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- 🍄 A 5-pound fruiting block can give you up to 2 pounds of mushrooms from many harvests.
- 🧫 Fruiting blocks are fully grown. They need little setup, so they are good for new growers.
- ♻️ Growing mushrooms reuses organic waste. This includes sawdust and coffee grounds, which helps the environment.
- 💡 Mushrooms grow well with indirect light, high humidity, and temperatures between 60–75°F.
- 🧠 Mushrooms like lion’s mane have compounds that help brain health.
Home Mushroom Growing Is Popular
Mushrooms are very popular now. People enjoy fungi in food and for health — from lion’s mane coffee to mushroom tacos at markets. This growing interest has also inspired more people to grow mushrooms at home. Many start with easy options like Mushroom Grow Bags, fruiting blocks, or even a small Monotub setup. Whether you’re a gardener, a food lover, or someone who values sustainable growing, cultivating your own mushrooms adds nutrition, variety, and the joy of homegrown food to your kitchen counter.
What Is a Mushroom Growing Kit?
Mushroom growing kits are pre-packaged. They are made to help everyone grow mushrooms at home, from new growers to experienced ones. Basically, these kits include a prepared and sterilized growing material. This is usually hardwood sawdust, straw, or coco coir. It already has mushroom mycelium in it. This is like the fungi's root system.
Many beginner-friendly mushroom growing kits arrive fully grown. They need almost no setup. These are called “fruiting blocks.” You only need a spray bottle, a few minutes a day, and a cool spot in your home with some light.
Some kits are more complex. They have grain spawn, bulk growing materials, and DIY inoculation supplies. These kits are for people who want bigger harvests or want to learn more about how mushrooms grow at home.
If you want a simple kit or want to become a backyard fungi farmer, these kits are an easy way to start growing mushrooms at home.
Why Grow Them at Home? Benefits of Growing Your Own Mushrooms
Growing mushrooms offers many benefits. Many people grow mushrooms at home. Here is why:
1. Good Taste and Freshness
Mushrooms from stores often travel far and sit for days. You can pick homegrown mushrooms right before you eat them. This keeps in their flavor and nutrients. Fresh mushrooms have a firmer feel, a richer smell, and a rich taste that makes even simple dishes better.
2. More Nutrition
Mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, potassium, fiber, antioxidants, and complex carbs. Mushrooms like lion’s mane and shiitake are good to eat and have beta-glucans. These and other compounds can help your immune system and brain. (Chang & Wasser, 2012).
3. Safe and in Your Control
When you grow mushrooms at home, you don't worry about pesticides, preservatives, or bad handling. You control the growing space. This makes sure your mushrooms are safe, clean, and good to eat.
4. Fun to Learn
It is fun to watch mycelium grow and mushrooms sprout, for both kids and adults. And it teaches about biology, ecology, and sustainable practices.
5. Earth-Friendly Growing
Mushroom growing kits and fruiting blocks use things like sawdust or coffee grounds that would otherwise be waste from farms. Also, mushrooms don't need much space. So, they are good for apartments or indoor gardens.
6. Good for Your Mind and Body
Gardening and growing things have always been linked to feeling better. Taking care of mushrooms adds daily mindful routines. Many people say this is calming and meditative, just like traditional gardening.
The Simplest Start: Fruiting Blocks
If you are new to this, fruiting blocks are like baking a cake from a mix. They are ready to use and easy to get right.
What Are Fruiting Blocks?
Fruiting blocks are sterile blocks, often of hardwood sawdust, that mycelium has completely grown through. These blocks come sealed in bags that let air in. This means you skip the longest parts of growing mushrooms.
How to Use a Fruiting Block
- Cut a small “X” on the bag surface. Or slice away the front panel to make an opening.
- Mist the exposed spot 2–3 times a day using clean water.
- Put the block in a bright, humid spot with good air flow.
- Wait 7–10 days for small mushrooms to appear.
Fungi Magazine calls fruiting blocks an easy first step. They give good results without the hard work of sterilizing things or stopping contamination.
Popular Mushroom Types for Fruiting Blocks
Some mushrooms grow better and stronger in fruiting blocks. This makes them good for new growers.
🍄 Blue Oyster (Pleurotus ostreatus)
- They grow fast and are easy to handle, even with changing temperatures and humidity.
- They taste savory. You can use them in stir-fries and soups.
- Their blue-grey caps look nice.
🧠 Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus)
- They look shaggy, like a white pom-pom.
- They taste like lobster or crab. And they have compounds that help nerve growth.
- They are known to boost Nerve Growth Factor (NGF). This helps your brain.
🌰 Chestnut (Pholiota adiposa)
- They take longer to grow but make clusters of golden-brown caps.
- They have a nutty, rich taste, good for roasting or grilling.
- They need more specific humidity. So, they are a good second kit for growers learning more.
How Fruiting Blocks Work
Knowing what mushrooms need can help you get better results. You can also get more harvests from one block.
Good Conditions for Growing:
- Humidity: Mushrooms are mostly water. So, mist them a lot or use a humidity tent. Keep the air around 80–95% humidity.
- Fresh Air Exchange (FAE): Mycelium lets out CO₂. Mushrooms need fresh air to start growing and to keep their shape.
- Light: Some indirect light for 12 hours a day is enough. A window or an LED lamp nearby works fine.
- Temperature: Most edible mushrooms grow well in 60–75°F. If it's too hot or cold, they might grow later or less.
After you open the block, mushrooms usually start growing in a week. When you finish your first harvest, soak the block in cold water for 12–24 hours. This starts a new growth.
What Mushrooms Should Beginners Grow First?
If you are new to growing mushrooms, pick types that can handle different conditions. Choose ones that grow fast and give many mushrooms.
- Blue Oyster: Strong, grows fast, and good for new growers. You get many mushrooms with little work.
- Lion’s Mane: They need specific humidity. But they look good and have a special taste and benefits.
- Pink Oyster: This is a fun, colorful project. They grow fast and have a slightly peppery taste.
- King Trumpet: They grow slower. But they are a good meat substitute and last a long time.
- Shiitake: They have a rich umami taste and nutrients. But you might need to soak them to get the first growth started.
These fungi are easy for new growers. They also let you try different foods and growing methods.
Growing More: Inoculating Substrate with Grain Spawn
After you are good with fruiting blocks, you can start making your own mushroom beds. Use sterilized grain spawn and bulk growing materials.
What Is Grain Spawn?
Grain spawn is mycelium grown on sterilized grains. These include rye, millet, or wheat. You mix grain spawn into more pasteurized growing material, like straw or coir. This lets the mycelium grow through it and produce mushrooms in a bigger space.
Bulk Growing Materials You Can Use
- Coconut coir + vermiculite: It costs little and many people use it.
- Sterilized sawdust: Good for mushrooms that like hardwood, such as shiitake or lion’s mane.
- Straw: Works well for oysters, mainly when grown outside.
Monotub Setups
These bigger containers have holes for air. You can grow many pounds of mushrooms with just one inoculation. They mean a much bigger harvest. Many growers who want to grow more use them.
Making the Right Growing Conditions at Home
Even simple setups can grow good mushrooms.
| Condition | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Humidity | Mist 2–3 times a day. Or use a plastic tent to keep in moisture. |
| Fresh Air | Add holes to the sides of your bin. Or fan it gently a few times a day. |
| Light | 12 hours of soft or indirect light. Keep it out of direct sun. |
| Temperature | Keep the room at 60–75°F. Heat mats or fans can help keep the conditions steady. |
Keeping conditions steady is important. A more consistent space means your fruiting block will produce more.
Fixing Common Mushroom Growing Problems
Even well-prepared fruiting blocks can sometimes have problems. Here is how to fix them:
Problem: Green Mold (Trichoderma)
- Cause: Too much moisture and not enough air flow.
- Solution: Throw away bad blocks right away. This stops spores from spreading. Start again with clean tools.
Problem: Small Mushrooms Form But Don’t Grow
- Cause: Not enough humidity or old air.
- Solution: Mist more often and check the air flow.
Problem: Block Smells Rotten
- Cause: Bacteria.
- Solution: Throw out the block, clean your setup, and try again.
Problem: Flat or Misshaped Mushrooms
- Cause: Not enough light or too much CO₂.
- Solution: Give it more indirect light and better air flow.
Each problem teaches you something. Many growers improve their methods by fixing these small issues.
Harvesting & Storing Your Mushrooms
Harvest at the right time:
- Oyster Mushrooms: Pick them when the caps are flat and before the edges curl.
- Lion’s Mane: Pick them when they look like fingers, before they turn yellow.
- Shiitake: Ready when the cap opens and you can see the gills.
Storage Tips
- Short term: Put clean mushrooms in a paper bag in the fridge. They last up to 10 days.
- Long term: Dry them to remove all water. Then keep them in clean jars or vacuum-sealed bags.
Dried mushrooms are good for broths, teas, and powders for herbs.
How Much You Get: What to Expect from a Mushroom Growing Kit
Each mushroom growing kit works a little differently. But here is a general guide:
- First Harvest: This is the biggest harvest. It gives 50–70% of all mushrooms.
- Second Harvest: This harvest is smaller, but you can still get mushrooms if you care for it.
- Third+ Harvests: You get fewer mushrooms. But it is possible if you add water and let it rest.
A 5-pound fruiting block often gives 1.5 to 2 pounds of fresh mushrooms from 2–3 harvests (Rogers, 2020).
Growing More Mushrooms: A Hobby or Extra Work?
Once you have your first harvest, you can do many things:
- 🛠️ Grow in Monotubs: Make your own setups for many indoor mushrooms.
- 🌿 Give to Friends or Local Markets: Restaurants, co-ops, and CSAs want fresh mushrooms.
- 🧘 Feel Less Stress: Many people find growing mushrooms to be calming and very satisfying.
Even with few tools, casual hobbyists can turn their interest into a good side income or a calming hobby.
Why Zombie Mushrooms? What Our Kits and Supplies Offer
At Zombie Mushrooms, we make it easy to grow mushrooms at home. We offer:
- 🔹 Top fruiting blocks—fully grown and give many mushrooms
- 🔹 Clean, strong liquid cultures and spawn to grow more
- 🔹 Good mycology gear for new and experienced growers
- 🔹 Free guides, expert blogs, and tips to help you
Whether it is your first mushroom grow kit or you are making your own cultures, we are here to help you succeed.
From Wanting to Try to Growing
Growing mushrooms brings nature, science, and taste to your home. Starting with easy mushroom growing kits, like fruiting blocks, gives you quick results. It also shows you what you can do. Then, you can learn more, make your setup bigger, and enjoy a good hobby—or even make money. Ready to grow mushrooms at home? Now is a great time to start with fungi.
Citations
Chang, S. T., & Wasser, S. P. (2012). The role of culinary-medicinal mushrooms on human welfare with a pyramid model for human health. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, 14(2), 95–134.
Fungi Magazine. (2020). The gateway grow format. Fungi Magazine, 13(3).
Rogers, T. (2020). Growing Gourmet Mushrooms: A Beginner’s Guide. Mycophile Press.
North American Mycological Association. (2019). Contamination Identification Guide.
