Grow Kit Directions
& Log Starting-Care
Follow these easy, set and grow directions
Setting up
1- Find a location that will stay between 55F-75F, like a kitchen counter-top, somewhere out of direct sunlight, but somewhere that has some light. The lights in the ceiling are plenty of light for them
2- Next, fill a cake pan or shallow tray with tap water. Place an empty, upside-down bowl in the water, creating an island of sorts. Place the grow kit on the island. The goal is to have the evaporation around the kit to keep the humidity up, be sure to top the water off as needed.
Fruiting the Block
3- Cut 2 small X's, on the side without the sticker, towards the upper side of the block.
4- Now sit back and watch them grow! It can take around 1 week to see any activity, but once you see them forming, they should be ready to harvest in 12-14 days. There is no exact time to harvest, but ideally you pick just before the spores dump. With oysters its when the cap starts to flatten out, and with lion's mane, it's when the teeth start getting about 1/4 in long.
Harvest time
5- Twist and pull the fruits and clean the substrate off using scissors.
6- After the mushrooms have been harvested, you can fold the plastic over to cover the 1st X's and cut 2 more X's on the other side of the kit for a 2nd flush. Or you can use packaging tape to cover them as well, and make new X's beside the 1st ones.
7- ENJOY THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR!
Steps for Starting Your Mushroom Logs
Find fresh soft hard wood logs such as Oak, Ash, Alder, and or Maple! (NO FRUIT TREES)
You want these to have been cut down no longer than a month prior to use.
Select the straightest pieces that are about 4-6inches in diameter.
Buck up these logs to 2.5ft-4ft!
*Let the logs sit for about two weeks before use, so the antifungal activity is no longer active
(This is the tree's natural defense).
Now drill your holes for your dowels 3/8th drill bit, drill them one & 1/8th inch deep so the dowel sits just below the surface.
Use a pattern of 3-4 inches in a line, pre-drill one line of the holes, then with a mallet pack the dowels in.
Start the next line staggered about two inches from the previous line.
Keep this pattern until the log is full.
Packing more is preferred, don’t try and stretch the dowels too far. (This gives the selected mycelium a strong foot hold and out competes other non-desired mycelium)
Now it’s time to use your food grade wax, heat in the microwave for about 3minutes, caution it will be very hot, grab with oven mitt, stir and heat again if needed.
Use the dauber to help cover the plugs, this helps keep the hydration in the log. Cap the ends of the log too with wax.
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CARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR LOGS
Find the right place for the log, find a place out of the direct sun & somewhere you won’t forget about it!
You can set reminders on your phone to check on it periodically throughout the year.
In the hot season you will want to water it.
You can set a sprinkler to it for 15minutes a day during hot spells.
If the log dries out the mycelium won’t have enough hydration to fruit.
Fall and Spring check on it for fruiting activity.
The cooler conditions and high moisture of rainfall will trigger the log to start fruiting.
*TO HELP ENSURE A FALL HARVEST SOAK YOUR LOGS IN A TUB OR CREEK FOR 48HOURS. This replicates a heavy rain fall and with colder nights helping trigger the log to fruit.
**Make sure you beat the slugs to your first harvest. Placing the log off the ground will help slow slugs, add ash rings around it, Sluggo, and or a beer can trap to deter slugs.
Harvest your mushrooms and enjoy! Keep caring for your log and you will continue to get harvest off it for years.
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