Depending on the variety of mushrooms in your kit, you can expect it to regrow up to five flushes, or rounds of fruit production… but that doesn’t have to be the end of its life! With a little effort, you can regrow the entire kit from the mycelium block by sterilizing the mycelium to prevent contamination, breaking it up, and hydrating it in a fresh substrate.
The rest of this article will give details on encouraging your mushroom kit to grow fruit again, which kit varieties produce the most flushes of fruit, how to care for your mushroom kit in between fruitings, how to tell when your mushroom kit will no longer produce, and options for regrowing a mycelium that has used up the substrate that came with the kit.
Which Mushroom Varieties are Likely to Regrow More Fruit?
Here are some popular varieties of mushrooms and how many flushes you can expect from them per kit:
- Pink Oyster 2-3
- Shiitake 3-5
- Reishi 1-3
- Golden Oyster 3-5
- Lion’s mane 1-2
- Blue Oyster 2-3
- Maitake (Hen of the Woods) 2-5
- Pearl Oyster 2-4
What Can I Do to Ensure a Second Flush?
Taking excellent care of your kit according to the directions is the best way to ensure second and subsequent fruiting. Don’t let the block of substrate dry out, give it enough humidity, light, and airflow to keep the mycelium healthy, and give the mycelium a little scrape with a spoon or knife to encourage it to start “pinning,” or growing immature mushrooms.
Does My Mycelium Need to Rest?
If your mushroom kit produced a very large crop of fruit, it may be advised to let your mycelium rest in between fruitings to encourage it to produce more. Some varieties require a rest of 2-3 weeks, while others just need a day or two with a temperature change before rehydrating it and preparing it to produce more fruit.
How Can I Tell If the Kit is Done Making More Mushrooms?
If you have been taking care of your mushroom kit according to directions, it has been more than two weeks since the last harvest, and there are no signs of new primordia growth or “pinning” indicating the start of another fruiting cycle, the kit is done. Regrowing your mushroom kit is possible, but you will need a fresh substrate to nourish the mycelium.
Should I Throw Away My Mushroom Kit when It’s Done?
No! You can see if the mycelium is still alive and would grow on a fresh substrate, or reuse the block as valuable mushroom compost. The substrate block can be crumbled up and used as compost for plants that would benefit from its water-retaining properties, such as ferns, Boston ivy, or Easter lilies.
How Do I Grow the Mycelium on Another Substrate?
Once your mycelium has consumed all the nutrients in the substrate that came with the kit, you can try to regrow it by giving it some fresh substrate. Not all varieties can be regrown this way, but it’s worth a try to get even more fruit out of a single kit.
After harvesting the final flush:
- Weigh your mycelium block
- Sterilize the outside of the mycelium block with limewater or hydrogen peroxide
- Break up the block into a container such as a plastic lidded tub or 5-gallon bucket
- Multiply the mycelium block weight by 4 to determine the amount of dry substrate needed
- Add substrate preferred by your mushroom variety
- Mix and hydrate the new mushroom kit
Do I Need to Regrow my Mushroom Kit in a Tub or Bucket?
No, using the directions listed above you can regrow your kit in a bag, a wicker basket, or even a plastic laundry basket! What’s important is that the mycelium receives the humidity, temperature, light, air, and correct substrate material in order to grow and produce delicious fruit.
Will My Log Kit Regrow?
Log mushroom kits need a few months to establish but will regrow fruit for 3-6 years with proper care. If the mycelium is still alive when the log substrate is exhausted, you can follow the same directions listed above and try to grow it on a bed of wood chips or attempt to inoculate another log by drilling several holes and placing chunks of the sterilized mycelium in them.
Can I Keep Regrowing a Mushroom Kit Forever?
No, a mycelium ages just like all other biological organisms. Eventually, the mycelium will be too old to continue inoculating new substrates, and you will have to introduce new spores or buy a new kit.
Can I Try to Grow an Indoor Kit Outdoors?
Yes, many people have had success at creating a patch of mushrooms in their yard from a spent kit by digging a hole in a shaded and moist microclimate in the yard and burying the entire mycelium block. Cover the area with some mulch, and check for new mushroom growth in a few months.
Not all mushroom varieties will tolerate being moved outdoors, especially if your climate isn’t compatible with the type you chose. If it doesn’t work, there’s still a benefit because you just put fresh mushroom compost into the ground to fertilize your yard.
Can I Regrow Two Different Mushroom Types in the Same Container/Plot?
You can try, but it’s unlikely to work because different mushroom varieties will compete with one another for resources and nutrients. To maximize the amount of fruit and the health of your mushrooms, it is best to give each variety its own space.
Will an Outdoor Grow Kit Regrow?
Outdoor grow kits are a great investment because, once they are established, mushrooms will regrow year after year, seasonally, without having to introduce more spores. These kits require a plot, such as a section of a raised garden bed, and some people have reported morel mushrooms still growing from their kit 25 years later!
John Stephens
Hi, I’m John Stephens, chief editor and writer for Totalgardener.com. I’ve been gardening and raising animals for over 15 years starting with a small backyard plot in Northern Virginia where I grew corn, potatoes, squash, and using a high mulch technique called the Ruth Stout Method. I also raised ducks and small mammals for meat and eggs in a movable pen similar to the ones used by Joel Salatin. I later moved to Colorado where I experimented with growing greens using aquaponics inside. I eventually added a microgreens setup and home sprouting operation. I’m excited to share everything I’ve learned plus more from the other local gardening and animal raising experts I know.
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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
John Stephens: Expert Gardener and Chief Editor of Totalgardener.com
As an experienced gardener and chief editor of Totalgardener.com, I have spent over 15 years honing my skills and knowledge in gardening and raising animals. I started my journey with a small backyard plot in Northern Virginia, where I cultivated a variety of crops such as corn, potatoes, and squash using the Ruth Stout Method, a high mulch technique. Additionally, I raised ducks and small mammals for meat and eggs in movable pens inspired by Joel Salatin's methods.
My passion for gardening led me to explore different techniques and systems. In Colorado, I delved into aquaponics and successfully grew greens using this method. I also ventured into microgreens and home sprouting operations to further expand my knowledge and expertise.
Through my website, Totalgardener.com, I aim to share the wealth of information I have accumulated over the years. I collaborate with local gardening and animal raising experts to provide comprehensive and reliable content for gardening enthusiasts.
With this background in mind, I will now provide information related to all the concepts used in this article.
Concepts Covered in the Article:
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Regrowing Mushroom Kits: The article explains how you can regrow a mushroom kit from the mycelium block by sterilizing the mycelium, breaking it up, and hydrating it in a fresh substrate. This process allows for multiple flushes or rounds of fruit production from the kit.
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Varieties and Flushes: The article lists popular mushroom varieties and the number of flushes you can expect from each kit. It provides information on varieties such as Pink Oyster, Shiitake, Reishi, Golden Oyster, Lion's Mane, Blue Oyster, Maitake (Hen of the Woods), and Pearl Oyster.
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Caring for Mushroom Kits: The article emphasizes the importance of taking excellent care of your mushroom kit to ensure second and subsequent fruiting. It highlights the need to prevent the block of substrate from drying out and to provide sufficient humidity, light, and airflow to keep the mycelium healthy.
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Resting Period for Mycelium: The article mentions that some mushroom varieties may require a rest period of 2-3 weeks between fruitings to encourage the production of more fruit. Others may only need a day or two with a temperature change before rehydrating and preparing for another fruiting cycle.
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Determining the End of Mushroom Production: The article explains how to tell if your mushroom kit is done producing more fruit. It suggests looking for signs of new primordia growth or "pinning" indicating the start of another fruiting cycle. If there are no signs and it has been more than two weeks since the last harvest, the kit is considered done.
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Reuse and Regrowth of Mushroom Kits: The article advises against throwing away a mushroom kit when it's done. It suggests checking if the mycelium is still alive and can grow on a fresh substrate or reusing the block as valuable mushroom compost.
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Growing Mycelium on Another Substrate: The article explains the process of regrowing mycelium on a fresh substrate once it has consumed all the nutrients in the original kit. It mentions the importance of selecting the right substrate for your mushroom variety and provides step-by-step instructions for the process.
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Container Options for Regrowing Kits: The article clarifies that you can regrow your mushroom kit in various containers such as bags, wicker baskets, or plastic laundry baskets. It highlights the importance of providing the mycelium with the necessary conditions, including humidity, temperature, light, air, and the correct substrate material.
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Regrowth of Log Mushroom Kits: The article mentions that log mushroom kits require a few months to establish but can regrow fruit for 3-6 years with proper care. It explains that if the mycelium is still alive when the log substrate is exhausted, you can attempt to regrow it on a bed of wood chips or inoculate another log by drilling holes and placing sterilized mycelium in them.
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Lifespan of Mycelium and Introducing New Spores: The article states that mycelium ages like all other biological organisms. Eventually, it will be too old to continue inoculating new substrates, and you will need to introduce new spores or purchase a new kit.
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Growing Kits Outdoors: The article mentions that you can try to grow an indoor kit outdoors by burying the entire mycelium block in a shaded and moist microclimate. It advises covering the area with mulch and checking for new mushroom growth after a few months. However, not all mushroom varieties tolerate being moved outdoors, so success may vary depending on your climate.
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Growing Multiple Mushroom Types: The article suggests that it's unlikely to successfully regrow two different mushroom types in the same container or plot. Different mushroom varieties may compete with each other for resources and nutrients, so it is best to give each variety its own space.
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Outdoor Grow Kits: The article highlights that outdoor grow kits are a great investment, as mushrooms will regrow year after year without the need to introduce more spores. It mentions the possibility of morel mushrooms still growing from a kit even after 25 years.
These are the main concepts covered in this article. If you have any specific questions or would like further clarification on any of these topics, feel free to ask!