Clean a pair of scissors or a sharp knife. Cut an X slightly smaller than the window in the bag. Later, as the mushrooms try to push their way out, you will need to expand the X to the size of the window (or even a little bigger). Gently “score,” or slice into, the substrate (the block of wood that the plastic is wrapped around) when you make the X. Score it about a centimeter or so.

Just leave them there flat-ish against the substrate. They will help preserve the moisture in the block so that the mushrooms don’t dry out. The “pins,” or baby mushrooms, will push the plastic flaps out as they grow. Pull open the flaps every time you spray water directly onto the substrate, and then lay them back down.

A lot! It’s really hard to over-water. We recommend spritzing the substrate (and then the mushrooms as they grow) between 3-6 times a day, with about 20 spritzes each time with the little water bottle that comes with your kit. It doesn’t have to be perfect but they love to stay moist!

No! Keep it on your kitchen counter or somewhere fun. It can be exposed to indirect sunlight all day. Just don’t turn it to FACE a window.

Nope. The cover is meant to stay on... it’s pretty!

Don’t do anything. It’s totally normal to have some random mushrooms fruiting under the bag here and there, but the pressure of the plastic will prevent them from maturing. Only focus on tending to the mushrooms in your window.

Not necessarily. They can grow anywhere in the window. They might also grow slightly outside of the window. See next question.

Sometimes you’ll have several little clusters pinning here and there instead of one perfect cluster in the middle of the window. Most clusters at the edge of the window will still grow into the open window - mushrooms can really stretch! But if you don’t like where they’ve begun, you can reach into the window, slightly under the plastic and the cover, and pull off a cluster and compost it. It’s like selecting for seedlings when there are too many. Conservatively thin your mushroom clusters if you need to - more will grow!

The golden pins pull substrate residue onto their caps, and they often look kinda dark for a bit while they grow. Same with the stems - they often look dirty or stained. As they get bigger and more yellow, you’ll see the dark spots get smaller and eventually fall off.

When you harvest and cook your goldens, if there are any dark spots on your stems, just peel off that thin top layer.

Keep in mind that golden oyster mushrooms usually have a very short shelf life in the fridge, so we advise preparing them within a day or so.

Of course, if you have any concerns about mold or anything else weird, please contact us and send a picture and we can advise. Be safe!!

You can harvest anytime within a few days window. If your mushrooms are a little immature or a little mature, no harm no foul! No matter what, there will be smaller mushrooms and larger mushrooms in your bouquet. Try to harvest when the most mature mushrooms start to curl upwards eeeever so slightly on the edges. See the photo of the two blue kits. The one of the left is a day or so too early for a perfect harvest. The one on the right is a day or so too late for a perfect harvest. Try to aim somewhere in the middle.

We guarantee one flush, but you may get two. After you harvest (with your hands), keep spraying the window with water. Second flushes take longer than first - sometimes two weeks or so - and they are smaller than the first flushes. Be patient and cross your fingers!

One harvest definitely, and frequently two harvests - or more!? The subsequent harvests do not yield as much. Overall, you’ll probably get ½ - 1 ½ pounds or so, give or take.

Pull/push with your hands. Brace your thumbs at the bottom of the bouquet and wrap your fingers gently around the middle/upper stems, and slooowly push with your thumbs and wiggle the base of the bouquet off in all directions. Sometimes the bouquets can pop off suddenly, so be careful not to pop them off directly onto the floor!

Yes! Contact us or visit us at one of our markets and we’ll give you another naked block to slip into your cover at a 25% discount! No need to return your covers - we will not resell them.

Keep spraying, and don’t do anything rash like remove the cover and tear the bag apart. Contact us too. We guarantee at least one bouquet of mushrooms, so if they don’t grow for some reason (this is nature, after all), we’ll replace your kit!

Our grow kits currently cost $38. Our premium handmade covers are a different packaging system from the normal cardboard boxes you’ll find online.

Contact us! We are local, friendly, knowledgeable, and we guarantee mushrooms. We’ll help you :).

Thank you! Please reach out and let us know you loved the kit, or post a picture and tag us on Facebook!

No! That’s the mycelium (fungal threads). If the white is fuzzy though, you can gently press down on it and smooth it out with clean fingers. You can also wipe off any film on the plastic if you want to.

With clean scissors, cut the entire oval top open. The bag is folded in places, but do your best to cut cut cut until it’s a nice clean line of plastic flush with the top of the substrate.