DIY Grow Kits
Our spawn is all guaranteed to be free of any contaminants, if you notice any green or black growth when the package arrives, please contact us immediately and we will replace it for you.
We cannot guarantee the resulting growth on the substrate due to many factors out of our control. If you follow the steps below, you will have an excellent chance at success.
If you have any questions along the way, please send us a message via the chat function on our website.
What you'll need
Jug
Disenfectant spray
Clothes pegs
step 1
To begin, the pellets in the two grow bags need to be hydrated and pasteurised.
Boiling water will effectively kill any potential competitors to your mushroom spawn.
step 2
Fill your jug with 1.7L of water and boil it.
Position the two grow bags on the bench next to it so that you are ready for the next step.
step 3
Holding the top of one grow bag open, very carefully pour the entire jug into it. Repeat this process for the second bag so that each of them have 1.7L of boiling water added.
Using gloves for this step is a good idea as the steam will be hot on your hands.
step 4
Once both bags have been hydrated, fold the tops over three times and hold them in place with clothes pegs.
You want to ensure that no air can get through the top, only through the filter patch.
step 5
The next day, choose a suitable workspace for adding the spawn to your substrate. The inoculation should take place in a clean room without air movement. Keep the windows and doors shut.
Use a disinfectant spray on your work surface before you start.
step 6
Use the disinfectant spray on the outside of your spawn bag and then break it up so that the grains are free-flowing.
This will allow you to pour the spawn more accurately into each bag.
step 7
Cut the top of the spawn bag with a disinfected blade and pour the grains evenly amongst the two bags of hydrated substrate. After the spawn has been added, fold the tops of the substrate bags over three times again and hold them in place with clothes pegs. You want the top of the bag sealed, only allowing air through the filter patch.
It is important to do this step quickly. When the bags are open, you are at risk of accidentally introducing contaminants.
step 8
Holding the top and bottom, shake each bag thoroughly to ensure the grains are distributed evenly around the substrate.
Once mixed, shape the blocks with your hand to ensure they sit square and level.
step 9
Store the substrate bags in a warm spot out of direct light to colonise. Ideally, 20C-25C. Lower temperatures will lead to slow growth. A hot water cupboard is a good spot for this step in winter. Over the coming weeks, you will notice the mushroom's mycelium start to spread around the substrate.
Colonisation Times
Oyster Mushrooms - 2 Weeks
Pekepeke-Kiore - 4 Weeks
step 10
After two weeks for Oyster Mushrooms or four weeks for Pekepeke-Kiore, you can remove the clothes pegs and tape the top of the bag over one side of the block. Removing the air from inside the bag will help encourage growth through the cut you will make.
At this point, you can follow the corresponding instructions for growing your chosen variety.