Step- By- Step Guide to Using a Lion’s Mane Mushroom Grow Kit
Do you love growing Lions Mane mushrooms? Are you a mushroom aficionado who owns a mushroom kit and is looking for the perfect guide to using your Lion’s Mane Mushroom Kit? No worries. In this guide, you will find an easy tutorial to grow organic mushrooms. So, let’s get started.
A Lion’s Mane mushroom grow kit is generally a product that comes with various materials to grow Lion’s Mane mushrooms. It’s a hassle-free, organic, and easy way to grow your Lion’s Mane mushrooms right at your home.
Here’s a comprehensive guide to using a Lion’s Mane mushroom kit at home. First, let’s know what is usually present in your preferred kit.
Essential Components:
A mushroom grow kit is basically an alternative and cheaper option for enthusiasts like you to grow mushrooms without spending too much of your valuable time. The kit may come with or without the mushroom spawn. You may need additional ingredients for a much more rewarding experience. A Lion’s Mane mushroom grow kit usually comes with the following components:
- A Bacteria-Free Substrate: This is a bag where the substrates are usually kept. It basically contains chunks of sterilized dry ingredients like- sawdust, hardwood and more. The substrate has been richly inoculated with Lion’s Mane mushroom mycelium. The substrate acts as the perfect environment for growing your mushrooms.
- Sprouting Bag: A sprouting bag is a high-quality plastic bag that contains the substrate. It also bears a filter patch for gas exchange and proper substrate growth.
- Humidity Tent: It is basically a plastic bag that helps to maintain the perfect environment for fruiting. Maintaining the perfect humidity level is necessary for growing your mushrooms. Be very cautious, as not maintaining the right humidity may lead to unsatisfactory outcomes.
- Nutrient Boosters: The kit often comes with a rich nutrition booster pack. It is the perfect addition to enhance your mushroom growth. A mushroom rich in nutrients is certainly a dream for any mushroom lover after all.
A Sequential Guide to Using a Lions Mane Mushroom Grow Kit
Now that you know what is present in your mushroom grow kit, you need to know how to properly use the kit. Knowing how to use your kit properly will greatly help you to grow mushrooms at home. Here’s your perfect guide to using your Lion’s Mane Mushroom Grow Kit.
1. Knowing About Your Precious Mushrooms: Before using your kit, you must know about the type of mushrooms you are using your kit on. How will you use your kit properly if you don’t know your mushrooms properly? The mushroom in question is Lion’s Mane Mushrooms. These mushrooms are white fluffy fungi that heavily resemble a lion’s mane. They are widely known for their culinary and medicinal uses. They also bear a seafood flavor and are appreciated worldwide for their extensive health benefits.
2. Preparing The Growth Kit: Preparing your growth kit is the first and most important step. First, check thoroughly if your kit is in a good condition. Who really wants a damaged and faulty kit, after all? After you have checked that your kit is in perfect condition, you need to unpack the kit. Carefully unpack your kit from the packaging without damaging it. You need to use a sharp knife to make a precise cut in the substrate. Make sure not to cut more than 0.25 inches. Try to keep the kit in a clean area as possible to avoid contamination.
3. Choosing The Ideal Location: Lion’s Mane Mushroom requires a certain environment to grow it properly. These mushrooms require high humidity and thrive in temperatures of about 24°C. So, it is necessary to use the kit in such preferable areas to grow mushrooms. You may also use the kit in areas with indirect sunlight and fresh air, such as your kitchen counter. You can maintain your lovely mushrooms right in front of you now.
4. Misting Regularly: Growing Lion’s Mane Mushrooms requires a lot of water. So, you need to use the kit in humid locations for the perfect growth. Remember to mist daily inside the kit and spray 3-4 times daily with clean and fresh water. Please be careful to use chlorine-free water. Using chlorinated water heavily damages your precious mushrooms. Keep spraying your mushrooms until white blobs start to form in the mushrooms in your kit. This will indicate that your mushrooms are starting to grow properly.
5. Regular Monitoring: Monitoring the growth of your precious mushrooms is no less important than growing them. After you have seen that the mushrooms are starting to grow, monitor regularly to check whether your mushrooms are getting the proper fresh air, humidity, water, and necessary nutrients. Use nutrient boosters where necessary to enhance further growth. Mushrooms that are not able to grow properly will start to turn yellow in color. If that occurs, please follow the conditions mentioned above to prevent mushrooms from dying out. Don’t hesitate to separate your contaminated mushrooms otherwise.
6. Harvesting And Storing the Mushrooms: Lion’s Mane mushrooms require quite a long time to grow. But you will see that the mushrooms will start to become larger and gradually resemble a cluster of white, spongy teeth. You will basically notice this phase within 2-3 weeks after starting your kit. After you notice this change, use a sharp knife to carefully cut off your mushrooms. Be gentle with your cutting to avoid doing serious damage to your substrate. After you are done with harvesting your mushrooms, you can store them in refrigerators for a week or two to avoid contamination and rotting out. You may also dehydrate them for a long storage time.
Conclusion
Growing Lion’s Mane mushrooms requires patience and quite some time to grow. People who have not grown these mushrooms before may face some difficulties in growing them at first. Using a grow kit can greatly help you grow these mushrooms right at home. We hope that this step-by-step guide has helped you utilize your kit properly to grow your invaluable Lion’s Mane mushrooms. Now, enjoy your mushroom harvesting.