Question 1

How many harvests are you guys getting?  I'm looking at this from an economic standpoint -- so is it cheaper than buying mushrooms at the grocers?

Accepted Answer

I actually got 2 decent harvests from my first one, then I broke the brick apart, blended it with coffee grounds and a sterile (boiled) mixture of  wood ships and cardboard, separated it out into 6 bags, let the mycelium take over (call it maybe another 2 weeks) and once I had white bricks, I cut Xs in them and started the water spraying process over again. I got probably 4 lbs over the course of 3 months, so it was fairly worth it for me, but I would recommend having a dedicated grow area if you want to expand and get more harvest for your $
Overall a good kit to start a grow, but it’s not worth it if you just do front and back of the box. 
I ended up having to stop because spring arrived and so did fruit flies and fruit fly larva, but I’m pretty sure that I got close to the upper end of what was reasonable for the amount of mycelium anyways.

Question 2

Does this have to be used as soon as received in mail? Will it be effective if received but not used for 1-3 weeks? Trying to time when to buy this.

Accepted Answer

I bought this for my son for Christmas.  It arrived early December.  I hid it in a closet and wrapped it and it spent a few weeks under the tree.  We opened it on Christmas day and it is new years day and we have a large harvest growing...probably will be ready in a few days.  It is winter in Ohio with low humidity indoors so that could be part of the reason it kept well.  I can imagine that if the bag got wet it could spontaneously sprout, so just keep the box and inside bag dry while you are storing it.

Question 3

Should this be kept inside the home or in the garage?  How long does a batch typically take to grow?  What recipes do you use them in?

Accepted Answer

we kept ours in the kitchen.. the first batch took a bit longer because we discovered we did not soak it enough.  The second batch only took less than a week.  Honestly, we didnt eat them, I procrastinated and didn't pick them soon enough and they wilted.  As soon as they grow you almost have to eat them.

Question 4

Mushrooms grew on the first side in 7 days. Harvested.  The carton and plastic fell apart.  I put it on a foam plate and put a plastic bag around the entire thing. Misting. Not growing. 9 days second side.  Any suggestions?

Accepted Answer

I haven't tried growing the other side yet. We had a major forest fire right after my first harvest, so everything was put on hold.  But i had an incredible amount of mushrooms from my first harvest. And even though I quit misting the box, another very large shroom grew out of the box. I'll try the other side soon, after soaking it. Most of all, I learned how to grow these delicious mushrooms. As I live in the forest with many decaying logs around, I can order some spores and have a large harvest. I'm very glad I tried this first.

ASIN	B0BN93FF99
Brand Name	Back to the Roots
Color	Shiitake
Customer Reviews	3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars (653)
Expected Blooming Period	Year Round
Expected Plant Height	65 Centimeters
Expected Planting Period	Year Round
Indoor Outdoor Usage	Indoor
Item Type Name	Grow Kit
Item Weight	454 g
Manufacturer	Back to the Roots
Manufacturer Part Number	14002
Material Features	Organic
Model Number	14002
Moisture Needs	Moderate Watering
Number of Items	1
Number of Pieces	1
Other Special Features of the Product	Air Purification
Plant or Animal Product Type	Vegetable
Style Name	Organic Shiitake Mushroom Kit
Sunlight Exposure	Partial Shade
UPC	810667030865
USDA Hardiness Zone	5
Unit Count	1 Count

Back to the Roots Organic Shiitake Mushroom Kit; Great Gift; Easy for Beginners, For Indoor Growing (Start Growing Right Away)

Details

Details

Description

Specifications

Common Questions