Make Your Own Mushroom Kit - Rethink Green (2024)

Hello mushroom lovers! I’m excited to share this super easy method of creating your own mushroom kit, which I stumbled upon very recently. I’d been toying with the idea of growing my own mushrooms as a little science experiment for the kid and as another gardening project. I almost bought a $36 mushroom kit at Sky Nursery the other day, but I’m glad I didn’t! Just two days later, I attended a Hands-On Skills Fair organized by Sustainable NE Seattle and got to make my own mushroom growing kit for free! The other 20 participants and I were guided in this project by Milton Tam of the Puget Sound Mycological Society (PSMS). Check out the gallery of pics above as well as the following directions forbuilding the mushroom kit.

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Here are a few caveats before I lay it out. Mr. Tam developed this easy technique to be used with groups. Anygroup of kids at aschool or summer camp could do this on a picnic table after a trip to Petco and an online order of mushroom spawn or a few previously used kits which now contain mushroom spawn. His emphasis was on making kit instructions out of materials that would be easy to procure, simple to prepare, and not so messy to use.In the Sustainable NE Seattle workshop, people asked all kinds of questions about what post-consumer products they could use instead of buying stuff at Petco. It is possible to make a substrate out of coffee grinds and/or shredded newspaper. The Fungi Perfecti reference booklet mentioned below has professional instructions on that.

DIY Mushroom Kit Supply List:

  • 4 cups of Purina Yesterday’s News recycled newspaper pellets, unscented, no artificial fragrances, softer texture (violet color on package)(one big bag of this product will make 20-22 mushroom kits)
  • 4 cups dechlorinated tap or well water (use warm water or water that has sat out overnight uncovered so chlorine could dissipate)
  • 1/2 cup alfalfa pellets (guinea pig or rabbit food, such as these organic ones) This is optional but improves “vigor and yield of mushrooms and allows for a second fruiting 2 weeks after the first,” according to Tam.
  • 1 cup oyster mushroom grain spawn (or sawdust spawn) from a reputable supplier. 5 lb. bags of just the spawn are $20 from Far West Fungi, CA. NW Mycological Consultants sell 7 lbs. of grain spawn for $20, which will make 22-24 kits. Alternatively, you can break up a kit that you previously made with this recipe that has finished producing mushrooms. Here are two lists of other potential suppliersof spawn.
  • a large, clean plastic bin for mixing
  • plastic newspaper bags. These are the right size and shape and have not been treated with anti-microbials as some other plastic bags are.

DIY Mushroom Kit Instructions:

Part 1: At the workshop:

  1. Combine the newspaper pellets and water in the plastic mixing bin and let them sit for 5-10 minutes until they absorb all the water (no pooling)
  2. Mix the soaked mixture to fluff it up a little, then add the alfalfa pellets (optional) and 1 cup grain spawn.
  3. Mix well, then fill the newspaper bag with this mixture (you’ll have to use your hands – make sure they’re clean)
  4. Pack down gently to remove air pockets, then twist and tie a knot at the end.

Part 2: At home:

  1. Cut 4 slits about 1″ long in the plastic bag. Place kit in a dimly lit or dark, cool area (60-70 degrees F). Mark with the date.
  2. After 2.5-4 weeks, the bag should be filled with white mycelium. At this point, move the mushroom kit to a cool, well-lit room but keep it out of direct sunlight (not on a windowsill).
  3. Inspect daily for signs of baby mushrooms (primordia) growing at slits or elsewhere. Cut more holes in the bag if necessary to free the growing mushrooms. Use boiled and cooled water (or water that has stood out overnight) to mist mushrooms several times a day, as evaporation stimulates growth, but do not soak or over-wet.
  4. Mushrooms should double in size every day. Pick whole clusters when each mushroom is about 2″ in diameter. Cook in your favorite mushroom dish and enjoy!
  5. Once this first fruiting is over, you can return the kit to a cool, dark place for another 2-3 weeks and repeat the whole process a second time. Once you are done with the kit, you can break it up and use 1 cup of the material as the “mushroom spawn” ingredient fora new kit (so maybe make 5 new kits out of one spent one?), or break up and add to your garden soil or compost pile as a soil amendment.

Right now I’m at step 3. I hid the kit in a cabinet so dark and neglected that I found all kinds of canning equipment in there that I had thought was lost or had been given away. Yay! When I checked it 2.5 weeks later, it was firm and full of white stuff. I snapped that picture of it on some leaves outside, then brought it in, where I’ve been looking it over and googling whatprimordia look like. I also need to find a little spray bottle for misting. Stay tuned for updates on how my mushrooms turn out. I’m thinkinggomba paprikásor mushroom quiche when they’re fully grown. Fingers crossed!

Update: This yielded 3 cups of oyster mushrooms and I did make gomba paprikás! Check out this follow-up post for the recipe and some additional tips!

Make Your Own Mushroom Kit - Rethink Green (2024)

FAQs

What is the green stuff in my mushroom grow bag? ›

Trichoderma

Trichoderma is a group of green mold fungi that is present in all soils, with several species having the ability to form symbiotic relationships with plants and plant roots. One species in particular, Trichoderma harzianum is one of the most common forms of contamination seen in mushroom cultivation.

What is the green mold in my mushroom growing kit? ›

A mushroom grower's enemy #1 - Trichoderma is a genus of fungi which contains over 80 accepted species. Trichoderma mould is usually green in colour, ranging from an olive to emerald green. It is present in all soils and is the most common contaminant found in mushroom growing.

Do mushroom growing kits work? ›

If you can find a high quality kit, then yes- absolutely. There are loads of different branded mushroom kits available, and lots of different species of mushrooms you can grow… so it's worth it to do a little bit of research before diving in.

How mushroom grow kits are made? ›

They are made from substrate (organic materials that mushrooms eat such as sawdust, seed hulls, straw, woodchips) which has been hydrated and sterilised (usually by steaming). The substrate is usually held within a specialised mushroom growing bag.

How to make your own mushroom? ›

Growing mushrooms at home in a bucket from spawn instead of spores is like growing from a cutting instead of from seeds.
  1. Step 1: Prepare the Bucket. For best results, start by sterilizing the bucket. ...
  2. Step 2: Prepare the Substrate. ...
  3. Step 3: Layer Substrate and Spawn. ...
  4. Step 4: Let It Spawn. ...
  5. Step 5: Harvest Mushrooms.
Mar 6, 2024

What kills Trichoderma spores? ›

Phenolic disinfectants are the most suppressive to the growth of Trichoderma mycelium, and of these, Disolite is more effective in killing Trichoderma spores than Environ or Prophyl at the same dilution rate.

What does Trichoderma smell like? ›

The compound 6-pentyl-2H-pyran-2-one (6PP), a lactone with a coconut-like odor, is commonly produced by Trichoderma and has been shown to both improve and inhibit plant growth and health at different concentrations [7, 23].

Should I shake my mushroom grow bag? ›

Gently knead and shake your bag to break up the mycelium until it's evenly distributed throughout the bag. After shaking the bag, place it back in storage under the same conditions as before for about another week or two, so it can finish colonizing.

Is Trichoderma mold harmful to humans? ›

Illness related to Trichoderma is rare in healthy people but common in those with compromised immune systems. Exposure to its spores can cause symptoms like coughing, sneezing, sore throats, and asthma and can lead to lung infection.

What does Trichoderma look like? ›

Trichoderma harzianum mycelium begins as a gray color and then changes to white becoming very dense. After fruiting, its spores turn it a dark green. There are many other types of molds that also are green associated with mushroom compost.

Is Green mould toxic? ›

While black mold may seem more dangerous, its green counterpart is just as likely to cause health issues. All molds — green, black, or other colors — can cause health problems, especially in susceptible people. Continuous exposure to mold can affect the respiratory system and trigger asthma attacks and allergens.

Are mushroom kits worth the money? ›

If you are successful, it is fairly worth it because you should be able to harvest, over time, more fruiting bodies than you would by purchasing the equivalent for what a kit costs. However, there are no guarantees, and if you don't put the effort in, or things go wrong, it will be a loss.

Which mushroom growing kit is best? ›

North Spore Mushroom Grow Kit

This easy-to-use mushroom growing kit is ideal for growing your own gourmet mushrooms at home. The kit contains a sawdust block colonized with productive Lion's Mane mushrooms. Lion's Mane mushrooms are often associated with a lobster or crab flavor when cooked with great health benefits.

Should mushroom kits be kept in dark? ›

Your mushroom kit does not need to be kept in the dark, but under no circ*mstance should you allow direct sun light to shine into your mushroom kit. The sunlight can dry out, overheat, and even kill your kit. Ambient light will cause Portabella mushroom caps to become darker brown in color.

How much does it cost to make Mushroom Packaging? ›

For instance, when a standard plastic grocery bag costs about a penny to produce [x] and Mushroom Packaging costs approximately USD 2.5 to 3, these solutions are capital intensive, and passing these costs over to the consumer may affect their willingness to pay for certain products and services.

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