With our shiitake mushroom substrate block, you can easily grow your own delicious mushrooms right at home – either indoors or outdoors (depending on the season). The substrate is pre-grown and fully ready to produce mushrooms under the right conditions.

Standard room temperature is perfect for shiitake, so your main task is simply to look after the humidity. A regular spray bottle is all you need!

• Yield: Approx. 300–600g of fresh mushrooms in just 1–2 weeks.
• Multiple harvests: The kit can produce several flushes of mushrooms.
• Dimensions: Length approx. 36cm and diameter 10cm.
• Weight: Approx. 2 kg

Step-by-Step Growing Instructions

0. Storage (optional) - If you do not want to start growing right away, place the kit in the refrigerator. It will keep there for a few weeks before the mushrooms start growing under the plastic.

1. Unboxing - Remove the plastic wrap from around the grow kit.

2. Set Up the Growing Environment - Create a humidity-retaining setup for your kit.

• Option A: Pour a little water at the bottom of a plastic storage box and place the kit inside.
• Option B: Place a perforated plastic bag as a hood over the kit.
• Important: Ensure the moisture doesn't evaporate too quickly, but do not seal the container airtight. The kit needs air circulation to breathe.
• Outdoor growing: From spring to autumn, you can keep the kit outdoors in a shaded spot protected from direct sunlight. Depending on the weather, outdoor kits may require less frequent spraying.

3. Maintain Humidity - Keep the environment moist by spraying the inside surfaces of your setup with a spray bottle a few times a day.

4. Harvesting - Harvest the mushrooms individually by cutting the stem with scissors or a knife. You can tell a mushroom is ready when its cap separates from the stem, revealing the pale gills underneath. They usually mature within 1–3 days from each other, so you can harvest them all around the same time.

5. Next Harvests (Flushes) - To try for a second flush, let the grow kit dry out for 1–2 weeks. After that, submerge it under water overnight and restart the humidity maintenance process from step 3.

6. Disposal & Recycling - Once the grow kit is spent, you can compost it or bury it directly in your garden soil. It may still yield a surprise harvest outdoors and serves as an excellent natural soil conditioner.

It really is that easy!

Troubleshooting: What if the mushrooms don't grow?

Mushroom mycelium is incredibly resilient and will start fruiting as long as the conditions are right. The importance of moisture cannot be stressed enough – the most common reason for a lack of mushrooms is the kit drying out (or suffocating in a completely sealed container).

If the kit happens to dry out (for example, during a weekend trip), do not give up! Simply resume spraying and wait patiently.

If you do not see any growth after 4 weeks of successful humidity maintenance, you can try rehydrating the kit. Submerge the grow kit under water for 12 hours and restart the process according to the instructions.

If no mushrooms appear within 4 weeks after this rehydration, please contact us at antti@satohuone.fi and we will solve the issue together!

Happy growing!