining plastic flap of the bag underneath the kit. In the case of King Oysters, Nameko, Chestnut, and Pioppino, this will ensure that the mushrooms will grow from the opening in the bag and not inside it. Shiitakes grow in a different style. By removing the entire bag and exposing the whole block to air, it means that mushrooms will form all over.
You shouldn't need to open the bag to harvest the mushrooms. When harvesting, you can hold onto the cluster of mushrooms and twist near their base. That should be enough to pop them easily off the block. Though if they still decide to fruit inside the bag, feel free to open it up to harvest.
Is my kit growing mold? That's not mold; that's mycelium! Your kit includes an amended sawdust block fully colonized with mushroom mycelium. It may appear covered with a soft, white, mold-like substance - that's the mushroom mycelium! That's totally normal and healthy for your mushroom block. The mycelium of some species is more prominent than others. For example, Lion's mane mycelium tends to be finer and more difficult to see while oysters can develop into a very thick and leathery mat. If you are still unsure about what's growing on your kit, reach out to us with a photo and we will help you identify what's going on.
What are those amber colored beads on my kit? This is mycelial exudate; a byproduct of the mycelium's metabolic process. It is natural and harmless. Fungi digest outside of their body, so the release enzymes into their environment to help break down materials so they can more easily absorb them. Those amber beads are sort of like digestive juices!
Do I have the wrong kit? We get this question most often with the golden oyster kits. As goldens begin to form pins (baby mushrooms) they can sometimes resemble lion’s mane mushrooms. They start out completely white and a little blob-like. As they mature, the caps develop their signature yellow hue and more shelf-like structure. If you’re in doubt, wait a day or two to see if the yellow cap appears.
We do sometimes make mistakes, being human and all. So, it is possible we packed a mushroom bag in the wrong box. If this sounds like what happened, please reach out! We want to make it right for you.
Why do my mushrooms look weird? Sometimes the caps of mushrooms look bizarre and wonky when they’re little and starting to emerge. As they grow, if there’s not enough oxygen or moisture, the mushrooms can deform. Leggy, stringy, or sparse mushrooms need more airflow; let ’em breathe! Try moving them to a more open place or put a fan near them.
Mushrooms that are otherwise deformed may need some more humidity - you can try using a humidity tent. Take a trash bag or other loose-fitting plastic bag and put plenty of 1/2 inch holes in it. Your mushrooms need to breathe! Drape the bag over your kit and mist the inside of the tent or the slice on your block at least once per day. When you start to see baby mushrooms form (pinning), you can remove the bag and keep misting the block.
My mushroom kit produced pins but stopped growing. What happened?
Usually, mushroom pins abort when there isn't enough humidity around the block. Don't panic! Your mushroom kit still has all the food needed to produce mushrooms. Simply pick off the dried-up pins, wait one week, letting the block dry out on a plate. Then, soak the block for 20 minutes in cold water, drain all the water out of your kit (species that grow in the bag) and start the process over. If you didn't use a humidity tent the first time then it may be helpful the second go around. It creates a moist microclimate that your block should thrive in.
Take a trash bag or other loose-fitting plastic bag and put plenty of 1/2 inch holes in it. Your mushrooms need to breathe! Drape the bag over your kit and mist the inside of the tent or the slice on your block at least once per day. When you start to see baby mushrooms form (pinning), you can remove the bag and keep misting the block.
Make sure to keep a close eye on the kit. Spray 2-3x daily with water to keep it hydrated.
Do the mushrooms come all at once? Usually, the mushrooms come in flushes all at once. If some mushrooms seem to be maturing at a faster rate than the rest, harvest those before their caps flatten, and wait a day or two to harvest the remaining mushrooms.
Why do my pink oysters look pale or brown? Pink oysters are such a special mushroom. Their color is most vibrant on the underside of their caps or their gills, while the caps tend to be paler, sometimes with a brown hue. Younger mushrooms tend to have the best color, mellowing out with age and in cooking. Variance in color is totally normal for this species!
When should I harvest my mushrooms? The image on the front of your Spray and Grow Kit box or the sticker on your Advanced Kit shows the mushrooms at their ideal stage of growth for harvesting. The general rule is that mushrooms should be harvested before their caps flatten or become concave. In the case of Lion's Mane, before they become yellowed and mushy. Unlike plants, mushrooms grow incredibly fast, sometimes doubling in size each day. Make sure to keep a close eye on your kit so you don't miss the opportune time to harvest!
We like to harvest oyster mushrooms right before their caps begin to flatten out, while the edge is still a little curved under. At this point, the mushrooms have almost grown to their full size and will store better than mushrooms harvested later. You can definitely pick and eat mushrooms after the cap has flattened out, but they won’t keep as long and are more brittle.
Lion’s Mane doesn’t have caps and gills, but rather teeth. When they’re young, they form as dense round balls, sometimes growing more mounds and lumps in maturity. The length of their teeth or spines can be used as a good indicator of when to harvest. We like to pick them when teeth are ¼-½” long before any yellowing.
To harvest, reach your hand around the base of the mushroom cluster and twist. This motion should be enough to pop your mushrooms off the block. You can also use a knife if you want, too! Remove any extra loose debris on the block before starting to spritz again for a second flush. Your first flush could produce anywhere between ½-2 lbs. of mushrooms!
If mushrooms become dried out, moldy, or look unappetizing in any way chances are they weren't harvested early enough. You can send us a photo to see what might have happened. Stringy mushrooms with long stems and little caps probably are in a high CO2 environment. Give them some air or even try a fan!
How do I harvest my mushrooms? For Oysters, Lion's Mane, Nameko, Chestnut, and Pioppino, you can usually just twist the mushroom clusters from the kit. Hold the cluster near the base and spin them. If you'd rather use a knife and cut them, that's fine too! For Shiitake, it's easiest to use clippers or a knife. Cut at the base of the stem. Clean off any loose bits from the kit before continuing to spray and cut off any bits of sawdust from the block on your mushrooms before cooking and eating them.
Should I cook my mushrooms? Yes, you should make sure any mushrooms you eat are thoroughly cooked. Mushrooms contain a compound called chitin which is difficult to digest. Chitin also occurs in arthropod shells giving them strength and flexibility. It readily breaks down with heat, so cooking mushrooms makes them easier on our bodies.
If you need some kitchen inspiration, here are some of our favorite recipes: Maitake Soup, Simple Oyster Mushroom Sautee, Savory Mushroom Tart, Oyster Mushroom and Corn Empanadas
What do you mean by ‘fruiting’? The word fruit can be very specific, referring to foods like berries and apples, or a bit more general to refer to how an organism reproduces. So tomatoes and rosehips are the fruits of those plants; they contain the seeds. Likewise, mushrooms are the fruits of a fungus; they contain spores. So when a fungus starts to produce mushrooms, we call that fruiting.
Specifically, mushrooms are the reproductive structure of the fungus. The block in your kit is primarily comprised of mycelium (the vegetative body of a fungus), and it's food (a bag full of supplemented sawdust). As the mycelium grows, consuming the sawdust mix, it uses up the nutrients available in the bag. When it's fully established, has run out of nutrients or experiences other environmental cues like a temperature or oxygen shift, that's a cue for the fungus to fruit and produce mushrooms so that it can move on to another food source.
How many mushrooms with my kit produce? We guarantee at least one fruiting of mushrooms from your kit, but depending on the species you choose to grow it is likely you will get a second, third, fourth, or even fifth fruiting with care and patience. Your first flush can produce anywhere between 1/2 lb. to 2 lbs. of mushrooms depending on environmental factors and the species. Growing mushrooms is an art, and it takes skill to be good at it. Be patient, follow the instructions carefully, and try to maintain a consistent humid environment for your kit and you should succeed.
What do you mean by ‘flush’? A flush refers to the production of multiple mushroom fruit bodies at one time. Our kits tend to produce many mushrooms simultaneously- this is known as a 'flush' of mushrooms.
How do I get a second flush from my kit? Do not take the block out of the bag. After you’ve harvested your first flush of mushrooms, continue spraying your kit. If you don’t see any baby mushrooms (pins) forming after a week or so, it’s a good idea to soak your block. It’s possible during the first flush the kit got a little too dry. Take your block out of the box and set it cut side down in a bowl of water. Most species only need to soak for 20 minutes. If you have a Lion’s Mane kit, soak your block for 5-10 minutes and keep an eye on it. Lion’s Mane mycelium is very fine, so these blocks tend to break apart if soaked for too long.
After soaking, let the block drain by leaving it cut side down for another 10 minutes or tip it around to let extra water run off. You don't want to leave standing water in your bag. Pat your block dry before placing it back in the box with the cut side facing out or skip the box and leave the block cut side up and keep spraying it 2-3x per day.
Are you hoping for a third, fourth, or fifth flush? We’ve got some ideas for how to get more life out of your kit here.
Can I turn my kit around and cut open the other side? If you’ve already fruited your kit once, it’s definitely possible to fruit it again! We recommend following the instructions above for the best success. While you certainly can cut a second X into the block, you should either seal up the first side or continue spraying both sides to make sure the block doesn't dry out. With two Xs, the fruits out of each side might be smaller than a single flush from one side.
Should I take the block out of the bag for a second flush? Do not take the block out of the bag. After you’ve harvested your first flush of mushrooms, continue spraying your kit. If you don’t see any baby mushrooms (pins) forming after a week or so, it’s a good idea to soak your block. It’s possible during the first flush the kit got a little too dry. Take your block out of the box and set it cut side down in a bowl of water. Most species only need to soak for 20 minutes. If you have a Lion’s Mane kit, soak your block for 5-10 minutes and keep an eye on it. Lion’s Mane mycelium is very fine, so these blocks tend to break apart if soaked for too long.
After soaking, let the block drain by leaving it cut side down for another 10 minutes or tip it around to let extra water run off. You don't want to leave standing water in your bag. Pat your block dry before placing it back in the box with the cut side facing out or skip the box and leave the block cut side up and keep spraying it 2-3x per day.
Are you hoping for a third, fourth, or fifth flush? We’ve got some ideas for how to get more life out of your kit here.