A ready-to-go mini mushroom farm! These kits consist of 3kg of a premium mix of organic substrate which has been colonised with Black Pearl Oyster mushroom mycelium (Pleurotus ostreatus) and they're a great way to grow a good few crops of mushrooms at home with ease.
Black Pearl Oyster mushrooms are not only visually striking while growing, they are also a delicious mushroom which produces reliable, substantial crops. Along with Native Phoenix Oysters, these are the easiest mushrooms to grow for beginners, tolerating a good range of growing conditions. They love cooler growing conditions and are best grown in autumn, winter and spring, but can also be grown in summer in a coolish shaded spot!
These are some of the most robustly fleshed oyster mushrooms which can have substantial stems that can make a wonderful meat substitute. If grown in higher CO2 conditions (less air exchange) the stems grow larger and the caps grow smaller. You have the option of 'side fruiting' them like regular oyster mushrooms, or turn the kit on its side so that the X cut is facing up, to 'top fruit' the mushrooms which will give a different growth form.
Black Pearl Oyster mushrooms are a tasty, robustly fleshed mushroom which is well suited to many different dishes - the flavour is savoury and mushroomy, but mild enough to easily compliment other flavours in a dish. They are best cooked until golden brown at the edges to release nutty and umami flavours.
The first step when you receive your grow kit is to take it out of its box and cut some slits in the bag where it is marked out for you. Kits need to be taken out of their box and 'activated' within two weeks of receiving them (store in their box and in a cool place until ready to use)
From there, all you need is a spot to put them and to give them a bit of moisture now and then, by spraying the humidity veil (included) with water every day or two. The mushroom kit will grow in a wide variety of environments, indoors or outdoors. Common spots to place it include a laundry room, garden shed, or simply under the shade of a bush / tree in your back yard. Or the ideal environment can be created using a MycoLogic Mini Mushroom Grow Tent.
You can expect a crop within a couple of weeks of receiving the bag (maybe slower in winter when it's cold), and a couple more crops spaced a couple of weeks apart after the harvest of the first crop. These bags generally yield over 1kg of mushrooms in total if looked after well.
For an extra $20 you can optionally add a copy of our Mushroom Growing Book (RRP $29.90) which is a great resource on all things mushroom growing, specifically for New Zealand.
Full instructions provided. And you can always contact us with any questions!
