Mushroom growing 101: What is a mushroom grow kit?
Mushrooms are all the rage these days, and for good reason. Local mushroom farms (like us) are successfully sharing their crop with the community for food and wellness. But some people want to take matters into their own hands and grow their own fresh fungi. Which leads many to ask, what is a mushroom grow kit? And should I be using one?
Mushroom grow kit basics
Mushroom grow kits are typically made up of mushroom substrate (a growing medium) and mycelium, packed together in a bag or box. While many variations exist, the easiest-to-use ones come with colonized substrate and are ready to fruit.
Kits tend to come with the most difficult parts out of the way – no sterilization, inoculation, or incubation necessary. It’s why they’re such a good option for beginners who are interested in growing mushrooms. What better way to familiarize yourself with the process than a simple, hands-off approach?
The benefits of mushroom growing kits
We’ve already got the most obvious benefit out of the way: convenience. Mushroom grow kits allow for a hands-off, easy way to grow mushrooms for beginner growers. But there are plenty of other benefits to growing your own mushrooms in a bag, the first being space.
You don’t need much room to utilize a mushroom grow kit. In fact, you can drop most types in any apartment, house, or convenient space. You’ll need to keep the kits within the optimal temperature range for the specific type you’re using, but this typically lines up with most indoor living environments.
Saving time is another great benefit to using a mushroom grow kit. Preparing and inoculating substrate tends to take a lot of time and using grow kits help to circumvent this process and allow you to fruit your own mushrooms with little maintenance.
What types of mushrooms can I grow with a kit?
You can buy mushroom grow kits online or in-person from a local mushroom farm. And your options are vast.
Oysters, Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Combs Tooth, and Turkey Tails are just some examples of mushrooms you can grow with a kit. The options expand further than that, though. Check in with your local mushroom farm to see what they have in stock, as it can vary based on the time of year. Make sure you read the grow instructions specific to the species of mushroom you will be growing, as instructions can vary slightly based on the type.
Buy a mushroom grow kit in Seattle or order mushroom grow kits online
In the Seattle area and want to grow your own mushrooms? Kick off your fungal journey with a mushroom grow kit from Marrowstone Mushrooms. We’re a small-scale, hyper-local mushroom farm in Seattle. Here’s what we’ve got:
Oyster mushroom grow kits
King oyster mushroom grow kits
Lion’s Mane grow kit
Combs Tooth/Bear Head grow kits
Reishi grow kits
Turkey Tail grow kits
If you’re local, our Seattle mushroom grow kits are available for delivery or pick up at our Seattle mushroom farm. If you’re not local and want to buy a mushroom grow kit online, we’ve got you covered as well.
Why buy from Marrowstone Mushrooms? Our 5 lb grow kits were assembled in our Seattle Mushroom farm’s sterile lab with organic ingredients. All of our growing is done in small batches to ensure the highest quality.
It can take up to two weeks for your kit to fully colonize, so we will keep you in the loop and mail your kit as soon as fungally possible.