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Grow Kit In-A-Bag™ Guide

VIDEOS

In this two-part video series, you'll learn everything from how to use your mushroom Grow Kit In-A-Bag™, supplies you'll need to be successful, and how to maximize yields when harvesting mushrooms.

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STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Supplies You'll Need

We specifically designed this bag to make it as easy as possible to grow mushrooms with the least number of supplies. 

Included with your order:

  • Grow Kit In-A-Bag™
  • Alcohol Wipe 

Not Included with your order:

  • Syringe with 10-20 CCs of Liquid Culture or Spore (see below for purchasing info)

Optional for Maximum Success:

  • Spray bottle filled with 70% Isopropyl Alcohol
  • Face Mask
  • Latex Gloves

Where to Buy Liquid Culture and Spores:

This can easily be found online from many suppliers.

Our favorite supplier is hellospore.com. Use the checkout code MUSHROOMSUPPLIES on their website for 5% off!

STEP 1: Sterilize your environment

This first step is very important! Even the smallest amount of bacteria can ruin your mushroom bag if it gets inside. 

  1. AIR: Turn off any fans, A/Cs, or heaters.
  2. BODY: Wear gloves and a mask. 
  3. WORKSTATION: Clean your workstation with the alcohol wipe provided or optional spray bottle with 70% isopropyl alcohol.
  4. BAG: Wipe your bag down with an alcohol wipe or alcohol spray bottle. Do not wipe or get alcohol inside the air filter patch. 
  5. INJECTION PORT: Leave a fresh alcohol wipe or paper towel with isopropyl alcohol over the injection port until you are ready to inject.
STEP 2: Inoculation
  1. Attach the sterile needle to your syringe. Flame sterilize your syringe needle and allow it to cool.
  2. Carefully insert your syringe needle into the injection port and inject the bag with 10-20 CCs of liquid culture or spores. If you’re working with spores, make sure that all the fluid is injected in a single spot in the bag so the reproductive cells are near each other.
  3. Carefully pull the needle out the injection port and place the cap safely back on. Dispose of the needle in a designated receptacle.
  4. Cover the injection port with clean scotch tape to protect the bag from outside contamination. You may also place the alcohol wipe back on the injection port and allow the injection port to self-heal. 
  5. If you’re doing multiple injections with the same needle, make sure to re-sterilize your needle with a lighter between each injection.
  6. Store the bag in a semi-dark room with no direct sunlight, off the ground, at about 70-78 degrees Fahrenheit. Pro Tip: keeping your environment at 75-78 degrees Fahrenheit will result in faster rates of colonization.
  7. You will store you bag until it is 20-40% colonized (20-40% covered in white mycelium). If Using Liquid Culture: Store your bag for about 1-3 weeks. If Using Spores: Store your bag for about 2-4 weeks.
STEP 3: Shake your bag once it's 20% colonized
  1. Once your bag is about 20% colonized, it's time to shake your bag. The purpose of shaking the bag is to speed up the mushroom growth and to evenly distribute the mycelium so that all the nutrients inside the substrate gets consumed.
  2. Gently knead and shake your bag to break up the mycelium until it’s evenly distributed throughout the bag.
  3. After shaking the bag, place it back in storage under the same conditions as before for about another week or two, so it can finish colonizing.
STEP 4: Prep bag for mushroom growth

Now that your bag is fully colonized, it's time to prep it for mushroom growth.

  1. Wipe down your workstation, gloves, and bag with alcohol. Avoid alcohol on the air filter patch.
  2. Wipe your scissors with alcohol and cut across the top of the bag.
  3. Lightly pull the middle of your bag in and out to bello air into the bag. Do this for about 30 seconds.
  4. Fold the top of the bag and paper clip it down. Place the bag back in a clean environment and wait another 7-10 days.
STEP 5: Harvest mushrooms!

Observe your bag’s progression and watch for signs of fruiting (actual mushroom growth). The best time to harvest is after the caps have formed and just before the veil tears away.

There may be mushrooms at different stages. It's best to begin harvesting when most of the mushrooms are ready.

During the harvesting stage, be sure to handle the bag gently to prevent the spores from dropping.

  1. Open the bag and harvest ALL the mushrooms. Lightly twist and pull at the base of the stem to remove the mushrooms. Set the mushrooms aside on a clean plate/tray/bin/etc.
  2. Rehydrate your growing medium by spraying distilled water or RO water down the sides of the bag. If using a 5lbs bag: add 100 mL of water back into your bag. If using a 3lbs bag:add 80 mL of water back into your bag. The goal here is go slowly so that your water absorbs into the growing medium versus pooling up at the bottom.
  3. You have now completed the first "flush" (round) of mushroom growth. You should be able to get 1-2 more flushes of mushrooms out of the bag, so don't dispose of it just yet.
  4. Close up the bag with paper clips and wait another two weeks for the next round of mushrooms to grow.
  5. After each mushroom has been harvested, cut the bottom portion of each stem off and make sure there isn’t any growing medium on the mushroom.
  6. Dry your mushrooms using your preferred method.
  7. Repeat steps 1-6 for your 2nd and 3rd flush. After the 3rd flush, you can dispose of the grow bag.
  8. Enjoy!