Anywhere in your home that provides indirect light, oxygen & more humidity is best - this could mean your kitchen countertop or even your bathroom. The temperature in the room should ideally be between 60-65 degrees, but the mushrooms can handle anywhere from 55-75 degrees. We suggest placing your kit in an area in your house that you frequent so you remember to water it! Do not place your kit outside.  

There are 3 triggers to start mushroom pinning/fruiting. These include the introduction of oxygen, light, and sound (like thunderstorms). The mushroom blocks don’t require a ton of light but they do need some in order to grow healthy mushrooms. They prefer indirect light over direct sunlight, as direct sunlight can easily dry them out. More light also helps with color development with the pink and blue oyster varieties.

Generally, you want to provide the block with more humidity during the pinning/fruiting process, backing off just slightly during the maturing process. In the beginning pinning phase, misting 3x/day is ideal (morning, aftermoon, evening). When the mushrooms start maturing, 1-2x/day is sufficient (not directly on the mushrooms).

You may see pinning/fruiting* in 5-7 days but depending on the environment, they may take 2 weeks or more.

*This is the stage where the mushrooms start to fruit. It's called pinning because the little mushrooms sometimes look like little pinheads. They’ll continue to grow from that point on.

The typical yield ratio is around 40% of the weight of the block. For instance, a 5 lb block will typically yield 2-2.5 lbs of fruit. Yield may vary due to growing conditions & care.

You should start your mushroom block as soon as you receive it for best results.

The root system of the mushroom is called the mycelium. Mycelium is an essential part of the life support system for mushrooms! It is typically bright white & dense with a somewhat fluffy cotton ball texture.

Differentiating between mycelium and mold can sometimes be challenging, especially for beginners. Mold is typically off-white, gray or black, will often spread faster & take over the mushroom block & will have a fuzzy or cobweb-like appearance. If you are unsure, send a photo to hamama.com/help so our team of Grow Coaches can assist!

Splitting may happen during transit. We recommend keeping the block in the bag & gently pressing the block back together and allowing it some extra time to recover before cutting the bag open to start the growing process. It may take about a week to re-establish itself & allow for more mycelium growth. Try to avoid placing the cut directly over the split. It will still grow but not until the mycelium establishes a connection on the gap.

No! The bag keeps humidity in for the mushrooms to get nice and happy to grow. Opening it will dry it out and subsequently, the mushrooms won’t grow. Opening the bag will also disrupt the controlled environment and expose the substrate and mycelium to potential contamination.

Yes! Mushrooms might get over-eager and start pinning during transit. If your mushrooms are already at the pinning stage when the kit arrives, just follow the instructions after the pinning phase. For example, you should mist the block with water, avoiding misting the mushrooms directly.

Mushrooms take time to start from grain spawn to sterilized bags and then need to be kept warm and happy to get them ready to grow. All of our kits are made to order so processing times can vary. The process of making a mushroom grow kit involves several steps to create an environment suitable for mushroom cultivation: Substrate preparation, inoculation, bag filling, incubation & mycelium colonization.

While mushroom cultivation using a grow kit is generally safe, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. It's important to maintain cleanliness and proper hygiene during the cultivation process to minimize the risk of contamination. Additionally, some individuals may be sensitive or allergic to certain types of mushrooms, so it's advisable to be aware of any potential allergies and handle mushrooms with care. We recommend fully cooking your mushrooms once harvested.

It's important to harvest mushrooms at their optimal maturity to ensure the best flavor, texture, and quality. Harvesting too early may result in underdeveloped mushrooms, while waiting too long can lead to mushrooms becoming overmature, which can affect taste and texture. Knowing when a mushroom kit is ready for harvest depends on the specific mushroom species being grown. However, there are some general signs to look for that indicate the mushrooms are ready to be harvested. The caps will expand and reach their full size. They’ll have opened up completely, revealing the gills or spore-bearing surface underneath. They should be firm and have a smooth or slightly wrinkled texture, depending on the species. Mature mushrooms often start producing spores, which can be seen as a powdery substance on the gills or spore-bearing surface. Depending on the species, mature mushrooms will have reached their expected size. They will also display the characteristic color associated with the species (this can depend on lighting).

The yellow liquid that sometimes accumulates at the bottom of a mushroom grow kit is known as "metabolite." Metabolite is a natural byproduct of the mushroom growth process (water, nutrients) and can appear during the colonization phase. It is not necessarily a sign of something bad or harmful, but you should monitor the situation if it becomes excessive, foul-smelling or accompanied by mold. Reach out to our grow coaches at hamama.com/help if you are concerned about your mushroom block.

These are mushroom spores. Mushroom spores are microscopic reproductive cells released by mature mushrooms. They are typically present in large quantities and can appear as a fine white dust. If your mushrooms have reached maturity and released spores, they may settle around the grow kit, resulting in the white dust-like appearance.