Your fruiting block kit is an amended sawdust block that has been colonized by mushroom mycelium. Mushrooms need adequate humidity and ventilation to survive and thrive, so proper care is important.
1. Leave the block inside the bag, and do not open it. To activate your block, place it on its side, exposing an area where the block presses right up against the plastic. Take a sharp knife or razor blade and make a 5-to 6-inch cut along this part of the bag, then gently squeeze out any remaining air. Finally, take the loose bag flap, and fold it underneath the kit.
2. Place your sliced bag in the most humid part of your home (like next to the sink) or in a humidity-controlled grow chamber. Make sure it is kept away from direct sunlight, and keep it well hydrated. Do this by spraying the outside of your block, over the sliced area, with water at least once per day.
3. If your home is very dry, and you do not have a humidity-controlled grow chamber, you may need to make a humidity tent to place over the over fruiting block. To do this, find a loose-fitting plastic bag and make plenty of ½-inch holes all over it. Then place it over the fruiting block (that is still inside it’s original bag.) Once you’ve made the humidity tent, be sure to spray the inside of it a minimum of once per day.
4. Within 1-2 weeks of first slicing open your fruiting block bag, the mushrooms will sense the oxygen in the air and begin to produce mushroom “pins,” or little baby mushrooms. When you spot your first mushroom pins, keep a close eye on them. After 5 to 10 days of pin formation, your mushrooms should be ready to harvest.
5. Watch to make sure that your mushrooms don’t begin look “stringy” while growing. If this happens, they require more oxygen. Make sure they are in a spot with adequate ventilation and aren’t too close to other mushroom fruiting blocks or kits.
6. Harvest your mushrooms when they resemble the mushrooms in the photographs, before the caps flatten out and become concave.
Each subsequent harvest will be smaller in size, but can still produce a nice flush. Before trying for another flush, give your block a one-week break from spraying, then soak it in cold water for 20 minutes, and re-start daily water spraying.
