Welcome to your GroCycle Lion's Mane Mushroom Grow Kit!
This page contains instructions and frequently asked questions to help you have the best possible experience with your your kit.
Step By Step Instructions For Your Lion's Mane Grow Kit
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Step 1: Cut Out Window Panel On Front Of The Box
Use some scissors or a knife to carefully cut along the perforated lines of the window on the front of the box.
This is the area that your mushrooms will grow from.
Step 2: Cut A Slit In The Grow Bag
Make a 5-10cm horizontal slit in the growing bag towards the top of the window (avoid cutting too deeply into the substrate).
The slit is best cut towards the top of the window area like this so that it gives space for the Lion’s Mane mushroom to grow downwards.
After cutting the slit, open the top of the box and fold/squash the top of the growing bag down inside the box. Then, close the box again. This stops the mushrooms from trying to grow inside the bag on top of the substrate, and forces them to grow out of the slit in the window instead.
Step 3: Caring For Your Kit Whilst It Grows
Position your kit in a shaded spot, out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources. A shaded windowsill or kitchen worktop is an ideal spot. Warm, dry air or direct sunlight will dry the mushrooms out as they develop.
Spray the front window area of the kit 2-3 times daily with water.
After 7 – 14 days, your mushrooms will start to form small white blobs near to where you cut the slit. Continue the 2-3 times/day misting routine.
Each time, give it just 3-4 short sprays from a distance of at least 40cm away to avoid water settling on the mushrooms as they develop (if the mushrooms are too wet with droplets on them it can cause them to go brown / start to rot).
The mushrooms can also display a yellow/light brown colouration as a result of being too dry. To counteract this, try to spray more regularly or consider cutting a few large holes in a plastic bag and placing it over the front of the box to create a ‘humidity tent’ for the mushrooms to develop within.
Step 4: Harvesting Your Mushrooms
From when the mushrooms first start to grow to the point of harvest usually takes between 7 – 14 days, depending on temperature (they grow fast when warm, slower when cold).
There are 4 main clues for knowing when it’s time to harvest:
- The ‘teeth’ or ‘spines’ on the mushroom elongate and ‘drop down’.
- The mushroom feels more loosely connected to the growing medium (i.e. you can wiggle the mushroom around and it’ll feel like it’s ready to come off)
- You may see some white dust underneath the mushroom (these are spores and can be simply wiped away with a cloth)
- The top of the mushroom may begin to go a little yellow/brown in colour (this can also happen earlier in the growing cycle due to low humidity, so on it’s own isn’t the best indicator of harvest time).
Once you have observed at least 2 of these clues then it’s time to harvest. The easiest method is to simply slide your hands in behind the mushroom and gently twist and pull away from the growing medium. If it’s ready, it should come off easily. You can also slide a knife in behind and cut them off instead.Â
Step 5: Cooking & Growing a 2nd Crop
Congratulations – you’ve grown your own Lion’s Mane mushroom at home! Now, what are you going to do with it?Â
They are great just cooked simply in olive oil or butter with salt, pepper and herbs and served on toast.
Or, if you want to get more creative, then check out our article with 30 of the best mushroom recipes for some inspiration.
If you want to try and grow a 2nd crop, here’s what to do:
- Leave the whole kit alone to rest for 2 days
- Remove the grow bag from the box and place it with the slit side down in a bowl or sink of water for approx. 2 hours Â
- Drain as much water as possible, then return to the box – this time with the un-cut side of the bag facing out of the window
- Cut another 5-10cm horizontal slit in the bag towards the top of the window
- Continue misting from 40cm away 2-3 times daily
- A 2nd (smaller) crop should begin to develop approx. 7-14 daysÂ
- Follow the same process as before, misting daily until harvest.
You can try repeating this process again for a possible 3rd crop.
Lion's Mane Kits: Frequently Asked Questions
This can occur for 2 different reasons:
Mushroom is drying outÂ
This is caused by low humidity in the environment in which the mushrooms are growing.Â
The mushrooms will look dry and often have a yellow-ish brown colouration. This can also be a sign that it is ready for harvest and has stopped growing / is beginning to dry out.
If you think it’s ready to harvest at this point, then go ahead and harvest. The mushrooms are fine to eat.Â
If the mushrooms are not mature yet, then you can try to increase humidity by placing it in a different spot that may be less dry and/or mist with water more regularly (don’t mist so much that the mushrooms are wet and saturated though, as this can cause the other issue that causes brown colouration)
   2. Mushrooms are beginning to rot
The mushrooms will have a darker brown / orange colouration that looks a bit wet in patches. This occurs when the mushrooms have been sprayed too heavily with water and droplets have been left to settle on the mushrooms for too long, causing them to rot.Â
It can also occur if you do not harvest for a long time after the mushroom reaches maturity. If your mushrooms are like this, then unfortunately they are no longer edible and should be composted asap. Next time, mist less heavily.
This is nothing to worry about. Sometimes, Lion’s Mane mushrooms can display a pink-ish colouration during the early stages of development. This usually occurs if it is being grown in slightly cooler conditions. The pink colour normally disappears as the mushroom grows towards maturity and turns white instead.
No, it is not necessary to soak the grow bag in water when you first set up your Lion’s Mane Grow Kit. The growing medium already contains enough water for the 1st crop.Â
After harvesting the 1st crop, leave the kit to rest for 2 days. Then, remove the grow bag from inside the box and place it with the slit side down in a bowl or sink of water for approx. 2 hours. This will help enable it to soak up some water and to rehydrate the growing medium ready for another crop.
After 2 hours, drain as much water out of the bag as possible, and return it to the growing box with the top of the bag folded down – this time with the other (un-cut) side of the bag facing out of the window. Cut another 5-10cm horizontal slit in the bag towards the top of the window. Continue misting 2-3 times daily with water.Â
A 2nd (smaller) crop should begin to develop approx. 10-20 days later (sometimes it may take a little longer). Follow the same process as for the first crop, misting lightly 2-3 times a day until harvest. You can try repeating this process again for a possible 3rd crop.
From when the mushrooms first start to develop to the point of harvest usually takes between 7 – 14 days, depending on temperature (they grow fast when warm, slower when cold).
There are 4 main clues for knowing when it’s time to harvest:
- The ‘teeth’ or ‘spines’ on the mushroom elongate and ‘drop down’.
- The mushroom feels more loosely connected to the growing medium (i.e. you can wiggle the mushroom around and it’ll feel like it’s ready to come off)
- You may see some white dust underneath the mushroom (these are spores and can be simply wiped away with a cloth)
- The top of the mushroom may begin to go a little yellow/brown in colour (this can also happen earlier in the growing cycle due to low humidity, so on it’s own isn’t the best indicator of harvest time).
Once you have observed at least 2 of these clues then it’s time to harvest.
The easiest method is to simply slide your hands in behind the mushroom and gently twist and pull it away from the growing medium. If it’s ready, it should come off easily. You can also slide a knife in behind and cut them off instead.Â
Position your kit in a shaded spot, out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources.
Warm, dry air or direct sunlight will dry the mushrooms out as they develop, so try to avoid anywhere near a radiator, wood burner, or anywhere that get’s direct sunlight.
A shaded windowsill or kitchen worktop is an ideal spot. Somewhere near a sink is usually a naturally humid place for the mushrooms to grow.
You could also consider growing them outside under cover or in a shed with a window when temperatures are above 10C.
It doesn’t matter…you can put the bag in either way round, just as long as the slit for the mushrooms to grow out of is facing out of the window to give a space for the mushrooms to grow from.
The white square filter patch on the bag is used during the earlier stage of growth and is no longer important for the fruiting stage.
Sometimes a kit will take longer than normal to start growing. Being a living organism means it’s on its own timetable. This can be the case particularly if the environment they are growing in is cooler (below 16C). Or it can be if you forgot to mist daily and it has dried out.
If there is no sign of any mushrooms after 2 weeks, then we recommend you take the bag out of the box and soak it with the cut side down in a bowl or sink of cold water for 2 hours. Then, return back to the box. This will often kickstart the mushrooms to start growing.
If there is still no sign of life after 3 weeks, then please drop us an email to [email protected] with a photo and we’ll be happy to send a replacement.
If you have any other questions about your kit then please use our contact page, or drop us an email with a photo of any issues you’re facing to [email protected]