The mushroom grow blocks weigh around three kilograms. More than half that weight is water because mushrooms require heaps of hydration. Mushrooms are often between 85 and 95 per cent moisture content, according to researchers at the Punjab Agricultural University in India.
Our grow room requires between 80 and 90 per cent humidity to maintain the moisture content in the mushroom blocks. Otherwise, the mycelium and fruitbodies will dry up and stop growing. It is like humans feeling less productive when we are dehydrated.
JCB Gourmet Mushrooms grow kits include a spray bottle and a humidity tent so you can easily keep the mushroom block hydrated. All you must do is set up your grow block in a cool area out of direct sunlight and maintain the humidity.
Misting
You should mist the humidity tent at least two to five times per day as you walk by your mushrooms. A good guide is to see droplets cover around 15 per cent of the humidity tent. The fungi will thrive in that environment.
Too much misting at once could cause water to collect at the bottom of the grow block and become soggy, so it is better to mist more frequently in smaller amounts when you can. Misting three times a day – once in the morning, once at lunch, and once before going to bed – usually does the job, but you can also mist in the afternoon and after supper if you spray in smaller amounts.
Teachers who bring grow kits to school can mist when they arrive and before they leave while having the students mist during the day. They can see how fast the mushrooms grow and learn about decomposition in nature’s circle of life.
Harvesting
Let’s not forget the tastiest part of grow kits: harvesting the gourmet mushrooms. We usually harvest the grow blocks once on each side at our growing facility so we can make space for newer blocks. However, there are still enough nutrients in the substrate for multiple more harvests.
You can harvest on the big sides of the block, the smaller sides, the top and the bottom. All you need to do is keep misting and maintaining a cool temperature.
The blocks will get lighter when the water and nutrients are taken to grow mushrooms. Do not worry if you find the mushrooms are taking longer to grow and the block is noticeably lighter. There is still one more trick you can try.
Cold shocking: the extra trick for more mushrooms
Remove the block from the plastic bag by cutting open the top with scissors or a knife. Submerge it in water for six to ten hours. The substrate will absorb the water and the mycelium will not drown during that time.
You can then place the block on a plate and refrigerate it for another 12 hours. This is called cold shocking the mycelium.
Have you ever taken a cold shower to wake yourself up and feel more productive? The mushrooms sometimes need that wake-up call as well, which is what a cold shock does. It will energize the mycelium to keep growing fruitbodies and produce one to two more harvests.
You can slide the block back in its original bag and tape shut the top once the cold shock ends.
In the end, you can have as many as five or six harvests and multiple pounds of mushrooms over two months. Try it out for yourself by visiting our grow kit page!
Leaving the plastic on your kit helps to keep moisture in, preventing the block from drying out. Feel free to spray it periodically when it's looking parched as you would inside. After a couple of weeks, you should expect mushrooms after heavy rainfall or after a big temperature shift.
It's best to mist your mushroom block daily. If you aren't able to get someone to water your kit along with your plants, give your block a quick soak before and after taking off to give it the water it needs to grow.
Submerge it in water for six to ten hours. The substrate will absorb the water and the mycelium will not drown during that time. You can then place the block on a plate and refrigerate it for another 12 hours. This is called cold shocking the mycelium.
The growth environment (i.e., temperature, relative humidity, access to oxygen, clean/ventilated air exchange, and lighting conditions) also impacts mycelium growth. The temperature should be kept at around 25–30 °C [7,13,34] and the relative humidity around 70–80% [7].
Many gourmet mushroom grow kits need light to grow, so keep them in a bright spot away from direct sunlight. This allows you to watch your mushrooms grow and some types will double in size every 12-24 hours. It's a great transformation to witness. They'll also absorb that vitamin D, ready for your consumption.
Mushrooms are best grown under-cover, where temperature and moisture can be controlled. A shed, garage, garden cold frame or cellar will work well – anywhere out of the sun where it's possible to give mushrooms their optimum growing temperature of around 15°C (the temperature shouldn't go below 10°C or above 20°C).
Expect to grow: 2-3 harvests of mushrooms / 150g - 300g
The first flush will always be the biggest. We've had some customers grow up to 4 flushes of mushrooms from our kits but on average you'll get 2 harvests. Once the kit has run out of nutrients and water it will be "spent" and won't produce any more mushrooms.
To initiate fruiting, lowering temperatures and increasing oxygen levels generally encourages mushroom formation. Initiation can be in the form of cold shocking, water shocking or introducing more oxygen by cutting a hole in the bag.
Forcing (for shiitake logs) requires immersing logs into cold water, usually for 12-18 hours. Logs are immersed in cold water that is about 20 F colder than the average air temp.
Phorid Fly – As creamy-white maggots, these insects will feed on mycelium. In an early stage, they only eat selectively and are usually tolerable. However, once they transform into a fly, they are capable of transmitting fungal and bacterial diseases through the crop.
Now that you have finished setting up your kit, you will need to place your kit somewhere for it to grow. The best location will be a room where the temperature stays between 15 to 24 degrees C. The ideal fruiting temperature range for Portabella and White Button mushrooms is between 17 to 20 degrees F.
How long do mushroom growing kits last? Each grow kit usually lasts for about 2-3 harvests, but this will vary depending on the variety of grow kit you choose. Kits may produce more or less mushrooms in total before they expire and must be replaced.
Fruiting Chamber Humidity: Ensure that the environment in your fruiting chamber maintains the necessary humidity levels for the mushroom species you're growing. This may require using a humidifier, automated misting system, or regular manual misting.
We set up our humidifier and humidistat to keep relative humidity between 75-90%. Our fan and cycle timer was set to one minute intervals. The fan in our monotub is set up backwards to blow fresh air in through its filter.
A shotgun fruiting chamber is nothing more than a good sized clear tote, covered in holes, and filled with a few inches of wet perlite in the bottom. The holes allow for fresh air and gas exchange, while the perlite serves as a way to maintain humidity.
While this can be good, airflow is also important and small enclosed spaces can cause your mushrooms to suffer from lack of oxygen. We recommend placing your grow kit on your kitchen bench, out of direct sunlight.
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