Q: Where is the best place to put my kit? 

A: A kitchen or bathroom windowsill would be an ideal location, but any bright spot with lots of indirect natural light would work well. The ideal temperature is somewhere around 19 degrees but don’t worry too much about that. Just be sure not to put your kit in a location with extreme temperature fluctuations, in full sunlight or close to a radiator. 

Q: I’ve ripped off the perforated card but the substrate is all bobbly underneath. Is my kit broken?

A: No! Those are pins (aka baby mushrooms). Sometimes the mycelium just can’t wait to fruit and starts pinning inside the bag. This is a good sign that the mycelium is ready to go! Go ahead cut your X into the plastic and spray really well.

Q: Can I use an old cleaning bottle to spray my kit? 

A: We don’t recommend re-using bottles that have recently had bleach or powerful cleaners but one from a gentler cleaning product would be fine to re-use with a couple caveats. Make sure to clean the bottle and the nozzle really really well first and make sure that there is no trace of cleaning product left. 

Q: It’s been 14 days and my kit hasn’t done anything yet. Why isn’t it working?

A: Mushrooms sometimes take longer than expected to fruit due to temperature and humidity fluctuations. As long as your X doesn’t look mouldy or slimy, it will still be able to fruit. Stay patient and up the frequency of water spraying. If your kit is on a windowsill, open the window more frequently so that the kit is exposed to fresh air each day.

Q: Do I keep spraying my kit once the mushrooms have started forming?

A: Yes. Once the mushrooms have started to form it’s important to keep spraying them with water 2-3 times so that they don’t dry out. If you think your mushrooms are looking a little dry, up the frequency of spraying. 

Q: How do I know when my mushrooms are ready to harvest?

A: It’s tempting to see how big your mushrooms can get, but we suggest harvesting them before they release too many of their spores (this will look like really fine white dust/powder). You will notice with oyster mushrooms that the edges will start to flatten out before they turn upwards - if you see this flattening, it’s time to harvest. They increase in size very quickly at this stage so if you don’t manage to get to them before they start to do this, don’t worry they will still taste great! Lions mane will start to start to yellow when it’s time to harvest. 

Q: I think my kit has gone off. What should I do?

A: Send us an email at help@caledoniamushrooms.co along with a photo and an explanation of the issue and we will be able to help you.