Grow Kit: Lion's Mane

Lion's Mane Growing Instructions

When Your Kit Gets Home

Before your kit is ready to start growing, there's a few things you'll need to check off!

  1. Your whole block should be white and fluffy. If there are any colors aside from white, please take some pictures and email us with the pictures attached.
  2. Do not remove the entire bag from your kit at any point throughout its lifecycle. It will dry out rapidly and stop producing fruits!

Getting Started

  1. Choose either of the following styles for growing your Lion's Mane:
    1. Cut two to four ~1" holes on each side of the bag, except for the side of the bag with the filter patch on it (white square). This will result in more, smaller fruits.
    2. Cut a single ~6" line diagonally across the bottom of the bag, on the opposite side from the filter patch (white square). This generally results in a single, very large fruit.
  2. Squeeze all of the air out of your grow kit and fold the excess plastic onto the top over the filter patch. This will be the bottom of your kit now.
  3. With the filter patch and excess plastic underneath, place your growkit in a humid location in your house with with moderate airflow.
  4. Spritz your growkit two to four times daily. This amount can vary depending on how humid your house is. Spray around but not on the cut holes.
  5. After 7 - 10 days, you will see little bumps forming, these are baby mushrooms, also known as "pins".
  6. These mushrooms will double in size daily. Follow the instructions on the next section to know when to harvest.

Harvesting

  1. Lion's Mane is generally a slower to mature species, and can take up to three weeks to be harvest ready from the first appearance of pins.
  2. Lion's Mane is ready to harvest when you see "hairs" developing. They look like small pieces of rope hanging from the body of the mushroom, and can be harvested when they are 1/4" or longer.
  3. To harvest, use your hands. Grab the cluster and twist to free it from the block.

After Your First Harvest

Our growkits aren't just one-hit-wonders! If cared for properly, they will continue to produce more flushes of mushrooms for weeks. 

The best way to get more mushrooms from your block is to follow these instructions:

  1. After harvesting your first flush, seal your bag - put it inside a large ziplock, grocery bag, or any mostly airtight container. 
  2. Let it sit and rest in a cool, dark place for around 14 days.
  3. Submerge it in room temperature water for 6-12 hours.
  4. Start at Step #2 in the growing instructions above!

Best Practices

  1. Always store mushrooms in breathable containers in a low to moderate humidity refrigerator drawer. We highly suggest brown paper bags, as they'll keep them fresh and happy as long as possible.
  2. After your 3rd or 4th flush, the block will be lightweight and smaller. It's time to put it in your compost pile (whole!). Keep an eye on it in fall and spring, you might just find some mushrooms sticking their heads out! 

What's Next?

Lion's Mane is a great starting place in the world of mycology. Want to explore more, or check out more growkits? See what we've got in store for you here!