Your Mushroom Mini Grow Kit comes with all you need to get started! Your grow kit should include a bag of organic substrate and an instruction card. The box your grow kit came in will serve as its home while it grows!

Our substrate is specially formulated to provide the best environment for mushroom growth. Made of upcycled agricultural materials like sawdust, wheat bran, and corn cobs, the substrate is 100% organic.

The spawn from which your mushrooms will grow is already inside of the substrate bag. They lay dormant until you cut open the bag and water your substrate - that's what kickstarts their growth!

Yes - Back to the Roots mushrooms are USDA certified organic!

The cut into your substrate bag allows your substrate to absorb water as it soaks. The 'X' shape is perfect for letting that water in, but the flaps formed by the cut help keep moisture inside to provide the optimal environment for your mushrooms to grow.

Cutting an 'X' into your substrate bag to grow your mushrooms.

Not to worry! Those flaps are there to help keep your substrate moist, but there are other ways to accomplish this. For example, pierce a few holes in a piece of plastic wrap and set it on top of the rectangular box opening. Lift the plastic to water your substrate each day, and you can remove it completely once mushrooms start to appear!

The white layer on your substrate block is mycelium, which is the main part of the fungus that produces your mushrooms! By scraping mycelium on the surface of your substrate, you are stimulating the organism and kickstarting mushroom growth.

Using a fork, lightly scrape away the top white layer of mycelium until the brown substrate below is clearly visible. Some of the substrate may be loose after scraping - this is expected, so don't worry if it falls out while you soak the bag.

In order to keep mushrooms dormant until you are ready to grow them, the substrate bag is free of moisture. By soaking the bag for 6-10 hours, you will rehydrate the substrate and provide the best growing environment for your mushrooms.

This is completely okay. Feel free to soak your bag for as long as you'd like, but from our experience we've learned that 10 hours is sufficient to give your mushrooms plenty of water.

The cut into your substrate bag allows your substrate to absorb water as it soaks. The 'X' shape is perfect for letting that water in, but the flaps formed by the cut help keep moisture inside to provide the optimal environment for your mushrooms to grow.

Cutting an 'X' into your substrate bag to grow your mushrooms.

Not to worry! Those flaps are there to help keep your substrate moist, but there are other ways to accomplish this. For example, pierce a few holes in a piece of plastic wrap and set it on top of the rectangular box opening. Lift the plastic to water your substrate each day, and you can remove it completely once mushrooms start to appear!

The white layer on your substrate block is mycelium, which is the main part of the fungus that produces your mushrooms! By scraping mycelium on the surface of your substrate, you are stimulating the organism and kickstarting mushroom growth.

Using a fork, lightly scrape away the top white layer of mycelium until the brown substrate below is clearly visible. Some of the substrate may be loose after scraping - this is expected, so don't worry if it falls out while you soak the bag.

In order to keep mushrooms dormant until you are ready to grow them, the substrate bag is free of moisture. By soaking the bag for 6-10 hours, you will rehydrate the substrate and provide the best growing environment for your mushrooms.

This is completely okay. Feel free to soak your bag for as long as you'd like, but from our experience we've learned that 10 hours is sufficient to give your mushrooms plenty of water.

Your Mushroom Mini Grow Kit will do best in a warm place with indirect sunlight. Place your grow kit with the box opening face up until you begin to see small mushrooms "pinning" - then feel free to place it upright to finish growing.

Your mushrooms will growl in normal room temperature (65-68 °F, 18-20 °C), but do not mind slightly warmer spaces. Additionally, if temperatures are below 60 °F (15 °C) most of the day, your mushrooms may germinate at a slower rate.

Sprinkle 2-3 teaspoons of water a day on the scraped area, until the baby mushrooms have begun to peek out. General rule of thumb is to check to ensure that the surface exposed is moist. Mushrooms grow best in wet environments, so don't be afraid to add more water if things look dry.

The key to successful watering is keeping your substrate perpetually moist. In our offices, we like to use spray bottles to "mist" the scraped area twice a day. If no spray bottles are in sight, we simply sprinkle 2-3 spoonfuls of water - check out our setup video for more advice here!

The Mushroom Mini Grow Kits growing substrate is made with dense organic materials and is quite different from normal potting soil. After you water your kit it's normal for the water drops to roll off and bead on the surface. However, you know your mushrooms are getting enough moisture if you can see visible drops of water underneath the surface of the plastic. When in doubt, give your kit MORE water, as mushrooms love moisture and it's near impossible to over water them!

We recommend that you continue to water daily. Still, if you can’t find a Mushroom Grow Kit babysitter, just re-soak your Mushroom Grow Kit over night when you return for an extra boost!

Your mushrooms will emerge from the box over the course of the next 10-12 days. The first 6-7 days you might not see mushrooms, but once baby mushrooms start to appear, it might look something like this:

Days 7-12 of mushroom growth!

The first few days in the growing cycle, the mycellium is rehydrating, and is taking up as much water as possible to encourage growth! It is normal to not see mushrooms sprouting within the first few days following your initial soaking of the mushroom bag. Continue to give it water daily and be patient. You will start to see visible caps forming, which are dark in color, and will double in size each day afterwards.

The main factors affecting mushroom growth are humidity and temperature. If you live in an arid or very dry climate, your mushrooms may need more frequent waterings to keep them nice and wet. Placing a humidifier in the same room may also help better regulate the surrounding moisture for the mushrooms. In addition, our oyster mushrooms will grow best when temperatures are between 65-68 °F (18-20 °C). If it is a tad cooler or warmer, they will grow more slowly, as the temperature your kit is growing in also affects how much water is being absorbed by your mushrooms.

Your Mushroom Mini Grow Kit grows gourmet Pearl Oyster mushrooms. They're commonly found in Europe and Asia and are used increasingly in a variety of cuisines for their velvety texture, smooth taste, and dense nutrient content.

Oyster mushrooms have a mild flavor that is very versatile when it comes to the food they complement. They have a delicate, velvety texture that pairs well in pastas, skewers, soups, salads, and anything else you like to put mushrooms in! They taste amazing, especially when they're so fresh, and can be eaten raw or cooked.

Each Mushroom Mini Grow Kit is unique, which means the amount of growth you may see from your grow kit can vary. Some kits will grow 2-3 large mushroom caps and others will have a dozen smaller caps - mushrooms grow in such a way that it is very hard to predict exactly what you'll harvest! We guarantee you will have 1-2 servings of mushrooms to harvest from your grow kit - if you don't think you're seeing this growth reach out to us with a picture and we'll be happy to help!

Harvesting your mushrooms at the right time is essential for optimal taste and texture. Watch our for these signs to know when it's time to harvest:

• They have stopped doubling in size daily
• They have turned from a dark gray/blue to a light brown color
• They have a distinct brown ring around the edge of their cap

If you're unsure whether your mushrooms are ready to harvest, feel free to send us a photo and we'll advise!

You can harvest your mushrooms by pulling them off the kit -- caps AND stems. The whole bunch will 'snap' off the substrate naturally. The caps will be different sizes -- this is normal and you want to harvest them all together. It's important to remove all mushrooms from your kit when they are done growing because if left on the substrate they will dry out within a day’s time.

After your harvest, we suggest eating your mushrooms within a week. Store them in a dry, airtight container, in the fridge, until ready to cook!

We highly recommend cooking your mushrooms before eating - they taste best sauteed or roasted! Regardless, wash your mushrooms thoroughly under water before consuming.

Oyster mushrooms are quite versatile! Add them as a tasty addition to any stir fry dish, or sauteé and top a sandwich or burger with them. Check out more recipes here!

Our Mushroom Mini Grow Kits come with a guarantee to grow on your first crop, but nearly all our grow kits will be successful in scoring you a second harvest! Follow these simple steps to grow your grow kit for a 2nd time:

• After your first harvest, store your grow kit in a cool, dry, and dark place (like your refrigerator!) until you are ready to grow again.
• When you're ready, remove your substrate bag from its box, flip the bag over to the unused side and cut an'X' similar to the first one you cut in the other side of the bag.
• Scrape away the white mycelium as you did for your first crop, and re-soak your bag in water overnight. Insert the bag back into its box with the new X facing the open back panel.
• Water your grow kit just like you did before, but the more water the better this second time around! The more water you give your mushrooms the bigger and faster they grow back, so don't ever be afraid of over-watering.

Please note - mushrooms take longer to grow back a second time than they did the first time around. You may need to keep watering for 2-3 weeks before you see growth again. In addition, the second crop is usually fewer mushrooms than the first - don't be discouraged by slightly less growth!

Accept the challenge! Some mushroom grow kits have harvested a third, fourth, and even fifth crop from their kit. Tag us on Facebook or Instagram with photos of your bountiful harvests!

The main factors affecting mushroom growth are humidity and temperature. If you live in an arid or very dry climate, your mushrooms may need more frequent waterings to keep them nice and wet. Placing a humidifier in the same room may also help better regulate the surrounding moisture for the mushrooms. In addition, our oyster mushrooms will grow best when temperatures are between 65-68 °F (18-20 °C). If it is a tad cooler or warmer, they will grow more slowly, as the temperature your kit is growing in also affects how much water is being absorbed by your mushrooms.

Mushrooms grow best in moist environments. If you live in an area that is very hot and have internal cooling systems regularly in use, this dries out the air in your home. To ensure optimum mushroom growth, you may need to water the kit more often, so it does not dry out. We recommend watering it enough so the plastic film flaps that you cut from the bag is covered in beads of water. In addition, placing a humidifier in the room may assist in better controlling the humidity for the mushrooms.

Cooking with dried mushrooms is extremely popular! Just soak them in warm water or your favorite broth before you sauteé!

Each Mushroom Mini Grow Kit is unique, which means the amount of growth you may see from your grow kit can vary. Some kits will grow 2-3 large mushroom caps and others will have a dozen smaller caps - mushrooms grow in such a way that it is very hard to predict exactly what you'll harvest! We guarantee you will have 1-2 servings of mushrooms to harvest from your grow kit - if you don't think you're seeing this growth reach out to us with a picture and we'll be happy to help!

We absolutely guarantee all our products, so if you're grow kit isn't growing for any reason, please reach out to us: contact@backtotheroots.com and we'll send you a new grow kit. We have a 24hr response policy on every single email we receive and make customer service our utmost priority.

The grow kit will stay fresh in the box for months before you start growing your mushrooms. Make sure you keep your grow kit in a cool area/room that doesn't receive any direct sunlight (i.e., closet, bedroom). Once opened you just need oxygen, water, and light to “activate” your grow kit!

Oyster mushrooms are extremely healthy and rich, given that one-third of their dry weight is protein. They contain amino acids and enzymes that have been shown to boost the immune system and are rich in vitamin C, vitamin B complex, and most of the mineral salts required by the human body. Calcium, phosphorous and iron content in oyster mushrooms are double the amount found in most meats. They are also known to lower cholesterol, boost the immune system, and may even inhibit tumor growth.